To ensure the safety of residents and workers, Ella Sharp Park and the Cascades Golf Course, range and short course will be closed to the public. Highlighted areas indicate temporary closures during harvest hours only. Posted signage will be in place to alert residents of closures.
This paper sign was posted to a tree earlier this month on South Street near the newly paved cement walking/biking path that connects the rail trail to Ella Sharp Park’s northeast perimeter.
By ELIZABETH FERSZT
and KATHRYN PALON
Contributing Writers
A deer culling originally set to take place in Jackson, Jan. 16-18 has been rescheduled for this weekend.
According to information posted on the City of Jackson’s website, the city, “in partnership with Summit Township, and Jackson County, will conduct a managed deer harvest in and around Ella Sharp Park and the Cascades Golf Course as part of an ongoing effort to responsibly manage an overabundant deer population.
“The harvest is being conducted under strict guidelines from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and will be carried out by authorized professionals. The goal is to support public safety, protect park ecosystems, and promote long-term population balance in areas where deer density exceeds sustainable levels,” reads the post.
Ella Sharp Park and the Cascades Golf Course, range and short course will be closed to the public during harvest activities from Friday, Jan. 30, through Sunday, Feb. 1.
Some streets will also be closed, including West Hickory Avenue and Fourth Street, West Hickory Avenue and Horton Road, Stonewall Drive and Oakwood Drive, East Hickory Avenue and Oakwood Drive, Elmdale Drive and Birchwood Drive, and Probert Road and Maplewood Drive
Closures may change due to weather and other safety precautions.
Culling is a practice of targeting select animals in a herd or group to control the population, lessen disease, and impact public safety. It is not a sport or recreational activity.
City of Jackson Police Chief Chris Simpson said in an email that the “City Manager’s Office and Parks and Recreation are on the lead with this. JPD just ensures there is no trespassing while the cull is occurring.”
Eric Terrian, director of Ella Sharp Golf Course and Park stated in a phone call on Jan. 20 that the cull did not take place when originally scheduled or the following weekend due to the extremely cold weather. He said they were planning to move it to Jan. 30-Feb. 1.
The culling was approved by the Jackson City Council at their Nov. 18, 2025, meeting.
City of Jackson Parks and Recreation Director, Kelli Hoover recommended in a memo dated Nov. 18, 2025, that the council “approve a contract with Aaron’s Nuisance of Rives Junction to assist the City in providing animal control services for the 2026 Deer Harvest at Ella Sharp Park and Sparks Park scheduled from Jan. 16 through March 16, 2026.”
Hoover noted, “Overpopulation poses significant risks to animals’ health and residents’ safety. If left uncontrolled, the herd can grow rapidly, with deer often giving birth to multiple fawns per year. A well-planned culling program helps control population numbers while also reducing the spread of disease.”
Hoover further explained in the memo that the city “ensures that all harvested deer will undergo health checks” (through the Michigan DNR), and proper processing. “Edible venison will then distributed to local shelters, supporting the community while promoting public safety.”
According to a Request for Proposal written by Aaron Blackford of Leslie, owner of Aaron’s Nuisance Animal Control, they propose to harvest 100 deer, “primarily antler-less” at $368 per deer, for a total of $36,800.
Blackford stated in a phone call that he could not comment on the progress of the operation, citing that he was “just a contractor” for the city.
As Jackson and Calhoun County residents are aware, the deer have grown and spread in terms of overall numbers and locations where they may be commonly seen. For example, recently this reporter (Ferszt) unintentionally hosted a small family of about six deer in her backyard for a sleep-over one night — and this is in a completely residential neighborhood off High Street in the City of Jackson.
The DNR estimates that statewide, the deer population is about two million, primarily in the Lower Peninsula.
