KTKA

Bow hunters won't have to leave the city limits for their sport during the next deer season.

That's because the Topeka city council has agreed to let them hunt on certain pieces of property *inside the city of Topeka.

The hope is archers will thin out the deer population, to make Kansas roads safer.

And bow hunters, like Dennis Brown (manager, B Squared Outdoors) tell us they will accomplish that goal.

"Bow hunting in this part of the world is a culture... and they would embrace the opportunity to come out and show what responsible sportsmen we are," Brown said.

The ordinance allows deer and turkey hunting with archery equipment on private property, as long as the property owner approves.

It also allows bow hunting on land inside the city that's owned by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

According to Brown, hunting on those grounds won't pose a danger to people who live nearby.

"By and large bow hunters are, I hate to use the word elite, but... very highly trained hunters. The equipment we use, we're intimately familiar with. The whole point of bow hunting is to be close to your quarry so that you can make a telling shot when the time comes," he explained.

It's a solution that comes at no cost to the city and aims to make Topeka roads safer for all citizens.

The ordinance actually goes into effect one week from today but the Secretary of Wildlife and Parks tell us the permit system probably won't be in place in time for spring turkey season, which starts April 8th.

The plan is to have the permits ready to go in time for the fall 2009 turkey and deer season.