To date, 136 deer have been killed in Princeton Township and another 18 have been immunized.
By: David Campbell
The borough of Mountain Lakes in Morris County has joined the roster of New Jersey municipalities that use sharpshooters to manage their deer herds.
Deer Management Systems Inc. of Hamburg was expected to begin killing deer last week on four borough-owned properties in a cull to occur about two days a week mostly during daylight hours, and to last through the end of March, according to a published report.
An aerial survey in 2001 found the borough had 173 deer, a number the municipality hopes to reduce by about 73 percent to about 45 deer in order to reduce deer-auto collisions and damage to underbrush and woodlands caused by deer overpopulation, according to press reports. Deer Management Systems will be paid $300 a day and $190 for each deer killed.
The firm has contracted out sharpshooters for culls in other municipalities as well, including Bridgewater, Bernards, Millburn and Summit. Company co-founder Carl Carvalho was unavailable for comment Monday.
Princeton Township’s deer-management program, which began its fourth year Jan. 5, is unique in the state in that it relies on sharpshooters at bait sites at night using silenced, high-powered rifles, and hand-held captive-bolt guns that kill with a retractable metal bolt to the animal’s head. It also features a pilot deer birth-control program in its southeast corner using an experimental one-shot vaccine.
Municipalities like Mountain Lakes, allowed to cull deer under the state’s deer-management plan, rely on conventional daylight culling by hired agents with shotguns.
A total of 136 deer have been killed and a total of 18 does immunized so far under Princeton Township’s cull this winter, Anthony DeNicola, president of township contractor White Buffalo, said Monday.
"We’re making good progress," he said. "I’m trying to put emphasis on my research site. I want to get my numbers (of tagged deer) up quickly."
White Buffalo is expected to cull from 150 to 200 deer this winter to bring the herd down to the township’s goal of about 350 a year ahead of schedule.
A total of about 50 deer are expected to be vaccinated this winter in addition to the 20 treated last year, three of which have since died.
Mr. DeNicola said he was told by an elected official in Mountain Lakes that the borough has had "quite a vocal opposition group."
He said he was curious to see whether opponents there will prove to be as active as opponents in Princeton Township, who have fought back with lawsuits and interference at bait sites.
"It will be interesting to see whether they will follow through, or whether our folks are just unique," Mr. DeNicola said.