The Mercer County Park Commission will conduct deer management programs at Mercer Meadows and at Baldpate Mountain between Sept. 8 through Feb. 16. Each program is open only to participants who have applied and been accepted to that program, and the programs have different guidelines.
Mercer Meadows will be open to hunting on a limited number of days during the fall bow, permit bow and winter bow seasons. Hunting will take place Monday through Saturday, from 30 minutes prior to sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, with no hunting taking place on Dec. 25.
The Pole Farm section and the wooded area of Rosedale Park are included in this year’s hunt. There will be no hunting near the Dog Park, picnic area or Rosedale Lake.
The Baldpate Mountain deer management program is open for fall, permit and winter bow, six-day firearm, permit shotgun and permit muzzleloader hunting. Hunting will take place 30 minutes prior to sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. There will be no hunting at Baldpate on Sundays.
From Sept. 8 through Dec. 4, the park will remain open for public use during hunting days, when only bow hunting is permitted. The park will be closed to the public Wednesdays through Saturdays from Dec. 5 to Feb. 9, when firearm hunting is permitted. No hunting will take place on Dec. 25. Each entrance and trailhead to Baldpate Mountain will be posted with a large bright orange “closed” sign as a reminder to the public that the program is taking place.
The Park Commission says for the second year it will make an effort to donate harvested deer to the Hunters Helping the Hungry program.
Information is online at mercercountyparks.org/activities/deer-management, or call (609) 303-0706 for rules and regulations, application and maps. Applications will be given on a first-come, first-served basis at the Historic Hunt House 197 Blackwell Road, Pennington, or via mail. Applications must be received by Friday Aug. 3.
(Courtesy of Jim Fawns.),
