The City of Wildwood likes to regulate! That's what they do. If hunting rights were expanded instead of restricted, the deer problem would take care if itself. I live east of 109, I cannot discharge a firearm to harvest deer. There are 30ac. of common grounds woods behind my house with excellent bak stops to prevent a shooting mishap, where harvesting of many deer could safely happen. But "NO", the deer breed like rabbits. Residence have the ability and desire to harvest many deer safely east of 109, but Wildwood says "NO". Regulate beyond reason, that's why there is a deer problem. But the City of Wildwood is regulation crazy, especially on firearms and hunting! People can be resonsible for their actions, Wildwood doesn't think so. Regulate, regulate regulate, that's what the City Council does..... There is such a thing as personal responsibility, Wildwood doesn't think so, harvest what you sow. Let'em breed and Wildwood will soon pay the price other Cities have, paid hunters to dispatch the deer the residence can harvest for free.

Pretty soon.... you'll have to ask permission to breathe in Wildwood.

Leave the deer alone. Leave the people alone. If you want to hunt, do it legally, NOT in our backyards! Guns are NOT safe and I don't want to hear guns going off in my backyard, WHICH I already DO by the way. I believe there are plenty of people already illegally hunting our deer! If you don't like the "wild" in "Wildwood", move yourself to New York city and take your guns with you. You'll be more welcomed there!!

Taking the Wild out of Wildwood...I disagree..Deer are not a problem or the people feeding them. We have a bigger problem in Ward 2, Randy Ladds neighborhood. Bullies against Bullies. Just giving our neighborhood something else to fued over! The deer are peaceful and the children enjoy seeing them. Beautiful animals! Lets go for the bigger problems!

Marc Perez hit it right on the head. Let the hunters hunt. We get strapped by Wildwood regulations that make hunting more and more inefficiency. Then everyone complains that there are too many deer. Well, what do you expect?

Next you get idiots like Tom Mitchell who tried to ban hunting with muzzleloaders and shotguns because his neighbors wouldn't let him hunt on their property anymore. So his solution was to take that right away from all Wildwood residents.

What really hurts is the fact that the agendas for the meetings are not sent out to Wildwood subscribers and residents until after the meeting! If the notice of these meetings and proposed restrictions were sent out before the meetings in a proper way, the meetings would be packed with residents who could get their voices heard. Maybe the Council doesn't really want that to happen.

So how about a little notice as to the next meeting to discuss hunting in Wildwood before our rights are taken away permanently?

Just another note about the picture with this article. That doe is eating someone's plants! That's not a feeder or mineral lick. Will what we plant eventually be outlawed as deer feeding also?

The major reason I agree that Wildwood citizens should be allowed to feed the deer is because it's our right to choose or not choose to feed the wild life. Though the population of deer is extremely high causing a major problem, it is not the governments position to dictate to it's citizens what creatures they can or cannot feed. Too much governmental intrusion of individual rights already exists! Those individuals feeding these beautiful creatures is de-training the deer from searching for it's own food sources as nature intended.

I am more in favor of educating the public on the pitfalls of feeding the wildlife, rather than coming up with some Nazi ordinance, forbidding it. There are far too many ordinances in Wildwood as it is. Part of the beauty of Wildwood is the wildlife. People need to pay more attention when they're driving. I have seen many deer and have never had an accident, nor do I know of anyone else who has had a deer collision. Maybe if Wildwood enforced a cellphone ordinance there would be less distracted drivers... Just a thought!

Mr.Perez,
If we banned trapping would there be more needless suffering to helpless animalsfrom people that really don't need to do this kind of thing for food to survive. The same goes for the so called "sport" of hunting.

So it's your way, or the highway, Joyce? That comment makes you lose any credibility you MAY have had.

Lots of people moved here to Wildwood with the ability to enjoy the wildlife as one of the reasons. They can enjoy it by watching the animals, feeding them, photography or by legally hunting. It's their choice on their land or land that they have permission to be on. If you don't like it and they are trespassing, then report them. They are not pouching if the legal hunting season is in place and they are carrying the proper license or permit. If they are obeying the law and exercising their rights as a property owner, then that's their right to do so on their property.

We have an unprecedented amount of government intrusion in our lives already. Wildwood telling us to do more of the same is not the answer. Maybe we should vote those out that continue this unacceptable trend.

Prohibiting the feeding of deer in Wildwood is an idea whose time has come. Some neighboring municipalities have already enacted ordinances against the feeding of deer. It doesn't have anything to do with not liking the deer. it has to do with public safety. When deer are fed by homeowners, they tend to congregate in one place in significant numbers. This has been a problem in Strecker Farms subdivision.

When you are driving, even at very safe speeds, it can be very dangerous. Hitting a deer can total a car and cause significant injury to the car's passengers. And it's not always a case where the driver is hitting the deer. I have had two instances while I was driving, and a deer ran into the side of my car.

I moved to Strecker Farms in 1995. Back then, deer used to go out of their way to avoid cars and people alike. If you opened your front door, they would scatter. Today, I can be walking my dog, and the deer can be 10 feet away, and they just look at you.

Judging from all of the responses, it looks like the Patch has struck a nerve with this article! I think the city should allow bow hunting on acreages and they should definitely educate residents about the problems associated with feeding deer and other wildlife. I think it would make a difference. I remember about 10 years ago, many people in my neighborhood didn't recycle and they ignored the bins that the city provided. But the city kept sending out articles and letters about it. Now everyone on my street uses the bins for recycling. I think an education campaign would work equally well with the animal control problem. Although it makes people feel good to feed those cute furry animals, it is unnatural for the wildlife and also leads to overpopulation, as we are seeing with the deer herds here in Wildwood. Our family has has two accidents with deer.

It's easy to see what's coming if the feeding of wildlife is banned. Neighbor's spying on and reporting other neighbors for violating the ordinance. Of course it won't end there. Then the retaliations will begin. To get even, the reported neighbor will report the first neighbor for other code violations. High weeds, uncut grass, peeling paint, and so on and so on and so on. Before you know it, it's the Hatfield's and McCoys all over again.

Only 9 votes on this topic, not many pay attention to what goes on in Wildwood till it knocks on their front door. I've addressed the City Council many times on this and other issues. They really don't give a rats you know what about squat till election time, then they still don't concentrate on the issues we pound into the ground here. There are perhaps 3 members on the Council who have their act together and don't just go along with the status quo. Just 3..... The others are laike lawn figures, just sit there and don't do much.... or like bobble heads............ nod, nod nod.....

I'm going to continue to feed the deer on "my" property. I don't hunt but my wife likes to watch them. When they try to fine me then I will sue them. This is my property and I'm not going to have somebody tell me what I can or cannot do on my property. Is Obama living in Wildwood now??

@Joyce Coulter: Here's a link to a recent article discussing the rise in number of deer caused auto accidents.

http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/deer-vs-car-crashes-rise-wildlife-hits-road-205600315.html

Want to eliminate the over population of deer? Eliminate the firearms restrictions on hunting east of 109. There are many places with very good back stops for discharge of a firearms. Massive numbers of deer can be legally taken east of 109 if the discharge of firearms were allowed. In three years I've killed 3 deer with archery east of 109. Many more could have easily been taken with handguns of more limited "power" than rifles. Want to increase the deer harvest in Wildwood, allow more hunting. Allow people to be responsible for their actions, you cannot legislate or regulate responsibility. Firearms season then black power season (which now allows for use of handguns) starts next month. The City can fix the problem or wait for it to become a larger problem.

Joyce, good reminder about mating season; thanks. I've been seeing all sorts of groupings, too.