Township to Cull Deer Population

Princeton Township Committee has unanimously approved plans to cull the deer population in town.

The deer population will be trimmed to about 300 from 550-570 deer, both by United Bowhunters of New Jersey and through a contract with White Buffalo, Inc.

Princeton is again asking the State to approve a no-bid contract for White Buffalo’s services.

Each year the Township reduces its deer population to lower the number of deer v. vehicle accidents, reduce landscape damage and restore balance to the local ecology.

United Bowhunters of New Jersey will hunt deer at no cost up to March 1, 2013. The Township will pay White Buffalo $58,700 to hunt and sharpshoot deer between Jan. 1 and March 15, 2013. The deer meat will then be processed for donation to a food bank, Township Committee Member Bernie Miller said.

The Township has contracted with United Bowhunters of New Jersey since 2003 and with White Buffalo since 2000.

Some residents last year reported they avoided certain areas in town during the bowhunting, although no one was harmed. The Township modified this year’s contract to only allow bowhunting in the Woodfield Reservation, Autumn Hill Reserve and Herrontown Woods Arboretum after Dec. 1.  

Bowhunting will also be allowed at Stony Brook-Quaker Road, Stony Brook-Puritan Court, Fieldstone, D&R greenway and Gulick Farm, beginning immediately.

United Bowhunters has agreed to several additional requirements in this year’s contract, including that all bow hunters will check in and check out with Township Police, that each deer stand will have a unique number which will be provided to police and that the hunt monitor will not participate in hunts on public land.

“The contract includes a zero tolerance clause and any violations will immediately negate the contract,” Miller said.