Howell may allow deer hunt at Bear Swamp

BY JAMES McEVOY
Staff Writer

I n response to the growing population of whitetail deer in the area, Howell officials may pursue the idea of allowing a deer hunt in the Bear Swamp preserve.

Howell Councilman Robert Nicastro said the matter has been proposed by the Lake Restoration and Wildlife Committee.

“The committee has submitted documentation … and there seems to be a need to curtail some of our deer population,” Nicastro said. “Everybody likes deer and I am not particularly a hunter, but I now understand what the problem is of having these herds and the population so high.

“There has been an increase in accidents, there is damage to vegetation, so this is an effort to control the population,” he added. “It is a controlled hunt, a limited hunt. [The committee] wants us to act on this request and the ordinance.”

Howell Township Manager Helene Schlegel said there is an ordinance in place pertaining to deer hunting, although there have been no hunts at Bear Swamp since the ordinance was adopted in March 2003.

Nicastro said the committee has submitted models from other towns that have such hunts and he said the committee is working with county and state officials, including representatives from the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife (NJDFW) to put this plan into motion.

“When you read the documentation, it seems to support (the proposal) that there is a need” for a deer hunt, the councilman said. “I don’t know the methodology that they use, but they are working with some people who are the professionals and that seems to be the conclusion they are coming up with.”

Township Attorney McKenna Kingdon said any hunt that might be permitted at Bear Swamp would occur in conjunction with hunting seasons established by the NJDFW.

According to the NJDFW website, deer hunting season dates vary based on location and type of hunting weapon used, but most occur in the fall and winter months.

Kingdon said she needs additional information for ordinance compliance before the permitting process can begin. Schlegel said the issuance of hunting permits would be based on a lottery system.

Mayor Robert Walsh said the deer hunt “has to be done.”

Deputy Mayor William Gotto questioned whether the information submitted by the Lake Restoration and Wildlife Committee has been validated.

Kingdon opined that such information has likely been validated given that the committee has been working with state officials, and she noted that much of the township’s ordinance regarding hunting was written to coincide with state regulations.

According to a copy of the ordinance posted on the township’s website, the number of hunting permits issued by Howell will be determined by the township in conjunction with recommendations of the Howell Lake Restoration and Wildlife Committee.

The township assumes responsibility for informing permitted hunters when it is determined that additional hunting will be prohibited.