Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildlife Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Local hunters and police officer describe deer-control work on Norwood airport property
Summary
A group of permitted hunters described coordinated deer removals and site maintenance around the airport to reduce wildlife hazards; staff discussed signage and permits and recounted a 2023 deer strike that damaged an aircraft.
NORWOOD, Mass. — Members of a hunting group and town staff told the Norwood Airport Commission on Jan. 29 that coordinated hunting and cleanup on airport property is helping reduce deer-related safety risks near runways.
Michael O'Brien, introduced himself as a police officer and said he lives in Walpole but grew up in Norwood. He said year-to-date the group has taken seven deer from airport property: two mature bucks, three deer aged about one to three years, and two does. O'Brien said the hunts have been conducted under a state depredation permit and that the group coordinates daily with airport staff so airport management knows where hunters will be working.
O'Brien said the group has removed abandoned stands and cleared trash and that members carry letters from the airport granting them permission to be on the property. Airport staff confirmed that special permits and depredation authorizations are in place for wildlife control on airport property and said the program has operated for years.
Commissioners asked about locations; O'Brien described hunting areas outside the airport fence, mainly on the south side near Meadow and toward the riverway and Neponsa Street, extending up to the fence line along runway 10/28. He said the group hunts with bow and arrow, that Massachusetts regulations allow two buck tags and surplus doe tags in the area, and that the group typically targets mature bucks while reducing portions of the doe herd to manage population.
Airport staff and O'Brien recalled a July 2023 incident when a corporate jet struck a deer; staff said the aircraft was a corporate jet that required significant repairs and remained at the airport for months. Commissioners discussed adding signage on public access points warning of no hunting without permission and noted that town staff have ordered metal signs to post at main entrances; staff asked hunters to carry permission letters and provide contact numbers for verification.
Why it matters: deer and other wildlife present an ongoing hazard to aircraft; permitted hunting and perimeter fencing are two mitigation measures the airport uses.
Ending: Commissioners thanked the hunters for coordination and cleanup work and directed staff to continue signage and permit procedures to manage access.
