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Lebanon Township OKs limited bow hunting on six preserves for 2023–24 season
Summary
The Township Committee approved Resolution 73-2023 designating six township-owned preserves for limited bow hunting in the 2023–24 seasons, set permit limits per property, prohibited Sunday hunting and added a conditional youth-mentoring option for licensed hunters under 18.
Mayor Beverly Koehler and the Lebanon Township Committee on June 21 adopted Resolution 73-2023 designating six municipal preserves for limited bow hunting during the 2023–24 seasons.
The resolution lists specific parcels (Anthony Preserve parcels, Woodglen-Miquin Trail, Sun Mountain Preserve, Red Mill Race Preserve) and authorizes a fixed number of municipal deer-management permits per property (three to five permits depending on the tract). The permitted season will follow New Jersey Fish and Wildlife dates for Deer Management Zone 8; hunting on Sundays is prohibited and permit holders using elevated tree stands must use a full-body safety harness.
Committee member Abe Abuchowski moved the version adopted and the motion carried at the June 21 meeting. The resolution requires permittees to return a Deer Harvest report by March 2024; failure to return the report will exclude applicants from the 2024–25 season. The resolution also reserves the township’s right to modify conditions for public health and safety.
The adopted rules include a one-permit-per-person lottery limit for each season; after the lottery, additional permits may be sought only if still available. The resolution further provides that any permittee who harvests at least two deer on a single permit (one of which must be a doe) will be offered first refusal to purchase a permit for the same property during the next season.
For the 2023–24 season only, the committee approved a limited hunter-mentoring provision: a licensed licensed bow-hunter age 21 or over may have one licensed hunter under 18 accompany them per day, provided the youth holds the requisite state license, the adult obtains written parental permission and a township hold-harmless agreement, provides evidence of general liability insurance, remains within sight and direct voice contact with the youth while in the field, has no prior Fish and Wildlife violations, and accepts responsibility for violations by the youth.
The resolution was adopted to implement the township’s deer-management program under Chapter 269 of the Township Code and to reduce the local white-tailed deer population where the township has identified need and suitable sites. The Committee voted to adopt the designated properties and conditions at the June 21 meeting.
Next steps: the township will post warning signs at property entrances, publish permit dates on the township website and notify lottery winners when permits are available for pickup.
