Changes were made to the deer management ordinance on Tuesday night at the Ames City Council meeting.

Urban Deer Task Force members, concerned citizens and council members contributed to a roundtable discussion of changes to the deer management ordinance, which was passed on its third reading Sept. 26.

The discussion was held in response to a petition received by the council of more than 500 Ames citizens challenging the new program.

The ordinance allows bow hunting of deer within the Ames city limits, including some city parks. Its purpose is to reduce growing number of deer, which pose problems of motor vehicle accidents, lawn browsing and Lyme disease.

Bill Bunger, member of the task force and depredation biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, said deer herds whose populations are not controlled double in size every three years.

“I have no reason to doubt that the numbers will continue to grow,” Bunger said.

Others, however, are unconvinced of the need for the ordinance and are concerned with less-safe parks and recreation areas.

“We are not at a moment where we can say we have enough reason [to pass this program],” said Wolfgang Kliemann, professor of mathematics and Ames resident.

However, council members did find reason.

“I think that this is the best solution,” said Craig Buske, senior in political science and ex-officio student council representative for the City Council. “This is a safe way of managing our deer population.”

Changes to the rules include elimination of Emma McCarthy Lee Park, 3400 Ross Road, and Moore Memorial Park, 3050 Parkridge Parkway, as a deer management zones, limiting hunting hours and delaying the opening of the hunting season until Nov. 1.

The council also approved a license for the sale of beer at Target, 320 S. Duff Ave., and for new bar London Underground, 212 Main St.