Oh, Deer! Collaborative efforts to create and link deer management plans across Central Ohio

Program Overview

Modern deer population management presents cross-jurisdictional challenges as deer populations move across city boundaries and therefore across disparate management regimes. Wildlife managers, researchers, and citizens alike have recognized the need for cross-boundary, multi-stakeholder collaboration that involves the sharing of best practices and the coordination of management tasks¹.  

Within Central Ohio, cities are at different points in the process of developing their own deer management strategies. During this EPN program, we’ll hear from speakers about ongoing deer management projects in the cities of Worthington and Gahanna. Recently, the city of Worthington initiated the Worthington Deer Task Force (WDTF), which is responsible for researching viable options for effective deer-human conflict management in Worthington, and presenting these results to the Worthington City Council². Meanwhile, other Central Ohio municipalities, including the city of Gahanna, are looking to learn from wildlife officers and from their neighbors in Worthington to identify deer management strategies that might work in their own cities. The importance of cross-boundary collaboration to guide the management of fluctuating deer populations underscores the need for forums to share best practices and success stories, which is one of the goals of this EPN event. 

Join this December evening EPN program to participate in a discussion about deer management planning with local wildlife practitioners, researchers, and city managers. 

References

Agenda

5:00 p.m. Doors open at 4-H Center. Food and beverages served for in-person attendees.

• Networking session featuring autumn Ohio State senior capstone project posters in the A.B. Graham Hall and Bob Evans Memorial Auditorium.

5:55 p.m. Movement into the Bob Evans Memorial Auditorium for in-person attendees. Livestreaming service begins for virtual attendees.   

6:00 p.m. Tim Haab, PhD, director, Ohio State’s School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) provides welcome remarks. 

6:05 p.m. Esther DeBusk, lecturer, SENR, discusses the importance of forming networks to improve quality of life through well-crafted and delivered learning experiences in ecosystem restoration and wildlife management. 

6:15 p.m. A series of presentations from experts in human-wildlife conflict management and city managers about the ecological and social aspects of deer management planning, provided by the following speakers: 

• Jeremy Bruskotter, PhD, professor, SENR, discusses social and ecological considerations for deer human-wildlife conflict and population management. 
• Gregory Hitzhusen, PhD, board member, Worthington Deer Task Force, and associate professor of professional practice, SENR, shares information about the City of Worthington’s deer task force including its main projects, findings, and status. 
• Tim Becker, director of public safety, City of Gahanna, discusses recent efforts to explore deer management strategies in the City of Gahanna.
• Gary L. Comer Jr., wildlife management supervisor, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, presents on the importance of cross-boundary collaboration for deer management and highlights local success stories.

6:55 p.m. Panel dialogue on deer management planning and cross-city coordination with Bruskotter, Hitzhusen, Becker, and Comer, moderated by DeBusk. 

7:10 p.m. Audience Q & A session for both in-person and virtual audiences. 

7:25 p.m. Dr. Haab provides closing remarks.

Speakers

Esther Debusk, lecturer, School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR), The Ohio State University

Esther has been a staff member in the School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) at The Ohio State University since 2014. She received her BA from Hope College in 2008 and MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Ohio State in 2014. Esther engages with students both at the very beginning and end of their undergraduate academic careers through teaching both ENR 1100: Survey for incoming SENR students, and ENR 4900.01: Environment and Natural Resources Management (Capstone): Collaborative Environmental Decision Making. In her current role, she works to foster connections between partner organizations and SENR’s Capstone Program. Several of Esther’s Capstone student groups have worked with the Cities of Worthington and Gahanna on research projects related to deer management over the past year, providing meaningful insights to residents and city planners.

Jeremy Bruskotter, PhD, professor, SENR

Dr. Bruskotter is a professor in SENR where he has taught for the past 17 years. His research centers on understanding and explaining how people make conservation-related judgments and decisions, and the intersection of such judgments with conservation policy. As a member of SENR’s Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Laboratory (TWEL), most of Dr. Bruskotter’s research is topically focused on wildlife conservation. He has authored several publications related to deer ecology, management, and stakeholder engagement. Dr. Bruskotter currently teaches ENR 3400: Psychology of Environmental Problems, ENR 5649: Wildlife Conservation Policy, and ENR 7480: Human Values and Nature Conservation. 

Gregory Hitzhusen, PhD, board member, Worthington Deer Task Force, and associate professor of professional practice, SENR

Dr. Hitzhusen is an associate professor of professional practice in SENR. His work and research center on the intersection of faith and the environment and on developing partnerships between scientific and faith communities. Similarly, his teaching focuses on religion and ecology, environmental communications, and community sustainability projects. He teaches ENR 4567: Assessing Sustainability: Project Experience (Capstone for Environment, Economy, Development, and Sustainability majors) where student groups have worked with the City of Worthington on deer management research projects. In 2024, Dr. Hitzhusen was appointed to the City of Worthington Deer Task Force, where he has brought his experience with urban hunting, and expertise in environmental ethics and social science to help identify optimal deer management strategies for the community. 

Tim Becker, director of public safety, City of Gahanna

Prior to joining the City of Gahanna in 2023 as the director of public safety, Tim previously served for 34 years as a police officer for the city of Columbus Division of Police, including as a deputy chief and as acting chief of police. During his service with Columbus, Tim helped to direct programs designed to build constructive relationships between citizens and the police force. Starting in 2024, Tim has been working to examine the scope of public opinions related to deer population management in Gahanna through partnerships with Capstone students at Ohio State and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. In addition to a significant number of law enforcement programs, Tim received a MS in Public Safety Leadership from Capella University, in addition to a BA in Journalism from The Ohio State University.

Gary L. Comer Jr., wildlife management supervisor, Ohio Department of Natural Resources

As a wildlife management supervisor for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) district one, Gary often advises municipalities on wildlife management planning, including with the cities of Worthington and Gahanna. In this capacity, Gary serves on the Worthington Deer Task Force. Gary has expertise in wildlife management and received his MS in Wildlife Science from Texas Tech University, in addition to his BS in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology from Arkansas Tech University. 

Additional Information 

We strive to host events that are inclusive and accessible to everyone. If you have a disability and require accommodations to fully participate in this activity, please reach out to Hallie Stelzle, EPN Program Assistant (stelzle.2@osu.edu). Requests made five business days in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access. However, we will make every effort to meet requests made after this time frame. You will be contacted by someone from our staff to discuss your specific needs. 

Masks are optional for all event attendees at this event, in accordance with Ohio State’s Safe and Healthy Protocols as of this date. In-person attendees will be expected to follow Ohio State protocols regarding the prevention of COVID-19 transmission. More health and safety information available on this Personal Safety Practices page.