Damage by Deer Isn’t Ohio’s Fault, Court Says
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COLUMBUS, Ohio — The state is not responsible for damage caused by marauding deer, despite a program by the Ohio Natural Resources Department to increase the number of wild deer in Ohio, a court has ruled.
The 10th District Ohio Court of Appeals ruled 2 to 1 this week that the state owns wildlife for the benefit of the public. But it rejected a suit by Robert D. Bowers II and Carol Bowers, operators of the Laurelville Fruit Co., seeking $26,558 for damage done by deer.
Bowers said he operates two orchards in Hocking County, and more than 200 of the 225 peach trees he planted in 1983 were damaged by deer.
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