Deer Population in Decline, Even with Hunting Down

Even though the number of deer hunted in the past year is off by 12 percent, the township's deer population has continued to decline, showing up in some statistics as the 69-percent decline in the number of deer-vehicle collisions since 2001, according to a report on deer management scheduled to be presented on Tuesday night to the Bernards .

Indications are that there are far fewer deer in the township than in the past, said Township Committeeman John Carpenter, the Township Committee's liasion to the deer management advisory committee.

"I can remember a time when you couldn't drive at night without dodging deer," Carpenter said on Monday night.

The report submitted to the township said that during Biological Deer Year 2012, through the end of this March, the number of deer roadkills reported in the township was 89, down from 289 in 2001.

Carpenter said that sustained efforts to reduce the deer population have been successful, including steps such as extending deer hunting season for several years. This year's deer management advisory committee report, which also recommends the extension of this year's deer hunting season from mid-February thru end of March 2013, as had been done in the winter of 2012 and previous years.

The township already has received state approval to extend the season next spring, Carpenter said.

The report also said that since 2011 archery hunting has been allowed as close as 150 feet from an occupied building. The previous requirement was for a buffer of 450 feet between archery hunters seeking deer, and an occupied building, the report said.

Even with the extended season, the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife reported that 374 deer had been harvested in 2012, compared with 436 in 2011. But even with the extended season and more flexible archery limits, the report said that the deer harvest this year was 12 percent lower this year than the year before, for a number of reasons.

The report noted that months that were winter as far as the calendar were very mild this past season.

"March 2012 was the warmest March on record. There was little snow," The report noted. "Deer could comfortably browse at night and were less active during the day. In contrast, the 2010-2011 season was cold with snow on the ground for most of January thru March. These conditions produced more day-time deer activity and shooting opportunities than in the 2011-2012 season."

The report concluded that last year's lack of winter weather was probably the most important reason for the reduced harvest.

The report also notes that Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease [EHD] infected and killed many deer in the area the past year. "This reduced the overall deer population and hunting opportunities," the report said. It added, "Sick, dying, and dead deer are not pleasant to see, but EHD poses no health risk to humans," the report said.

Except for a possible case in Cape May County, state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Larry Ragonese said there have been no confirmed case of EHD in New Jersey this year.

The report from the deer management advisory committee is dated August 7, and is signed by Bill Allen, committee chairman.