Response to Mayor's Message April 24, 2025

Mayor Lois Salter published a Mayor's Message April 24 in response to the presentation by Ben McCullar of the Department of Natural Resources at Pinckneyville Community Center. In her message, she raised several questions listed below (paraphrased for brevity):

Bow hunting

Mayor: Bow hunting has had no effect on deer population in Peachtree Corners. How could we achieve different results?

My answer: Peachtree Corners has not had a controlled organized hunt but has allowed random hunting on private property. How could anyone expect any effect on deer population without an organized hunt? That's how we can achieve a better result - organize a controlled hunt in the greenspace.

Mayor: If a deer is shot by a bow and doesn't die immediately, who locates the body and hauls it away?

Me: I believe the implication is that this is a frequent occurrence but where are the statistics to back this up? I personally believe bow hunting with experts would be safer and as effective as rifles. In a controlled hunt, the agency conducting the hunt would manage the entire process including removing the carcasses.

Hunting on private property vs. the greenspace

Mayor: The mayor raises several safety and liability issues that would result from hunting on private property near homes.

Me: My answer is to conduct organized hunts in the greenspace. The city can certainly change the ordinance that currently forbids huntng in the greenspace. The city could probably lift the ordinance temporarily in order to facilitate a hunt.

Expense of controlled hunts

Mayor: The mayor asks how much you would be willing to pay in increased taxes to fund controlled hunts?

Me: It would be necessary to have a hunt annually for several years to keep the population under control. Although the mayor provides no specific data on pricing, I would like to point out that no tax increase would be necessary. The city has had revenue exceeding its expenses by significant amounts for many years, resulting in a cash horde of about five million dollars. I spoke with Ben McCullar of the Department of Natural Resources on September 3 and learned that DNR provides many of these services free of charge!.