The new plan opens three new public properties, a total of 74.92 acres, for deer hunting, increasing the available hunting parcels from 13 to 16.
By: Audrey Levine
The Township Committee approved the addition of about 80 new acres and six additional permits for deer hunting when it unanimously accepted a resolution to adopt the township’s Wildlife Management Plan for the 2007-2008 hunting season.
The new plan opens three new public properties, a total of 74.92 acres, for deer hunting, increasing the available hunting parcels from 13 to 16. The properties are Beekman Lane north of New Center Road; Montgomery Road between Wertsville and Amwell; and Raddel Court.
According to a presentation by Hillsborough police Lt. Victor Kubisch and Wildlife Management Commission Chairman Bob Matros, the Beekman Lane property will provide for 31.96 acres of bow hunting only.
Montgomery Road will make 27.87 total acres of bow hunting available and the final property, Raddel Court, will provide 15.09 acres of bow hunting.
Rose Reina-Rosenbaum, former head of the Deer Control Commission, said she is not pleased that open space on Montgomery Road and other open space sites are being used for hunting, and that for several months, the properties cannot be used because of the hunting season.
"When we vote for open space, we are voting for it to be used for passive recreation," she said. "Hunting isn’t passive."
The three new properties in the report will allow only two permits each.
According to Mr. Matros, anyone can apply for a permit, but only 50 people this season, as opposed to 44 last year, will actually receive one. After submitting the application, where hunters rank the properties in which they would like to hunt, the names are placed in a lottery and then are randomly selected based on how many hunters are allowed in certain areas.
"With the lottery, everyone has the same chances," Mr. Matros said.
Mr. Matros also said that the hunters who receive permits qualify to use them again for two years after receipt, so long as they fill out a survey at the end of the season, in addition to the necessary paperwork for the permit.
In order to receive a permit, hunters must already be licensed, have $1 million in liability insurance and attend a mandatory training class.
In addition to regulations for permits and properties, the Wildlife Commission report outlined several recommendations for ways of controlling damage from deer in the township.
Among the suggestions are plotting road-killed deer on a map of the township to determine where more warning signs are needed, trimming brush on public properties for better vision of deer and continuing to replace worn deer crossing signs.
"The number one thing with residents is safety," said Mayor Anthony Ferrera.
Ms. Rosenbaum said she has been trying to get reflectors installed instead of, or in addition to, the signs. She said studies have shown they prevent more accidents than the signs.
"In the past, the number of accidents have stayed the same or increased," she said. "So hunting doesn’t reduce accidents, but reflectors would. After awhile, people don’t pay attention to the signs."
Still, she said, the township has not yet considered installing them.
The Wildlife Commission also participates in the Hunters Helping the Hungry program, a nonprofit corporation in New Jersey. The program, which was also discussed in the report, takes deer killed by hunters and donates the venison to different food banks around the state.
"We thought this would be another opportunity to harvest deer," Mr. Matros said. "Protein like this is a rare commodity in food banks."
In the past, Hillsborough Township has donated about 210 pounds of venison to the program.
According to Mr. Matros, the money to send the deer comes from the money paid by hunters for permits, $75 for each.
The hunting season in the township lasts from September until February each year.
According to the commission’s report, the annual number of deer harvested in the two zones that include Hillsborough was 67 in the 2004-2005 season, 72 in 2005-2006 and 119 in 2006-2007.
Applications for permits will be available in the township clerk’s office in the municipal complex on South Branch Road until Aug. 6. The lottery will be conducted on Aug. 9, and the training course will be held on Aug. 22.

