North Liberty to discuss hunting within city limits

IOWA CITY - A hunting ordinance that incidentally disappeared from North Liberty's city code during a recent update, could soon reappear. City council members are considering re-instating the ordinance that allowed hunting within city limits.

"As of right now it is illegal to discharge a firearm in North Liberty," said city administrator Ryan Heiar.

The ordinance allowed hunters to use a shotgun to hunt geese or a bow and arrow to hunt antler-less deer. Hunters were required to obtain a special permit from the city, and hunting was carefully zoned to private property.

"They had to get the permission from landowners that they were hunting on," Heiar said.  "The hunting would be very restricted within the city, based on the rules the (Department of Natural Resources) has helped us to create."

The 2003 ordinance was put in place to help control the population of both geese and deer.

"The only problem I've seen is on the walkway. When I walk my dog the geese droppings all over the place," said John Lange, a North Liberty resident.

Heiar said retention ponds in growing subdivisions attract geese.

"There are a lot of geese in North Liberty," said Kaley Gavin, who lives in one of those neighborhoods. "When they're traveling in the fall the (pond) gets pretty full."

Heiar said the council could decide to simply leave the ordinance off the code as it stands now, keeping all hunters outside of city limits.