USDA sharpshooters will begin killing deer in Dublin parks starting Nov. 1. Residents can weigh in at a public meeting Thursday, Oct. 8, at City Hall.

The city plans to remove up to 100 deer between Nov. 1 and March 31, 2027, under a contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services division. Dublin City Council authorized the agreement by adopting Resolution 28-26 on June 8, following a unanimous 7-0 vote on May 11 to direct staff to negotiate the deal. All seven members voted in favor, including Mayor Amorose Groomes.

The Oct. 8 meeting runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Council chambers at City Hall, 5555 Perimeter Drive. It is the second public session on the program, as first reported by the Columbus Dispatch. The first session was held Aug. 6.

A thermal imaging drone survey conducted April 24 through April 27 counted 528 deer across the city, according to May 11 Council meeting minutes. Staff reported 20 dogs attacked by deer and 35 deer-stalking or chasing incidents in 2025, up from three in 2023 and four in 2024.

A community survey that drew 3,656 responses found 59 percent of respondents believe the population should be managed. Forty-nine percent supported lethal methods, 18 percent were neutral and 33 percent opposed them.

Sharpshooters will operate overnight. Dublin police will clear each area of people before operations begin. The city will post signs at active culling sites and mail information to every Dublin household beforehand, according to the city's deer management page. Hunting otherwise remains prohibited under city code.

If the initial 100-deer target is reached before contract funds run out, an additional 25 deer may be removed. Venison will be donated to the Dublin Food Pantry.

City Manager Megan O'Callaghan wrote in her Sept. 24 CityScene Magazine column that the goal is not to eliminate deer from Dublin but to maintain a population that remains part of the community.

Geoff Westerfield, assistant wildlife management supervisor at the Ohio Division of Wildlife, told residents at the Aug. 25 session that sharpshooters tend to target older, larger does and aim for the head to kill instantly. Deer killed during removals will be transported away from public view for processing, city management analyst Mitchell Ament said at that meeting.

The Oct. 8 session is open to the public at 5555 Perimeter Drive, Dublin.