putinbayohio.com is proud to present the following article from the Put-in-Bay Gazette. For the best South Bass Island journalism, visit putinbay.news and subscribe to the Gazette today!
“Why did the deer cross the road? Because they were looking for headlights.” Ba dum. When I was a tour train driver nearly 20 years ago, I would often talk about the growing number of deer on the island. People would ask me how they got here in the first place (swim I said). I used to joke that once a year “the buck stops here.” A harmless joke then, but if you ask anyone living here on South Bass Island now they will share with you what a big nuisance the deer have become.
Reports may be exaggerated about how many deer are on the island, but personally I see between 6 and 8 deer run through our yard daily, often around dusk. Many days the “Ring” doorbell goes off half a dozen times. On their way through our yard they eat our hosta, euonymus bushes, magnolia tree, tomato plants, even rose bush blooms. The “good news” is they don’t like the ageratum, cucumbers or ferns. According to Dustin Heinenman they have eaten over 80% of the island grape crop. With almost no natural predators on the island, they continue to multiply unchecked.
Maybe they’re getting a bad rap. It could be racoons or coyotes doing the damage, but almost weekly this past summer people have said to me “you have to do something about the deer.” It makes me laugh, as 70’s pop singer Harry Nilsson once said, “Everybody’s talkin’ at me, but I can’t hear a word they’re saying”.
putinbayohio.com Quick Picks
- Put-in-Bay Attractions
- Put-in-Bay Event Calendar For 2026
- The Best Put-in-Bay Bars and Dining
- How To Get To Put-in-Bay
But I got to thinking about this seriously after a conversation with avid outdoorsman Dave Frederick. He said to me “The deer are taking over the island, I’m not kidding. We need to cull the herd before they start getting sick”. He suggested that I organize a hunt and have a fall venison festival. A great idea, but the logistics of that is beyond me. I’m not a hunter, but if I was…
Truth be told we don’t have an accurate count of deer here on South Bass. The last actual scientific count was done by Dr. Amy Alford two years ago for LEINWC. There were about 50 deer at that point. While there is no current headcount here on South Bass, the anecdotal number continues to climb. Kelleys Island has about four times as many deer I have been told.
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division, Ohio has “Deer” nuisance regulations for agricultural businesses and private individuals through a permit process for “lethal” measures to reduce the herd. (https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/wildlife-management/nuisance-wildlife/nuisance-deer) According to ODNR, “where hunting is feasible, hunters are a way to increase pressure on a deer herd and help reduce the deer population.” Turns out there are 4 options for agricultural landowners.
Landowners can lease their property for hunting rights. While it may be nice to receive financial compensation for signing a lease with someone, note that oftentimes the goals of those that lease a property for hunting don’t align with a landowner’s goal for minimizing the number of deer on the property and minimizing deer damage.
The landowner picks the hunters that can use their property. Note that it oftentimes takes several hunters to effectively reduce a deer herd on a property (1/3 of the female deer must be harvested just to keep a population stable). The landowner retains the ability to put requirements on the hunters using their property such as only allowing hunters to shoot female deer or requiring them to shoot a doe before a buck.
Landowners to get paid to allow hunters on their property through the Ohio Landowner Hunter Access Partnership (OLHAP) program. The OLHAP program offers Ohio landowners financial incentives to voluntarily enroll some, or all, of their property as accessible areas to hunt.
Landowners experiencing deer damage can apply for a Deer Damage Control Permit (DDCP). DDCP’s are designed primarily to affect behavior, not reduce the population.
2026 putinbayohio.com’s Best Places To Stay!
