ADAMS TWP — A couple approached supervisors Monday night wishing dearly for their help with a “deer problem.”

Marcia Semper told township officials her property is overrun with deer.

“We have a family of deer who live in our backyard daily, and use it as their grazing pasture,” Semper said. “They have eaten our trees, shrubs and flowers.”

Semper, who attended the supervisor meeting with her husband Frank, said she counted five deer who regularly visited her property in 2020.

This year, Semper said the herd numbers 11.

“We're projecting next year it will probably be 16 to 20,” Semper said. “They're quite prolific.”

Despite planting “deer-resistant” plants, spraying frequently to keep the animals away and making noise to scare them off, Semper said deer continue visiting the property.

She's specifically concerned with the amount of droppings and the prevalence of ticks deer can carry.

“We walk in our yard, with our heads down, just to get to our perennial garden,” Semper said.

Semper told supervisors she's planning to spend $12,000 with a neighboring property owner to install a 5-foot fence in their side and backyards.

Semper said although the installer can't guarantee deer won't hop the fence, she's hoping it does the trick.

In the meantime, Semper asked township officials to “resolve this very significant issue” that is seriously affecting the appeal of Adams Township.

“It is critical that the township put in place a program to reduce the number of deer,” Semper said.

Gary Peaco, township manager, recognized the township has had deer problems in the past.

“It's something that we haven't addressed (on) a township basis at this point,” Peaco said.

Peaco suggested looking at municipalities with similar problems to see how they handle deer populations.

Resident Tina Wilson said she actually enjoys seeing deer in her yard, to the extent she sometimes feeds them.

“I feel for these people,” Wilson said. “But quite honestly, I dearly love the wildlife that we have.”

Wilson said she sometimes has as many as 20 deer in her yard, including three bucks.

She said wildlife is part of the reason why people move to the township.

“That's why we live in rural Adams Township,” Wilson said.

Supervisor vice chairman Ron Shemela said township officials would take the comments under advisement.