Rock Island's bow hunt for deer was an overall success. That's what Deputy Police Chief, Jason Foy, says about the city-controlled hunt that ended on Sunday (1/17/2016).
Starting in October, 15 archers killed 37 deer, compared to 50 killed during the 2014 hunt. Foy can't say what caused the drop in numbers, but he knows the deer pattern changed.
He plans to collect crash data, then give Rock Island aldermen the results next month.
Three years ago, Rock Island began the hunts to cull the herd. Residents complained the deer were eating their plants and bushes. And the police department wanted to reduce the number of car and deer crashes. Six deer were harvest during the first hunt. But Foy says it was only held on five weekends, and the weather was brutally cold.