RENO, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — Residents near Lakeridge Golf Course in south Reno are expressing concern over the methods used to control the local marmot population. The golf course contracted a pest control services to manage what they describe as an overpopulation of marmots, but the approach has raised safety concerns among nearby homeowners.
David Kephart, a local resident, said May 14, while walking with his wife and 4-month-old daughter. “I started hearing something whizzing through the air,” Kephart said. He described seeing a man in a high-visibility vest holding a rifle pointed in their direction. “That was a little scary,” he added.
Security footage from that day shows two men, one armed with a weapon, taking aim at marmots on the golf course. Kephart said, “He’s shooting kind of in all different directions,” noting that the shots were fired close to houses. When Kephart confronted the men, he was told, “We’re killing marmots,” and that the golf course was paying them for the task.
Leroy Heath, owner of HiLow Service, confirmed that his team uses pellet guns to kill 800 to 1,000 marmots each day his team goes out on the Duncan-owned golf courses, that includes Lakeridge. Heath claimed to have an exemption to shoot marmots, but local authorities, including the Reno Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, The Nevada Department of Wildlife and the Department of Agriculture stated there are no exemptions allowing firearms discharge within city limits.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife confirmed that marmots are not protected animals, so they can be shot. However, The Washoe County Regional Mapping System shows Lakeridge is inside the congested area where discharging of any firearm is prohibited. Washoe County Code 50.092 to 50.154 also states that it’s “unlawful to discharge shotguns, air rifles, or BB guns within 1,000 feet of an occupied dwelling.” The houses near the golf course are much closer than that.
Duncan Golf Management, which owns the course, said the marmots are damaging rock walls and leaving feces on the property. They noted this was the first report of an issue with a stray pellet. Scott Wazkowski, vice president of Duncan Golf Management said that they were told the third-party company had a license to exterminate marmots and ‘took their word in good faith, it it proves that they don’t have proper documentation then we will move on from them and seek a new company.’
The exterminator promised to investigate how a shot may have gone astray and plans to check into, what he believes, is an exemption to shoot the marmots.
Kephart emphasized, “This isn’t a problem about the marmots getting killed, you know, I’m not a huge fan of that but that problem isn’t that I don’t like guns, it’s that nobody should be shooting toward other people.”
Residents hope for alternative methods, such as trapping, to manage the marmot population. The situation remains under review, with plans to follow up on future management strategies.
