What to know:
Trustees approved hiring a U.S. Department of Agriculture biologist for three years to estimate the deer population and recommend solutions.
Of 469 people who responded to a township survey, 88% said they had experienced some form of deer-related damage.
Residents shared surveillance video of a deer attacking a dog and photographs of a woman who needed medical attention after a deer injured her while she was walking her dog.
Bloomfield Township recorded 114 car crashes involving deer in 2025, the highest number in five years.
Reducing the herd through a cull is among the options being considered, but it has drawn opposition from residents who want to protect the animals.
Township officials will wait for the biologist’s assessment and recommendations before deciding what action to take.
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The deer aren’t just eating the garden anymore. Residents in Bloomfield Township are reporting dog attacks, physical injuries, and a record number of car crashes — and now, the township is spending $150,000 to figure out what to do about it.
Bonnie Mackelburg has lived in the community long enough to watch the herd grow — and grow more brazen.
“They’re everywhere,” Mackelburg said. “I’ve stopped planting anything.”
She says she’s seen it all, from newborn fawns to aggressive bucks.
“The older does, when you walk out there and shoo them away, they just look at you,” she said. “The younger ones are skittish, and the stags can be aggressive.”
Survey reveals widespread damage
Bloomfield Township’s Deer Management Advisory Committee recently surveyed residents to gauge the scope of the problem. Of the 469 people who responded, 88% said they had suffered some form of damage — and half of those said the population needs to be brought under control.
Committee member John Cervenak presented the survey results Monday night, along with home surveillance video showing a deer attack on a dog and photographs of a resident who needed medical attention after being injured by a deer while walking her dog.
“We had 469 respondents to that,” Cervenak said. “They sent in pictures, they sent in videos — they had stories to tell. Twelve percent were against doing anything at all. Eighty-eight percent said, ‘Yes, I’ve suffered some sort of damage,’ of which half said, ‘We need to get it under control.’”
A cull divides the community
The most likely course of action is a deer cull — but that option drew pushback from residents who spoke during the public comment period.
“I enjoy seeing the deer in my yard, and I think what you’re doing is really uncalled for,” said resident Judy Penkis.
For now, the township isn’t moving forward with a cull. Trustees voted to bring on a USDA biologist for three years to get a more accurate count of the deer population and make recommendations from there. The $150,000 cost could be reduced if neighboring communities also use the biologist’s services.
Some options already off the table
Residents raised deer sterilization as an alternative. The city of Ann Arbor tried that approach for three years, but it did not prove effective. Sterilization is off the table.
Relocating deer or administering contraceptives in an urban setting are also not options — Cervenak says both are illegal under Michigan law.
Meanwhile, the urgency is real: In 2025, Bloomfield Township recorded 114 car crashes involving deer — the highest number in five years.
Southeast Michigan residents can weigh in now
Cervenak says the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) is currently running its Pulse of the Region survey, which asks residents across Southeast Michigan about their experiences with deer. The survey asks whether residents see deer, whether they’ve suffered damage, and whether they would volunteer their property for any future deer reduction efforts.
The survey is open online through Nov. 1. Southeast Michigan residents can participate at semcog.org.
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