The city has formed a seven-member deer management committee as it looks to control the animal’s overpopulation, as well as mitigate damage to city property and avoid vehicle accidents.
Deer overpopulation has long been a concern in Rye. The city formed a similar committee in 2015 after complaints about property damage, deforestation, and rising Lyme disease cases.
The issue recently resurfaced and was first discussed by the City Council in May.
City officials plan to work alongside Westchester County officials and consultants with experience in deer data collection for three to five months before sending their findings to the committee. Members o the committee are then to review those findings and propose a plan of action — likely asking the City Council to authorize the hiring of professionals for mitigation.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will also help guide the city’s efforts.
The committee — whose members are Shrujal Baxi, Elinore Neeves, Chris Cohan, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jasmine Zhu, Bryan Murtagh, and Stephanie Gomez — also plans to educate residents about living alongside the deer population.
Options for mitigation and control include hunting, culling, or fertility control, according to John Sullivan, the assistant to the city manager.
Bow hunting season typically runs from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31.
While the council seems eager to move ahead, action is unlikely before fall 2026, according to city officials.
The committee will first determine if Rye’s deer population is related to vehicle accidents, Lyme disease cases, or damage to forests and landscaping, and then decide whether mitigation is possible and if population control is necessary to reduce damage.
Republican Councilman Bill Henderson said the city is facing all of those problems, particularly with damage to property.
“Everybody I talk to has a problem with this, I have a huge problem with it, with the deer population,” said Henderson, a mayoral candidate. “I think it’s come to a point where everybody would really like to see action as quickly as we can move, understanding there are things that need to be done.”
Interim City Manager Brian Shea said he understands the urgency, but the city must take the time needed to develop the right plan if it wants to see improvements at the Marshlands Conservancy, the Edith Read sanctuary, and other city property.
Sullivan said deer management is a 10- to 20-year effort that will require funding annually.
“The problem’s not going to get better in a year, it’s going to get worse, so I would say we should move with all deliberate speed as fast as we can,” Henderson said.
