Parks, nature areas close as annual Ann Arbor deer cull begins

Photo: Pexels

ANN ARBOR – The fifth annual Ann Arbor deer cull begins Thursday afternoon, and with it comes several park closures.

According to the city’s deer management website, the following parks and nature areas will be closed through Jan. 26 every day from 3 p.m. to midnight for lethal activities.

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  • Barton Nature Area (only the Foster area north of Warrington Drive)
  • Bird Hills Nature Area
  • Cedar Bend/Island Park
  • Foxfire West Nature Area
  • Huron Parkway/Braun Nature Areas
  • Leslie Park Golf Course
  • Leslie Woods Nature Area
  • Oakwoods Nature Area
  • Ruthven Nature Area
  • South Pond Nature Area (only the area in the vicinity of the NAP office at 3875 E. Huron River Dr.)
  • Buttonbush (a new park north of Dhu Varren Road and West of Nixon Road)

Nichols Arboretum will be closed from 3 p.m. to midnight on Jan. 6, 13, and 20 only.

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The 2020 Deer Management Closure Map includes portions of University of Michigan and Concordia University properties. To view the map, click here.

This season, the city aims to kill up to 150 deer.

Sharpshooting will take place on public and private lands -- subject to the owner’s consent --throughout the month. Sharpshooters may shoot from a parked vehicle, but never from a moving vehicle.

Residents will be made aware of lethal activities in each area by signage in multiple languages.

Read: City of Ann Arbor releases 2020 deer cull plan