Usually a population increase in a small town is a good thing. But a town in North Dakota is wishing that they could see the numbers go in the opposite direction.

To clarify, the residents of Tolna, North Dakota would love to see new families move to the community of roughly 200 people, but families of a different type have been making the North Dakota town their home.

Because of a particularly harsh winter 15 years ago, a few deer wandered into Tolna looking for food.  But those deer continue to return to the small town and they are bringing along all of their friends, too.

After conducting a fly-over to try to count the number of deer that have made Tolna their home, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department can only make a rough estimate at the number of new deer "residents".  But the people Tolna residents give estimates of anywhere between 2,500 and 3,500 deer all within a 10 mile radius.  The deer are usually seen at the grain elevator where they feed off of piles of corn and anything else they can find.

For the most part, the deer aren't causing too many problems.  With that many deer in the area, many might think there would be a lot of accidents.  But after 15 years, the people residents of Tolna know the deer are there and have learned to slow down.

If you aren't much of a math person, let me help.  Between the estimated numbers by the  Game and Fish Department and the actual people residents of Tolna, North Dakota,  the deer residents outnumber the people residents by 15 to 1.  That means there are about 15 deer for every one person.

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