What to know:

Trustees approved hiring a U.S. Department of Agriculture biologist for three years to estimate the deer population and recommend solutions.

Of 469 people who responded to a township survey, 88% said they had experienced some form of deer-related damage.

Residents shared surveillance video of a deer attacking a dog and photographs of a woman who needed medical attention after a deer injured her while she was walking her dog.

Bloomfield Township recorded 114 car crashes involving deer in 2025, the highest number in five years.

Reducing the herd through a cull is among the options being considered, but it has drawn opposition from residents who want to protect the animals.

Township officials will wait for the biologist's assessment and recommendations before deciding what action to take.

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. - The deer aren't just eating the garden anymore. Residents in Bloomfield Township are reporting dog attacks, physical injuries, and a record number of car crashes - and now, the township is spending $150,000 to figure out what to do about it.

Bonnie Mackelburg has lived in the community long enough to watch the herd grow - and grow more brazen.

 They're everywhere,  Mackelburg said.  I've stopped planting anything. 

She says she's seen it all, from newborn fawns to aggressive bucks.

 The older does, when you walk out there and shoo them away, they just look at you,  she said.  The younger ones are skittish, and the stags can be aggressive. 

Survey reveals widespread damage

Bloomfield Township's Deer Management Advisory Committee recently surveyed residents to gauge the scope of the problem. Of the 469 people who responded, 88% said they had suffered some form of damage - and half of those said the population needs to be brought under control.

Committee member John Cervenak presented the survey results Monday night, along with home surveillance video showing a deer attack on a dog and photographs of a resident who needed medical attention after being injured by a deer while walking her dog.

 We had 469 respondents to that,  Cervenak said.  They sent in

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