(The following information was provided by the Montgomery County Office of Communications.)
With Norristown Farm Park housing more than three times the
number of deer than the land can sustain, park officials have announced they
will hold their annual regulated archery deer hunt throughout October.
Hunters can apply now through August 31 to participate. They
are encouraged to keep and consume their harvest, but they can also donate it
to be processed and distributed to area food banks. Last year, hunters donated
1,700 pounds of food.
According to park officials, “population counts conducted by
the USDA earlier this year showed a higher-than-expected deer density within
the park, even before the fawning season.” According to wildlife experts, a
park the size of Norristown Farm Park (725 acres) can adequately support a herd
of approximately 30-40 deer. Counts conducted at the Farm Park revealed a herd
size of more than 150 animals. That is three-to-four times the recommendation
for a healthy, sustainable population.
When formulating its management plan, park officials took a
thorough look at the alternatives to hunting such as contraceptive vaccines,
perimeter fencing, and the use of reflective barriers, but found these options
to be illegal (in the case of contraceptives), very costly (if they were to
fence the entire park), or woefully ineffective, or maintenance intensive (as
is the case with fencing/reflective barriers.
With few options at their disposal, park officials have
little choice but to cull some of the herd annually to slow the spread of
certain diseases such as Lyme’s and Chronic Wasting Disease. The culling also
reduces car-deer collisions, prevents the loss of the park’s biodiversity and mitigates
the damage to agricultural crops and newly planted plant species.
Hunters interested in applying, must submit a 3 x 5 card
(along with a self-addressed, stamped return envelope) with the following
information: Name, Address, Phone Number, Driver’s License, Hunting License
Number, Antlerless Tag Number for Area 5D and indicate that they possess a safe
bow hunting certificate from the Pennsylvania game Commission or similar
accredited agency.
E-mail addresses are optional but are preferred for future
correspondence. Only one application may be submitted per
person. Applications are to be mailed to the following address: Norristown
Farm Park, 2500 Upper Farm Road, Norristown, PA. 19403. Please write “Deer
Hunt” in the lower left corner of the envelope.
- The
hunt is open to properly licensed archers over the age of 18. In addition
to the “regular license,” a bow stamp is required.
- Hunters
will be chosen in a random (public) lottery which will be held on Friday,
September 8, at 1 p.m. in the park office.
- Forty
individuals will be selected at that time. Dates and areas will be
determined by the order in which the individual was drawn. Four groups of
10 hunters, each will be assigned a specific week and an area in which
they can hunt as determined by the order in which they were drawn. Hunting
will be confined to two remote areas within the park, all other areas are
off-limits.
- Hunters
selected in the lottery will be required to attend a pre-hunt safety
meeting at which time they must demonstrate their proficiency with a bow
at 25 yards, on park-supplied targets.
- In
addition to demonstrating proficiency, everyone applying for this hunt
must provide their credentials, sign a waiver, and show that they have
successfully completed the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s “Successful Bow
Hunting Course,” or a similar course through an accredited agency.
- Hunts
will occur weekly (excluding Sundays) throughout October between the hours
of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Each hunt will follow the requirements, standards
and/or laws established by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, including but
not limited to, safety zones, tagging, harvest/antler restrictions and
orange requirements.
- These
hunts will be strictly archery, utilizing either a compound bow or cross
bow with expanding tip and/or fixed blade razor-tipped arrows/bolts,
according to PA Game Commission specifications. Compound bows must possess
a minimum draw weight of 35 pounds and crossbows a minimum of 125 pounds.
Long bows and/or recurves are not permitted.
- Day of
hunt - Hunters are permitted to check in at the park office on the morning
of each hunt, beginning at 5 a.m. Arrows will be counted and last-minute
instructions will be provided. Regardless of when a hunter wishes to hunt
(during their assigned week) morning or afternoon, they must sign in at
the park office, first.
- After
checking in, hunters are to report to their assigned location and set up
their (self-climbing) tree stand, or portable ground blind. Hunters
must remain in their stand/assigned area for the duration of the hunt.
Climbers and/or ground blinds may, at the hunter’s discretion, remain in
place for their assigned week, after which they must be removed.
- At the
conclusion of each hunt, hunters are to track and tag their deer.
- All
hunters are to report to the park office after retrieving their deer and
before leaving the park. Park staff will record hunters’ harvests,
count hunters’ arrows and sign hunters out for the day.
- Note: Hunters
(during their assigned week) may check in or exit the park at any time
during the hunt, providing they notify the park office. If arriving after
5am, or leaving prior to 6 p.m., hunters are asked to call the park office
at (610-270-0215) to make sure a staff member is available to sign them in
or out.
- Hunters
are encouraged to harvest as many doe as they have tags for. Legal
buck may be taken as well, providing they meet or exceed the required
antler restrictions set forth by the Game Commission.
- Additional
information and/or instructions will be provided to each hunter at the
safety meeting.
For those who would like more information, the park has
prepared a FAQ Sheet in an attempt to address misconceptions and lingering
concerns over the need for such a hunt. To obtain a copy simply call, stop
by, or email the park at 610.270.0215, 2500 Upper Farm Road, Norristown, PA
19403, [email protected].
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