Help SAVE the McCall deer! Ask the McCall City Council to STOP the war on deer!

Do you love McCall? Do you love seeing the deer in McCall? Do you OPPOSE killing the town deer? Please SPEAK UP now before it's too late! 

The McCall City Council once again is discussing the "town deer issue." We believe that it is an artificially drummed-up issue based on misinformation, half-truths, and scare tactics. 

Deer were in the area well before there was a town there. It is us humans who encroached on their territory. The McCall deer do not migrate. They cannot be relocated. Even Fish and Game warned that if all feeding stops during the winter, the deer would likely starve to death. Therefore, a "No Feeding" ordinance would likely lead to one thing: the City authorizing the killing of the deer. 

Some people are pushing the City Council to enact a "No Feeding" ordinance that would penalize (even criminalize) feeding the deer in McCall. Residents and visitors could be looking at misdemeanor charge, up to 6 months in jail, and up to a $1,000 fine for feeding the deer. 

If the Council enacts such ordinance, the next step will be the KILLING of the deer. The City will either hire a "contractor" to kill the deer or allow the hunting of the deer within city limits. Either way, it would likely not be a one-time killing spree, it would likely be an annual event. 

You could be walking with your kids or your dog on the walking trails in town, and someone not that far from you could be stalking a deer, getting ready to kill it with a firearm or a crossbow. Accidents waiting to happen. Who will be liable for injuries to people and pets, or for property damage?

We feel that this would be very unsafe for people, children, and pets. We urge EVERYONE, especially McCall and McCall area residents (full-time and part-time residents) and those who like to visit McCall to OPPOSE hunting deer within McCall city limits and oppose KILLING the deer. 

We urge McCall City Council to:

1) Do its own research instead of simply relying on information (or misinformation) provided by others. Consider bias and special interests.

2) Think critically and question information, methods, and results presented. Act wisely and with compassion. 

3) Consider all stakeholders, including part-time residents, short-term renters, visitors, taxpayers, etc. McCall is a resort town that relies on tourism.

4) Keep in mind that Fish and Game is funded primarily by hunters and anglers. Its constituents are hunters. An important part of its mission is to provide a continued supply of wildlife for hunting and trapping.

5) Gather your own data (including deer survey), and ensure that you have adequate and unbiased historical data to make informed decisions. Do not make rash decisions based on a very limited one-time data set provided to you by Fish and Game.   

6) Consider the short-term and the long-term impact of adopting a "No Feeding" ordinance.

7) Commit to non-lethal solutions and budget accordingly. Education efforts to date have been minimal and insufficient. Other things such as road signs, lowered speed limit in certain areas, fences, and other methods have not been implemented. 

8) Enforce existing laws first (speed limit, leash laws, etc.). 

9) Exhaust all non-lethal options for controlling the deer population. McCall has not explored all alternative options, and we request this is done before even considering killing all or even some of the deer. Explore funding/grant opportunities.  

IMMEDIATE action is needed to SAVE the McCall deer!

Please start by signing this petition TODAY.

You can also e-mail the McCall City Council members and let them know that you oppose killing the McCall deer. 

bgiles@mccall.id.us
cnielsen@mccall.id.us
mmaciaszek@mccall.id.us
jthrower@mccall.id.us
lnelson@mccall.id.us

*** Please note that we are NOT asking for donations. You can choose "No, I'll share instead." We encourage you to share it, but your signature will be recorded even if you choose not to share it.***