What to know:<\/p>\n
Trustees approved hiring a U.S. Department of Agriculture biologist for three years to estimate the deer population and recommend solutions.<\/p>\n
Of 469 people who responded to a township survey, 88% said they had experienced some form of deer-related damage.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Bloomfield Township recorded 114 car crashes involving deer in 2025, the highest number in five years.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Township officials will wait for the biologist\u2019s assessment and recommendations before deciding what action to take.<\/p>\n
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. \u2014 The deer aren\u2019t just eating the garden anymore. Residents in Bloomfield Township are reporting dog attacks, physical injuries, and a record number of car crashes \u2014 and now, the township is spending $150,000 to figure out what to do about it.<\/p>\n
Bonnie Mackelburg has lived in the community long enough to watch the herd grow \u2014 and grow more brazen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re everywhere,\u201d Mackelburg said. \u201cI\u2019ve stopped planting anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
She says she\u2019s seen it all, from newborn fawns to aggressive bucks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe older does, when you walk out there and shoo them away, they just look at you,\u201d she said. \u201cThe younger ones are skittish, and the stags can be aggressive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Survey reveals widespread damage<\/p>\n
Bloomfield Township\u2019s 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 \u2014 and half of those said the population needs to be brought under control.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had 469 respondents to that,\u201d Cervenak said. \u201cThey sent in pictures, they sent in videos \u2014 they had stories to tell. Twelve percent were against doing anything at all. Eighty-eight percent said, \u2018Yes, I\u2019ve suffered some sort of damage,\u2019 of which half said, \u2018We need to get it under control.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
A cull divides the community<\/p>\n
The most likely course of action is a deer cull \u2014 but that option drew pushback from residents who spoke during the public comment period.<\/p>\n
\u201cI enjoy seeing the deer in my yard, and I think what you\u2019re doing is really uncalled for,\u201d said resident Judy Penkis.<\/p>\n
For now, the township isn\u2019t 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\u2019s services.<\/p>\n
Some options already off the table<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Relocating deer or administering contraceptives in an urban setting are also not options \u2014 Cervenak says both are illegal under Michigan law.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the urgency is real: In 2025, Bloomfield Township recorded 114 car crashes involving deer \u2014 the highest number in five years.<\/p>\n
Southeast Michigan residents can weigh in now<\/p>\n
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\u2019ve suffered damage, and whether they would volunteer their property for any future deer reduction efforts.<\/p>\n