NEWS
MONTGOMERY COUNTY OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
COURT HOUSE, NORRISTOWN, PA., BOX 311, 19404-0311
PHONE (610) 278-3061 FAX 278-5959
COMMISSIONERS:
JAMES R. MATTHEWS Chairman, THOMAS JAY ELLIS, ESQ. , RUTH S. DAMSKER
RELEASE: IMMEDIATELY 12/19/05 PR# 05-33
ADDITIONAL DEER HUNT SET FOR NORRISTOWN FARM PARK
NORRISTOWN — The Montgomery County Parks and Heritage Services Department plans to conduct an additional deer hunt at Norristown Farm Park on Wednesday, January 11th, in an effort to further reduce the herd.
This hunt comes after two previous successful hunts, November 30 and December 7, 2005. This third hunt will only target doe, or antlerless deer.
The previous two days of hunting resulted in a harvest of 118 deer, 21 bucks and 97 doe. Organizers found that many hunters were holding their fire while antlerless deer passed them by in anticipation of getting a large buck. They believe the herd can be thinned considerably more if the temptation to wait for a trophy is eliminated.
This is the first year a deer hunt has been undertaken at the Norristown Farm Park. It has been done in consultation with and at the recommendation of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Norristown Farm Park Advisory Committee.
These hunts have been modeled after other successful deer reduction hunts in Montgomery County’s Lorimer Park, Tyler State Park in Bucks County and Ridley Creek State Park in Delaware County.
For increased safety reasons, the hunt will be conducted with shotguns using single-slug loads. Shotguns using slug loads have a limited range, similar to bow-and-arrow hunting, but they have more stopping power to reduce the number of wounded deer that might flee into traffic on busy roads surrounding the Farm Park.
Deer counts conducted by the Pennsylvania Game Commission in December 2004 found over 400 deer in the Farm Park and it is estimated that number had climbed beyond 500 following the fawning season this past spring. A property the size of the Norristown Farm Park should sustain a herd between seven and 20, according to state wildlife biologists.
The Farm Park will be closed for the day of the hunt, January 11, 2006. The hunt will be well publicized through the media and signs throughout the park prior to this date. There will be increased security throughout the park on this date as well to keep anyone who is not participating from entering.
The overpopulation of deer have wreaked havoc on the ecosystem at the Farm Park, totaling denuding wooded tracts of vegetation up to a level of five feet.
It has also resulted in a large number of motor vehicle accidents on roadways surrounding the Farm Park. The East Norriton and West Norriton police departments report about 40 car accidents with deer annually and the Pennsylvania Game Commission picks up over 50 additional deer carcasses a year from the park that are the result of motor vehicle accidents.
The Montgomery County Parks and Heritage Services Department will be advertising a lottery to choose hunters for this event. Hunter applications are available in the Park Office at the Norristown Farm Park. This lottery will only be open until December 30, 2005. Hunters MUST possess a Hunter Education Safety Card, as well as antlerless deer tags from Wildlife Management Unit #5C to participate in this hunt.
For more information, please contact the Farm Park Office at 610.270.0215 or e-mail the Norristown Farm Park at jlarsen@mail.montcopa.org.
