BY EVAN NATELSON
Staff Writer
MILLSTONE — Audience members had mixed reactions Saturday to a county plan to allow deer hunting in nine Monmouth County parks.
The county is recommending that the parks be open to shotgun, muzzleloader and bow hunting during the deer hunting season.
Deer are causing "massive damage" to the forest, said Ron Luepke, superintendent of the Charleston Springs Golf Course.
"I think the park system has done a fantastic job exploring all the possibilities of dealing with the problem," he said. "If the hunting can be carried out in a safe manner, it can be successful."
The hunting would only be done from tree stands, not in areas where the public is involved.
Allentown resident Mike Search said there was a need for the hunting, but that the park system needs to address the public’s safety concerns.
"I think regulating who hunts and where [they hunt] should be controlled," he said.
Walt Grower, who owns a horse farm in Allentown, agreed with Search.
"My problem is, I could have a $50,000 horse on one side of the fence, and a hunter who might be incompetent on the other side," he said. "I allow hunting on my farm, but I am very selective. I’m basically for the proposal, but not [for it] in my back yard."
The parks involved are Huber Woods Park, Deep Cut Gardens, Shark River Park, Tatum Park, Thompson Park, Dorbrook Recreation Area, Turkey Swamp Park, Clayton Park, Crosswicks Creek Park, Charleston Springs Golf Course and Hartshorne Woods Park.
Clayton Park, Hartshorne Woods Park and Thompson Park would have a regulated hunting season that only lasts two weeks, between January and February, and only until 9 a.m. each day, as a public safety precaution, county park officials said. The six other county parks would be open during the seasons established by the state.
Deer density is estimated at 38 deer per square mile statewide. The county program would reduce that number to 10-15 deer per square mile.
Matt Trembow, a member of United Bow Hunters of New Jersey, said there is a "major overpopulation issue.
"It is definitely necessary to control the deer population to protect people in the area, not just from motor vehicle accidents, but from Lyme disease," he said.
The growing deer problems stem from increased development and population, open space preservation and the doubling of the county park system, said Laura Kirkpatrick, county park public information officer.
"I think we had a lot of participation from the hunters, as well as [from] people interested in animal rights," she said. after the meeting.
Matawan resident Nadine Hemy said she was dismayed by the presentation.
"I thought it was very one-sided," she said. "I don’t think it took into account how many people are really against hunting. The real issue here is the overdevelopment of Monmouth County."
The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on March 18 at the Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center, located on Georgia Tavern Road in Howell.