Rose Valley OKs new bow-and-arrow deer hunt
ROSE VALLEY » With the number of white tails reduced to somewhat manageable levels, this fall’s deer hunt will be one of maintenance.
The same may not said, however, for 2018.
For the seventh year, council authorized a bow and arrow hunt by pre-approved individuals on portions of municipally-owned land. The results will help determine if a more extensive approach, similar to the one in 2013, will be needed next season.
“We are considering a cull next year,” said Environmental Advisory Council liaison Dave Firn. “We need to have a hunt, however, prior to a cull.”
Approved bow hunting, primarily by select local be law enforcement personnel, will be permitted Oct. 2-Nov. 4 in Long Point Wildlife Sanctuary and Todmorden Woods. The rear section of Saul Wildlife Sanctuary will be added Nov. 6-Jan. 27. Hunting is permitted on days legally allowed in the state and no firearms may be used.
Council’s decision was based on the environmental council’s deer management plan. The period includes the fall mating season, a particularly favorable time for hunting, and leaves Saul open to non-hunters during the warmest part of the season when use is the highest.
Several minor changes have been made to last year’s plan. The first round will be limited to the hunters who have previously been the most successful and unlike 2016, baiting stations will not be used.
“We have been having the same group of hunters for the last several years,” said Firn. “Those who have taken the most deer in the past will be the sole hunters for the first few weeks, which we hope will make for a more effective hunt.”
Bow hunting will be approved in accordance with Pennsylvania Game Commission regulations. Parks will be closed to the public on hunting days before 10 a.m. and after 3 p.m. until daylight savings time ends Nov. 5, when the hours will be adjusted to before 9 a.m. and after 2 p.m. The approximately 20 experienced hunters expected to participate will be required to sign an agreement outlining specific terms, including adherence to game commission laws, and attend an orientation conducted by the environmental council.
Initiated in 2010, the original deer management plan estimated 27 white tails should be removed from boroughowned parklands and permitted public hunting and a paid cull have resulted in the taking of 32 animals, plus four others on private land or deer deaths. As the totals do not account for births, this year’s public hunt is considered maintenance.
The success of the program will continue to be monitored by the exclosures built in 2013. Results have indicated the native vegetation outside the barrier has been severely browsed by foraging deer, resulting in the continued need for maintenance hunting, according to the environmental council.
Given the limited effectiveness of the maintenance hunting and the number of years since the original cull, the group will consider applying for a game commission permit to perform another cull after the current season, said Firn.