The Mercer County Park Commission is set to begin its deer management program at Mercer Meadows.
The program is scheduled to run from Jan. 1 through Feb. 15. Deer will be harvested by vertical bow only; no crossbows are permitted.
Hunting is set to take place Monday through Saturday; on these days the park will remain open to the public. Each entrance to the park will be posted with a 3-by-2-foot blaze orange sign to notify park users that hunting is taking place.
During the Mercer Meadows season, hunting will occur from one half hour before sunrise to 9 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to one half hour after sunset. There will be no hunting in the park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the deer management program.
The Pole Farm section and the wooded area of Rosedale Park are included in this year’s hunt. There will be no hunting at Curlis Woods or near the dog park, picnic area or Rosedale Lake. Maps of the hunting boundaries are available on the Park Commission website.
This is the second year of the park’s deer management program, which was initiated in response to a forest health study that was conducted at the park four years ago.
The deer management program complies with the hunting regulations set by the state; in addition, the Park Commission has adopted County rules for the program.
All hunting must be done from an elevated tree stand: hunters are not permitted to hunt from the ground. There is no shooting across park trails.
More information is online at mercercountyparks.org.
