Six Deer Killed During First Day Of Bow Hunting In Mentor

The city of Mentor began its first bow hunting season Saturday.

On the first day, six deer were killed -- five does and one buck -- said Tim Miller, a natural resource specialist for the city of Mentor.

The city has been issuing packets so hunters can apply for permits to hunt in Mentor for about a month.

Thus far, 18 people have received permits to hunt in Mentor, Miller said. He added that more were in the process of being appraised.

People need a hunting license and all required permits from the state before they can apply for a permit in Mentor.

People can only hunt on either parcels of five or more acres or a combination of no more than three adjacent properties of five or more acres that aren't separated by a public roadway.

All prospective hunting properties must be approved by the city before anyone can take a deer there. Thus far, 15 properties have been approved, Miller said.

Miller said that while many of them are in the northeast part of the city, near Lake Shore Boulevard, there have been properties approved throughout Mentor.

For those interested in applying for hunting permits in Mentor, the permit packet is available on the city's web site. The city's hunting season is expected to coincide with the state's, which ends Feb. 3.

To receive a permit, hunters will need to pass an archery hunting qualification test that is available at Geauga Bow and Outdoor Sports, Great Lakes Outdoors and The Whitetail Mann.

Mentor City Manager Kenneth Filipiak previously said that hunting is just one part of the city's plan to control the deer population.

Additionally, the city still has every intention of instituting a culling program with sharpshooters, he said.

"This is just a piece of our program," Filipiak said during the Council meeting in which they passed the hunting ordinance. "Our culling efforts will be focused on public lands where we know we have large herds."

Filipiak had previously laid out a 4-part program for controlling the deer population in Mentor, which includes culling.

However, any deer culling program would require a permit from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The city, .