Wildlife Management

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The City of Sunset Valley is home to several species of wildlife. This includes deer, coyote, squirrels, porcupines, and a variety of bird species.

Deer Population Estimates and Deer Management

Each year the Public Works and Environmental Services Department conducts deer surveys. The data collected from these surveys are used to estimate the deer population within the City of Sunset Valley. Click on the image on the left to see historical and current population estimates.

In 2003 and 2004, the City conducted deer harvest activities and removed approximately 13 deer. In 2003, the City also participated in a tracking study to determine deer movement within the area. Between 2006-2008, the City installed Strieter-Lite Wildlife Reflectors along streets such as Brodie Lane and Ernest Robles Way. These reflectors help to reduce the number of deer entering into the roadways when vehicles are present. As the population has been fairly stable over the past 10 years, the City continues to monitor the population but no further direct management of the deer population has been conducted to date. The City has focused more on habitat management and improvement.

Do Not Feed the Wildlife

In 2001, the City passed an ordinance prohibiting the feeding of deer. In 2014, this was expanded to also prohibit the feeding of raccoons, coyotes, skunks, foxes, opossums, and ring-tail cats. These regulations were made to keep wild animals wild and to discourage human-wildlife interactions. Purposefully feeding these wild animals is punishable by a fine up to $500.

Mosquito Monitoring

Each summer the Public Works and Environmental Services Department collects mosquitoes to be tested for the presence of arborviruses such as West Nile and Zika. To date there have been no recorded cases of these viruses from the mosquitoes collected in Sunset Valley.