North Iowa Reporter

Facing an overpopulation of deer, officials have turned to a traditional means of thinning the herd: hunting.

Officials in North Iowa parks, having tried a wide variety of ways to administer area deer populations, have turned to specialized hunting, within certain parameters, the Globe Gazette in Mason City reported earlier this month.

"We have tried multiple ways to prevent damage at Wildwood, but nothing has seemed to work," Charles City Parks and Recreation Board Director Tyler Mitchell said in the news story.

To combat the problem of entirely too many deer in Wildwood, Charles City this year began to allow bow hunters to take six deer in park – within parameters.  

The move isn't a new one. In 2014, Mason City Park Board approved bow hunting, within designated areas and certain restrictions, into MacNider Park/Parker's Woods, Murphy and Georgia Hanford parks and Highland Park Golf Course, the Globe Gazette reported.