Worthington's long-anticipated deer management program will begin in earnest starting January 1, 2026, marking the city's first coordinated effort to reduce the deer population through targeted removal. Here's what residents should know about what's happening, where, and how it will work.
When Operations Will Take Place
Targeted removal activities are scheduled between January 1 and February 28, 2026, with the possibility of extending into March if needed. Before any shooting operations begin, bait stations will be installed for several weeks to attract deer to designated areas. Once operations commence, the full process could last anywhere from three weeks to three months, depending on deer activity, weather conditions, and the availability of staff and processing facilities.
Operations will generally occur on weekday nights after dark, when parks are closed and public activity is minimal. This timing serves dual purposes: it improves safety by conducting operations when fewer people are around, and it takes advantage of deer behavior patterns, as deer are most active during evening hours.
Where Operations Will Occur
The program will use a combination of volunteered private properties and publicly-owned sites. Private property owners had the opportunity to volunteer their land between June 12 and October 31, 2025, and all submitted sites were evaluated by federal wildlife professionals.
Approved public sites include:
- East Granville Park
- Huntley Bowl Park
- Linworth Park
- Olentangy Parklands (including John Galipault Field)
- Park Boulevard Park
- Perry Park
- Walnut Grove Cemetery
- The Flats at Thomas Worthington High School
- South Field on East South Street
Not every site will be used each night. Property owners within 200 feet of an approved site are being notified by mail. The city does not publicly share exact dates, times, or addresses of private property participants to maintain operational security and respect privacy rights.
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Who Is Conducting the Operations
The city has contracted with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service – Wildlife Services (APHIS-WS) to carry out the targeted removal. These are federal wildlife professionals who specialize in deer management in suburban environments. Worthington Police officers will accompany APHIS-WS staff throughout all operations.
Safety Measures in Place
City officials emphasize that safety is the highest priority. Multiple safeguards are built into the program:
Equipment and ammunition: Markspeople will use firearms equipped with suppressors to minimize noise disturbance. They will use highly frangible ammunition, designed to disintegrate completely on impact with hard surfaces, eliminating the risk of ricochet.
Positioning and angles: All shooting will occur from elevated platforms or locations with adequate natural "backstops" such as terrain features or dense vegetation. This ensures bullet trajectories are angled downward toward the ground.
Visibility and monitoring: Operations use night vision and thermal optics for efficiency and safety. Spotters and a drone will monitor areas during operations.
Coordination: Worthington Police officers accompany all operations, ensuring coordination with city services and rapid response if needed.
What Happens to the Deer
All venison from the program will be donated to local food pantries, including the Worthington Resource Pantry. The city has contracted with a local meat processor to handle the deer. This ensures nothing goes to waste while helping address food insecurity in the community.
Long-Term Plans
This January's operations represent the first phase of what will be an ongoing program. The city plans to conduct annual removals to maintain the deer population at sustainable levels once the initial reduction is achieved. The Deer Task Force also recommended considering an archery hunting program in future years, though City Council has not yet taken action on that proposal.
How to Stay Informed
Residents can sign up to receive updates about deer management at worthington.org. For questions, contact Riley Hoover at riley.hoover@worthington.org or 614-786-7347.
This is part of a special edition newsletter on Worthington's Deer Management Program.