Oakland County residents, including those in Rochester Hills, can weigh in on how their communities handle a growing deer population through a new countywide survey open through Nov. 1.

The Southeast Michigan Urban Deer Coalition and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) launched the anonymous online survey on Tuesday, Sept. 1, asking residents to describe their experiences with local deer. The survey, called the 2026 Deer Management Pulse of the Region Study, is available at cobaltcommunityresearch.org/deer.html.

The effort comes as deer management has become a flashpoint across Oakland County suburbs. Farmington, Farmington Hills and Southfield conducted their first coordinated deer cull earlier this year. USDA sharpshooters removed 70 white-tailed deer, and more than 2,000 pounds of venison were donated to local food banks, WXYZ reported. All three cities plan another round of culling this winter.

Beverly Hills and Livonia are in active talks about joining future culling efforts, according to WXYZ.

Rochester Hills has not announced any deer management discussions, but the survey is open to all Oakland County residents. Deer move freely across city lines, a point Southfield Mayor Ken Siver made in January when the coordinated cull was getting underway. "Deer don't respect municipal boundaries," Siver told The Detroit News at the time.

The three cities each voted in spring 2025 to approve the culls, at an estimated cost of $10,000 to $20,000 per city. Farmington Hills approved its cull on a 6-1 council vote. Some residents pushed for nonlethal alternatives like sterilization and deer-resistant plantings.

Farmington Mayor Joe LaRussa said the survey will shape how officials plan deer management going forward. He urged residents across the county to participate, saying officials need that input to decide how to act.

The debate has split neighbors. Billy Slobin, a longtime Farmington Hills resident who says deer have cost him thousands of dollars in landscaping damage, told WXYZ he supports the culls after years of failed deterrents. Opponents like Farmington Hills resident Rohit Seshadri called the practice unsafe, telling WXYZ, "This is not about the deer. This is about bringing urban hunting into our neighborhoods."

Sharpshooters used in the culls operated at night from tree stands in parks and on private land where owners granted permission, using thermal imaging and silenced firearms, according to Hometown Life.

The survey takes a few minutes. Responses are anonymous, and the deadline is Nov. 1.