Courtesy Photo A doe lifts her head in the snow in this undated photo provided by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

ALPENA — Alpena has always had a small presence of deer that occasionally crossed a city street or munched on vegetation in people’s yards.

The deer population within the city limits has increased over time, however, and may become a nuisance.

Earlier this week, Alpena officials sent out a press release urging residents to abstain from feeding deer.

The city says the increasing number of deer roaming about the city has raised the chances of car crashes involving a deer and sets the stage for some property — both public and private — being damaged.

Alpena City Engineer Steve Shultz, who has worked for the city for 25 years, said deer have always occasionally popped up in the city, but it was kind of rare to see one.

Today, he said, deer are seen often. He said some of the deer seem unthreatened by humans.

“There are a lot more deer in town than what a person would think, because you don’t think you would be driving down a city road and see a deer, but it happens more often than it used to,” Shultz said. “I don’t know why there are more. I do think there is feeding going on, and that keeps them in town.”

Feeding deer in Michigan is against the law and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources could take action against anyone caught unlawfully feeding.

Last year, a herd of deer loitered at Evergreen Cemetery, which is owned by the city, and the city had to issue a statement imploring people not to feed them because of the busy street adjacent to the cemetery.

Shultz said deer sightings have increased and, now, small groups of deer have spread all over the city.

Shultz said deer are often spotted on Hobbs Drive, on the north side, near Alpena Community College, and in or near parks in the city.

“We used to see them sort of on the outskirts of the city, but, now, I’m seeing them on the interior of Alpena and on the local streets,” he said. “Just seeing them in the middle of town is kind of strange.”

Shultz said people should be alert to the possibility of encountering deer when driving, riding a bike, or walking around the city. He said that, if a deer were to run out in front of someone, they could wreck and get injured.

In November, DNR officials told The News that fewer hunters in the woods — across Northeast Michigan, the number of residents with a hunting license declined 2% in the last five years — raises their concerns about an increase in the deer population.

City officials couldn’t say if an increase in the deer population was the reason more deer are in Alpena.

Shultz said that, often, when people approach deer in the city, the animals aren’t spooked. He said it seems the animals have become comfortable around humans and life in town and it is harder to persuade them to return to the forest.

“A couple of times, I have seen them in people’s yards,” he said. “They are very docile. You can walk right up to the fence and they just look at you and keep eating.”

Wild animals taking up shop in local cities seems to be on the rise in Northeast Michigan.

For two consecutive autumns, a young bull elk visited Rogers City. The elk became habituated and, according to the DNR, became aggressive. The DNR euthanized the animal in October.

Also this year, numerous coyotes roamed in and out of neighborhoods in Rogers City.

Shultz said residents who see a deer or other wild animal that may be a concern to them should call the DNR.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@TheAlpenaNews.com. Follow him on X @ss_alpenanews.com.