Tuesday, January 17, 2017

SOUTH MOUNTAIN RESERVATION DEER KILL BEGINS TODAY

The 2017 Deer Kill at South Mountain Reservation begins today.

See the details below from the Essex County Executive's Office:

The program will be held on the afternoons of Tuesdays and Thursdays from January 17th to February 16th. When the program is held, the reservations will be closed to the public to maximize safety. For the first time, make-up days have been scheduled in case the program is cancelled because of inclement weather. If there are no cancellations, then the program will not be held on the make-up days. The days in South Mountain Reservation are Tuesday, January 17th and Thursday, January 19th. Make-up days are Tuesday, January 24th and Thursday, January 26th.

Since 2008, a total of 2,013 deer (1,254 deer and 759 unborn deer) were removed utilizing the volunteer services of experienced and qualified marksmen who volunteer their time. 

To maximize safety, South Mountain Reservation, Hilltop Reservation and all parking areas and walking paths inside the two reservations will be closed to the public on the days the program is held in that specific reservation.

All deer removed from the reservations are inspected and information about its age, reproductive status, gender and weight, as well as the number of shots fired is collected. They are transported by the County to a NJ Department of Health approved butcher for processing. Venison is donated to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey in Hillside, which distributes the meat to the needy and homeless. In 2016, 3,803 pounds of venison were donated to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, which provided about 15,000 meals. Since 2008, a total of 36,452 pounds of venison have been donated to the FoodBank, which equates to about 145,000 meals.

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