Up North Progressive

Between February 2014 and September 2015, 18 deer have been illegally shot in the city of Norton Shores. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking for help from the public in finding the person responsible for deer poaching.
According to reports from the Norton Shores Police and the DNR:

• A resident in the area of Treeline Drive found one dead deer Oct. 26, 2014, and two dead deer May 14, 2015.
  
• On Aug. 31, 2015, a resident on Easthill Drive reported finding a dead deer in the yard, and a total of 11 dead deer since February 2014.
  
• On Sept. 13, 2015, the Easthill Drive resident found two more dead deer.
  
• A resident on Hilltop Drive also reported finding two dead deer since last year.
  

The current total of poached deer is 18. All of the deer were shot with a small-caliber rifle.

Anyone with information about the suspected poacher or know of more dead deer can call the DNR’s RAP Line at 1-800-292-7800, or report online using the DNR reporting form on their website.
As human development continues to encroach on wildlife habitat, deer are left with no other option than to stay in areas that were once their home and survive with humans. They can be a nuisance and cause damage to trees and gardens, but dealing with the ‘problem’ by illegally shooting deer out of season is illegal, and the people responsible need to be stopped before they accidentally shoot a person.