T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA St. Clairsville Service Director Scott Harvey informs council that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources will have to be contacted before the city can do anything to combat the wild deer infestation.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Oh “deer” — St. Clairsville City Council is searching for a solution to the wildlife issue reportedly plaguing the city.

Councilman J.C. Thrash said Monday that in response to several residents contacting him about deer running rampant around the city, he would like to create a Wildlife Management Committee.

“It’s been brought to my attention that we have a big deer problem, and that we have a health concern for Lyme disease,” Thrash said. “… My employee had it, but we have a deer tick problem, and I would like to start a Wildlife Management Committee.”

According to the Ohio Department of Health’s website, 94 cases of Lyme disease have been confirmed across the county so far in 2025.

Councilman Lucien Murzyn immediately responded that he’d be happy to volunteer to be on the committee with Thrash.

Thrash then asked Service Director Scott Harvey if he would be on the committee, Harvey replied that he currently has a lot on his plate and doesn’t believe he would be able to dedicate the time needed to the committee. He added that although he would be too busy, he has a potential candidate to serve on the committee who is a city employee. Harvey said he would discuss the possibility with the potential candidate and inform Thrash of their decision.

Thrash has been told that residents are finding deer on porches, in garages, walking up to their windows and eating all of their flowers and grass.

Some residents told him that they’ve even put chicken wire on their yards in hopes that the deer will leave. The deer ended up lifting the chicken wire up and eating all of the grass and flowers underneath the chicken wire, he said.

Mayor Kathryn Thalman said Thrash and Law Director Joe Vavra should set up a meeting and discuss what steps the city should take before contacting the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. She added that the wild deer actually belong to the state of Ohio and ODNR.

“If somebody kills one, you have to pay compensation to the state, and it’s got to go through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources,” Thalman said. “And they will do a drone flyover and do a disease manifestation study. I don’t know what we could do, other than work with ODNR to get them to somehow harvest or relocate them.”

Councilwoman Terra Butler said that she’s had residents suggest a controlled hunt, similar to what Oglebay did in 2023. Butler added that she believes a controlled hunt in the city would be a terrible idea.

“I think that kind of brings a lot into town, and to do that in the middle of town, I’m just not for that,” Butler said.

She then asked the rest of council if there’s a way to relocate the deer.

Harvey said the first step is for Thrash and Vavra to contact ODNR to figure out what the city’s best solution would be. He added that before council can do anything, ODNR needs to decide if it will permit the city to relocate the deer.

“First you have to determine that you have an overpopulation problem. I think we all agree that we do, but we don’t have the physical number of proof to approve,” Harvey said. “ODNR will want to do a drone flyover, and they would do a deer count. They’ll come up with a number and say, ‘You’re over populated by this many deer per acre in the city limits.'”

Councilman Mike Smith added that he agrees with Butler that an open hunt in the middle of the city is not the best course of action.

“If five people want to shoot them, there’s probably 10 people who are against shooting them,” Smith said.

Thalman added that an open hunt in the middle of the city could be incredibly dangerous and said she cannot justify having anyone with a firearm shooting around the city.

“You can’t just turn firearms loose. We’d be looking at controlled, specific people with training that we pay for specific areas. It would not just be an open season,” council President Jim Velas said.

He added that in addition to the trained professionals, a controlled hunt in the city would be done by bow hunting, not by using firearms.

Thalman reiterated that her suggestion is to reach out to ODNR and then continue the conversation at the next council meeting.