Controversial Deer Hunt Is Returning In Essex County For 2026

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — An annual deer hunt is returning at two reservations in Essex County for 2026.

Essex County will hold its 17th deer management cull at South Mountain Reservation and Hilltop Reservation in January and February. The program will not be held in Eagle Rock Reservation, which has seen hunts in the past.

The county’s annual cull has seen criticism from some advocates and support from others (read more about the controversy below).

Under the annual program, licensed hunters position themselves in trees at least 20 feet above the ground and only fire their guns at a downward angle.

To maximize safety, South Mountain Reservation, Hilltop Reservation, Cedar Grove Park and all parking areas and walking paths inside the reservations are closed to the public on the days the program is held. In addition, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office coordinates safety patrols with local police departments.

The deer are butchered and most of the venison is donated to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, which has received more than 60,000 pounds of meat since the program began.

Since 2008, a total of 3,442 deer (2,184 deer and 1,238 unborn deer) have been killed as part of the cull.

2026 SCHEDULE

This year's cull will take place at South Mountain Reservation (in Maplewood, Millburn and West Orange) on the following Tuesdays: Jan. 13, Jan. 20, Jan. 27, Feb. 3 and Feb. 10. In the event that any dates are cancelled, make-up days will take place on Feb. 17 and Feb. 24.

The program will be held at Hilltop Reservation (in Cedar Grove, North Caldwell and Verona) on the following Thursdays: Jan. 8, Jan. 15, Jan. 22, Jan. 29, Feb. 5, Feb. 12, and Feb. 19. In the event that any dates are cancelled, a make-up day will take place on Feb. 26.

CONTROVERSY

County officials say the hunt is “geared toward revitalizing the forest ecology by reducing the number of deer.”

Some people – including Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. – have maintained that the annual cull is needed to help keep the deer population at a reasonable level.

“Controlling the population by removing deer from South Mountain and Hilltop has proven to be very successful in helping to preserve the forest habitat and maintain our reservations as viable resources for recreation and open space,” DiVincenzo said.

“Each year, we have updated our program to address current conditions, adjusting the number and schedule of days and transitioning into a ‘maintenance mode’ to keep the population at a manageable level,” DiVincenzo said.

• See related article: Humans vs. Deer In NJ: State Has A 'Zero Density' Population Goal

But other county residents have argued the opposite, demanding an end to the cull.

A few years ago, nonprofit advocacy group Our Green West Orange denounced the return of the annual cull.

“We strongly oppose gunmen in our suburban reservations killing our deer,” the group wrote in a message aimed at county officials. “Our reservations are meant for hiking, not for killing. Isn’t there enough violence in our county without having to hear gunshots in our backyards or watch dead carcasses being carried out of our beloved reservation?”

Other groups have protested the annual cull in previous years.

“Deer are social, intelligent, and gentle animals whose lives matter to them, their offspring, and to their family units,” the League of Humane Voters of New Jersey stated prior to a protest of the Essex County hunt in 2017.

“Deer can feel pain and suffering just like us,” the group said.

• See related article: Activists Protest Essex County Deer Cull

County officials have maintained that the cull isn’t the only way the county is trying to manage the deer population, however. Other methods include:

FENCES/REPLANTING – “In addition to culling the deer herd, an aggressive replanting program to accelerate the regrowth of the forests is being undertaken in South Mountain Reservation and Eagle Rock Reservation. Forty-seven enclosures (42 in South Mountain and five in Eagle Rock) have been installed where native vegetative species have been planted so their seeds can be reintroduced into the area. The eight-foot-tall fences are designed to prevent deer and other large animals from foraging on the planted areas, but allow smaller animals, such as rodents and birds, to enter and exit. The fences will remain in place for about 25 years. The planting project was funded with grants from the NJ Green Acres program received by the South Mountain Conservancy and the Eagle Rock Conservancy and grants from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund. Replanting native plant species is necessary to restore the forest understory that was being destroyed by the over-browsing of deer. The loss of this vegetation has prevented new trees from growing, created erosion problems, allowed invasive plant species to flourish and caused the number of native animal species that rely on the plants for food or protection to decline.”

ROAD DEVICES – “The third aspect of the Essex County Deer Management Program is enhancing safety on county roads by reducing the number of motor vehicle accidents involving deer. Through a pilot program with the NJ Department of Transportation, Essex County received grant money to install detection devices that reflect motor vehicle headlights and emit a high-pitched noise to scare deer away from the road when cars approach. The reflectors are installed along Cherry Lane, Brookside Drive, JFK Parkway and Parsonage Hill Road in Millburn, Livingston and West Orange.”

Some groups, such as the nonprofit Hilltop Conservancy, have supported the cull in the past. According to the group's website:

"The Conservancy supports continued deer population reduction in the Hilltop Reservation in order to restore ecological balance, and we believe that Essex County’s deer management program is the most cost-effective and responsible way to achieve that objective. This is not a decision we make lightly – non-lethal methods such as immuno-contraceptives and surgical sterilization are very expensive and are ineffective in an unfenced environment like the Reservation (see Deer Control Methods Cost & Effectiveness Comparison). In addition, lethal methods better reflect (however imperfectly) the predator-prey relationship found in nature – where large predators like wolves and mountain lions would otherwise keep deer numbers in check and in balance with their habitat."

"Unfortunately our suburbs provide the perfect environment for deer to thrive – a year-round food supply and no large predators – with serious negative impacts on forest health," the Hilltop Conservancy says.

Other advocates like the Animal Protection League of New Jersey (APLNJ) have argued that these types of community hunts are “technical failures” that result in resurgent deer and significant taxpayer expense.

The group argues that two frequently cited reasons for deer culls – the spread of Lyme disease and car crashes – are more myth than reality.

“The white-tailed deer is a persecuted species, harassed and killed throughout most of New Jersey,” the APLNJ states on its website. “The situation is so bad, and so unacceptable, that many people say the sight of a white-tail family saddens them, because they know the animals will perish by a razor-tipped arrow or shotgun.”

“New Jersey’s mismanagement of its deer has failed the non-hunting public,” the group adds.

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