Saddle River Backyard Deer Hunt Sparks Controversy Amidst Population Control Debate

Controversial Deer Hunting Program in Saddle River

• 🦌 A controversial deer hunting program is underway in Saddle River, New Jersey, allowing participants with proper permits to bow hunt on private properties.
• 🎯 The program's stated goal is to curb the deer population, thereby reducing risks associated with ticks and vehicle collisions.

Opposition and Resident Concerns

• 💔 Animal rights groups and some residents oppose the program, citing concerns about hunting in residential areas and the potential for deer to suffer excruciating pain if not killed instantly.
• ⚠️ Hunters' awareness of property lines and the range of arrows (up to 450 feet per second) are also points of contention.
• 📈 Some residents compiled data suggesting that vehicle collisions increased after a previous iteration of the deer management program.

Deer Population and Management Justification

• 📊 According to the bureau, the deer population is four times the ecologically sustainable level, with a survey finding 228 deer (42 per square mile).
• ⚠️ The bureau cites risks to public safety from vehicle collisions and Lyme disease as reasons for the program.

Program Rules and Counterarguments

• 🏹 The program, conducted by the United Bow Hunters, permits bow hunting only on residential properties with written landowner permission, and no firearms are allowed.
• 🐺 Coyotes can be hunted if engaged in authorized deer calling, a rule opposed by some who see coyotes as the natural predator to deer.
• 🌳 Critics argue that residents choose to live in Saddle River for its natural environment and that eliminating nature is counterproductive.

Official Response

• 🗣️ The mayor has not yet responded to multiple requests for comment regarding the program.