Sharpshooters Set To Hunt Deer At Morristown National Historical Park

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Starting today, trained sharpshooters will be patrolling Morristown National Historical Park to help manage the deer population in the Jockey Hollow and New Jersey Brigade areas.

The National Park Service announced that this marks the first hunt under the White-tailed Deer Management Plan and Environmental Assessment, approved in 2017.

The initiative aims to combat over-browsing of native vegetation and is a crucial step in the long-term restoration and preservation of the park's natural resources, while ensuring a balanced and healthy deer population.

Since hunting is not allowed within the park, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services will carry out the deer removal under an inter-agency agreement with the National Park Service.

This means that qualified sharpshooters will conduct the hunt, and all deer will be tested for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) before their venison is donated to the Norwescap food bank.

Officials said the National Park Service's deer management efforts at Jockey Hollow follow proven strategies used in other national parks and align with ongoing initiatives from the Morris County Park Commission and New Jersey Fish & Wildlife’s Community-Based Deer Management program.

Together, these efforts have helped restore and revitalize local forest ecosystems, the National Park Service said.

Officials said extensive safety measures will be implemented to protect both park resources and nearby residents during the operations, which will primarily occur overnight when the park is closed to visitors.

The Jockey Hollow and New Jersey Brigade areas span about 1,700 acres, located roughly 4 miles southwest of Morristown and bordering the communities of Morris Township, Harding, Mendham, and Bernardsville.

This area, mostly wooded, holds historical significance as the site where approximately 12,000 Continental Army soldiers encamped during the harsh winter of 1779-1780.

Visitors and area residents are encouraged to check the Morristown National Historical Park’s website for the most up-to-date and detailed information and are reminded to respect posted park closures.

The deer hunt is expected to conclude by the end of March.