- Island Club Rentals (islandclub.com) – 216-898-9951
- Commodore Resort (commodoreresort.com) – 419-285-3101
- Bird’s Nest Resort (birdsnestresort.com) – 419-285-6119
- Put-in-Bay Condos (putinbaycondos.com) 216-898-1105
- Victory Station Hotel (putinbayvictorystation.com) 419-285-0120
Of course, Put-in-Bay is too small and too dense to encourage mainland hunters to come here, although a limited island-based bow hunting effort is currently being conducted. Current regulations do not allow hunting with a rifle, but bow hunting is permitted in certain areas detailed in state and local regulations. Currently, Heineman Winery, has obtained permits to reduce the herd on their property.
I recently spoke with Steve Wermouth, past town administrator on Kelleys Island, and he said Ohio Department of Natural Resources stated that there are around 400 deer on (Kelleys) island.” Wermouth said he is not aware of any specific activities to cull the herd there. Kelleys Island does not allow shotguns during deer season just bow hunting.
“Nuisance deer” is not just a Lake Erie Island issue. At the recent Great Lakes Islands Alliance summit on Beaver Island the “deer” problem, while not on the official agenda, was none the less quite a big discussion topic. An article just published by MLive detailed the issue on Beaver Island; “This remote Michigan island is being eaten up by too many hungry deer” (MLive) https://www.mlive.com/environment/2025/10/this-remote-michigan-island-is-being-eaten-up-by-too-many-hungry-deer.html
Michigan’s DNR is proposing an extension of 20 days to the deer hunting season in 2026 on Beaver Island. According to DNR wildlife biologist Jeremy Wood adding early and late antlerless firearm seasons would simplify regulations across the Beaver Island Archipelago and the remainder of mainland Charlevoix County. The change, according to Wood, would also address concerns about elevated deer densities on Beaver Island, which is impacting sensitive vegetation and limiting forest regeneration. (See https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MIDNR/bulletins/3f37101)
Back here on South Bass there have been at least three incidents of cars hitting deer darting across Catawba Ave. near the vineyards. The ongoing “agricultural damage” here on South Bass qualifies as “deer nuisance” according to the ODNR. This designation allows agricultural businesses like Heinemans Winery to get special permission to bow hunt the deer on their property. Individual’s here in Put-in-Bay Township who have had non-agricultural deer damage to gardens, landscape, tree rubbing, deer-vehicle damage, and/or aggressiveness can use the “Deer Damage Complaint” procedure detailed in the Ohio Administrative Code – 1501:31-15-08 (Deer Damage Control Permit) which authorizes the Ohio Division of Wildlife to issue Deer Damage Control Permits under certain conditions and guidelines.
According to ODNR “while the OAC allows any landowner to apply for a permit, the application for a permit does not guarantee the landowner a permit even if damage is occurring.” These permits allow permittees and their approved shooters to kill an agreed-upon number of deer during the dates and under the conditions specified on the permit. In most situations, the permits are used to allow the shooting of deer outside of Ohio’s deer hunting seasons. However, in circumstances where damage is occurring during Ohio’s deer hunting seasons, permits may be extended during that time.” Hunting on South Bass Island is limited to bow hunting and subject to state and local deer hunting regulations and a proper hunting license and deer hunting sex permits. In season, hunters in Ottawa County are limited to not more than three deer per individual. Island property owners may hunt with a bow on their own land if they follow state and local regulations. The process to reduce the herd here on South Bass is complicated, but there are remedies for island residents available. Meanwhile, when you see “deer in your headlights” hit the brakes because there’s more deer hiding in the bushes!
The previous piece is published in this month’s Put-in-Bay Gazette. The Gazette has been producing incredible independent Put-in-Bay island news for over 40 years. If you have any interest at all in what is happening on South Bass Island, we urge you strongly to subscribe to the Put-in-Bay Gazette. One-year online subscriptions are only $15, and print subscriptions are available as well. To subscribe please visit the Put-in-Bay Gazette subscription form. This piece of Put-in-Bay journalism has been provided to putinbayohio.com courtesy of the Put-in-Bay Gazette, Put-in-Bay’s only local newspaper. Visit their website putinbay.news for more information and to subscribe!
