Johnson County parks officials have failed for years to protect Shawnee Mission Park and its visitors from an overpopulation of deer. It’s time to cull the herd.

The county needs to develop a prudent plan to control the deer population by permitting a limited hunt.

Such a move would benefit the park’s vegetation, other animals and human visitors.
Deer have stripped hundreds of trees of their low-hanging branches and leaves, and tromped on park land to create hostile environments for small animals and birds that nest on the ground.

Also, the overabundance of deer increases the potential for accidents that could injure motorists driving through the park and for spreading tick-borne diseases to humans.

Any plan to trim the deer population — and the preferred method in this area is through bow hunting — should ensure that the meat is donated to a worthwhile cause to feed the needy.

Right now the park has almost 200 deer per square mile, or eight times more than the number suggested by biologists for that land.

Unfortunately, the Johnson County Park and Recreation District and park board have been stuck studying the problem, then studying it some more.

Now a 10-person committee is reviewing the situation, with a report due in perhaps six months. But Gary Montague, incoming park board chairman, says he doesn’t expect to put any plan into effect until 2010.

That could be a dangerously slow and timid response to a growing problem.

Johnson County officials no doubt fear that a deer hunt would upset the public.

But managed hunts for deer have been held for years, including in the sprawling Jackson County and Kansas City parks systems. The hunts have been safe and reduced the deer population.

Johnson County needs to move more quickly to set up a managed hunt. It should include rules on how much training should be required for hunters, and ensure that the park is closed to non-hunters while deer are being tracked.

Deer are beautiful animals and no one likes to think about their destruction. But their prevalence in Shawnee Mission Park is dangerous for the ecosystem, other animals and human visitors. A well-planned hunt is the appropriate solution.