Worthington City Council has approved a resolution to bring back its targeted deer removal program for a second year, with federal sharpshooters set to return to the suburb's yards and parks from December 2026 through February 2027. The city is now asking residents to volunteer their private properties for the operations, with a deadline of September 30, 2026 to sign up.
The program's first season, which wrapped earlier in 2026, saw Wildlife Services personnel remove 100 deer over eight nights, according to NBC4 WCMH-TV. That first-year effort cost the city $119,113.86 in total, according to a report cited by WBNS 10TV. Wildlife Services had venison processed and donated to local food pantries as part of the effort, per the same NBC4 report.
Same Playbook, More Yards Needed
The upcoming season will again rely on a mix of volunteered private properties and selected public sites, mirroring last year's setup of 10 approved backyards alongside nine public locations that included Walnut Grove Cemetery, Huntley Bowl Park, Linworth Park and two school district properties, according to the 10TV report. Private properties were among the locations used during the previous season. Targeted removal will not take place during Worthington City Schools' winter break, per NBC4's report, and operations will otherwise occur periodically on weeknights between dusk and midnight.
Trained professional markspeople carry out the work using firearms, and federal Wildlife Services personnel conducted last season's operations after dark using noise-suppressed guns loaded with frangible ammunition designed to disintegrate on impact, according to WOSU Public Media. That coverage notes the operations were also supported by police drone oversight and raised firing platforms.
Residents Split on Safety and Necessity
Not every Worthington resident is on board. Some cite safety concerns and limited communication and transparency from the city, per NBC4's reporting.
Other residents see the program as overdue. Deer overpopulation has been cited as a reason for the effort. Not every operational night went as planned last season — deer were reportedly absent from some public properties on nights when markspeople were deployed.
A Legal Fight Still Looms Over the Program
The debate over safety isn't confined to public comment. In December 2025, Worthington resident Kevin Callinan filed a lawsuit against the city over safety concerns, and a Franklin County Common Pleas judge issued a temporary restraining order barring sharpshooters from operating within 1,000 feet of his home, according to a separate 10TV report. The city subsequently filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Hoodline covered the fallout in a earlier report on the divided response to the city's original $75,000 budget allocation for USDA sharpshooters.
The city's materials mention an archery recommendation that was not adopted, according to the City of Worthington.
Years of Buildup Before the First Shot
Worthington's move to lethal culling followed a slower policy buildup. The city passed a citywide No Feeding Ordinance in July 2022 banning outdoor deer feeding, aimed at preventing artificial herd concentration and reducing traffic hazards. A 2024 community survey conducted for Worthington's Deer Task Force found that 63% of responding residents had experienced deer-related property damage, according to Columbus Navigator. That same survey found 92% of respondents reported seeing deer daily or weekly.
The city also established a Deer Advisory Committee in May 2025 to monitor long-term herd goals, which includes a representative from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife as a permanent technical advisor and draws on former Deer Task Force members. Metroparks Toledo also discusses deer management in Ohio.
Worthington is using federal sharpshooters as part of its deer-management program. With the program's sign-up period running through the end of September, Worthington's second season is set to begin this winter under many of the same protocols, and the same divide between residents who want relief from deer damage and those wary of gunfire in their neighborhoods.
