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Essex County authorizes deer-management permit application after consultant reports 143 deer harvested in 2025
Summary
Wildlife consultant told commissioners the county harvested 143 deer this year and recommended afternoon hunts with specific targets at South Mountain and Hilltop reservations; the board authorized a permit application to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife amid debate about nonlethal alternatives and public safety concerns.
Essex County parks staff presented the 2025 deer-management results and sought authorization to submit a community‑based deer‑management permit to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife.
Daniel Bernier, the county’s wildlife management consultant, told the board the 2025 program removed 85 deer at South Mountain Reservation and 58 at Hilltop Reservation for a total of 143 harvested. Bernier said venison from the program yielded about 3,952 (units cited in the record) that was donated to the Community Food Bank in New Jersey. He presented…
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