Chatting with the Chief: Those Doggone Deer

Saratoga Police Chief Mike Morris spoke with the Saratoga Sun regarding calls to his department regarding deer along with what seems to be an increase in dog calls.

Saratoga, like other towns in Wyoming, has had its own urban deer population which can cause issues for the police department in the form of various calls. With the onset of hunting season, the rural deer can also make their way into town and both populations can end up hit by a vehicle. They can also be a nuisance to homeowners who try to keep the ungulates out of their yards and garden.

“Statutorily, wildlife falls under the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. When it comes to wildlife in town, we do have the ability to deal with them in conjunction (with the WGFD). Anytime there is a wild animal, we normally get a hold of the game and fish as well,” said Morris. “As far as the nuisance animals, you see a lot of fences that are raised a little higher than normal to keep the deer out of vegetation.”

Earlier this year, said Morris, his department received a call regarding a deer which had become stuck in a tomato cage. Upon answering the call, the department took the deer down safely and removed the cage. According to Morris, anytime there is a nuisance deer, Saratoga residents can call the police department for help.

“They can call us if they have a nuisance problem and then we can get a hold of the game and fish and come up with an action for it. The deer are a little bit hard to deal with, everybody still deals with the wildlife,” said Morris. “It’s part of why we live here, part of why we love it here. It can be a problem sometimes.”

More than just being an occasional nuisance, deer can also cause significant damage to vehicles in the case of collisions. Morris said twice this week, he had responded to two calls of deer which had been struck by vehicles. He said it is very important that when collisions happen, they are reported.

“Normally there is damage to the vehicle. The other thing is if after it’s it if it’s still in the road it does create a hazard. We’d like to take care of it as quickly as we possibly can,” said Morris. “If you do hit a deer, it’s important to call and report it.”

Morris believes it is important to communicate the importance of being aware of deer in the roadways to the motoring public, especially when it comes to Saratoga’s sidestreets.

Along with deer, another animal issue the police department deals with are dog calls. The calls range from barking dogs to dogs roaming free in town. This year, said Morris, there is an apparent increase in dog-related calls.

It goes in spurts but in reviewing the calls, right now we’re well worth 200 animals calls this year. That’s animals collectively, anything from running at large, dogs barking,” said Morris. “We’ve had some animals that have killed cats.”

Those 200 calls are with just over 260 days surpassed in the year. The most frequent calls Morris has been getting, he said, are complaints about barking dogs.

“When we’re living in a neighborhood, we try to be neighborly. We need to keep track of our animals, we need to make sure if they’re barking that we control them. They can’t be left out at all hours,” said Morris. “Just be courteous when it comes to the barking dogs. Be aware of what your dogs are doing.”

Morris noted there is an ordinance regarding barking dogs. Indeed, under section 6.08.120 of the municipal code it is illegal to own or keep a dog within town limits “any dog which by continuing barking, howling or yelping disturbs the quiet of any neighborhood or person.”

Occasionally, along with barking dogs, there are also instances of dogs chasing town deer. According to Morris, this is something for which the owner can be found liable.

“The owner of the dog can be held criminally responsible for their animal that’s out chasing wildlife,” said Morris. Probably the worst consequence is that an animal can be destroyed. That’s something that nobody wants to do”.

According to the WGFD website, the owner of a dog that is harassing big game can face up to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine.