Syracuse Chief Policy Officer Greg Loh said the Tick and Deer Management program is the result of a longstanding deer overpopulation problem in the city.
"This is not a topic that any of us relish to be undertaking but one that the circumstances of our ecosystem, and human interaction with it, have created,” Loh said.
Loh said deer in the city can transmit Lyme disease, cause motor vehicle accidents, and destroy property.
This year, 55 of the 137 deer killed were part of a pilot program where deer are trapped and euthanized. Loh said that was necessary in certain areas and expects that method to continue next season.
"(In those areas) the deer population continues to be very high, but because of the close proximity of people's houses, the use of firearms is not feasible," Loh said.
But Nancy Larson, who lives in the city, said she feels the trap and euthanize program is “egregious” and said there are other solutions to control the deer population.
"There are a great number of people who very much enjoy the presence of the deer,” she said. “It's part of the neighborhood."
Loh said they’re looking for more people who live in the city to become deer diarists to help track the deer population.
As part of the program, the city said 4,000 pounds of venison meat was donated to the Food Bank, resulting in 12,000 meals.
