Princeton official says state Fish & Wildlife is delaying town—s non‑lethal deer plan

A municipal official updating the council Dec. 9 on Princeton's deer-management application said the Division of Fish and Wildlife has asked for extensive clarifications on the town's proposed non‑lethal measures and requested that the town bifurcate the application so the lethal component could proceed sooner.

Speaker 3 (providing the update) said Princeton sent a comprehensive response in early November but that the state returned further demands, asking for granular documentation — for example, evidence of door‑to‑door outreach to property owners and more data on sterilization mortality rates. The official described the state's requests as expansive and said the agency's approach has left the town feeling "stonewalled" on the non‑lethal portion of the plan. According to the update, the state indicated it would consider the lethal component at the next Fish & Game Council meeting while the non‑lethal questions remain open.

The town is preparing more detailed documentation and expects to press the state for quicker clarification. The presenter said the town and its contractor White Buffalo want both lethal and non‑lethal options available and will continue to provide supporting peer‑reviewed publications and other materials requested by the state.

Council members asked clarifying questions about the number of incidents, mortality data, and community outreach; the presenter agreed to return with updates (next opportunity noted as Dec. 19 or in January). No formal policy decision was made at the Dec. 9 meeting; the item remains under state review.