This report has been compiled and written by the Deer Management Task Force, which is part of the new, non profit, grassroots, informational group, WeLoveMillburn.com. The Task Force studied this issue and the report attempts to fairly articulate the problem and support a solution or a process for a solution to this continuing problem in our town.

Residents are not getting relief from deer damage and there is a 40% increase in Lyme disease cases.

According to an editorial in the January 30, 2006, issue of The Star Ledger, "...deer are fast becoming pests. The herds must be controlled and the 'net and bolt' method is one of the best ways to go about doing that. End of discussion."

Millburn Township should resume its deer management program, taking action at every appropriate level. Our elected officials must not evade this responsibility. Millburn residents should expect proactive deer management as practiced in other communities ranging from Princeton Township to Mountain Lakes.

The absence of natural predators makes our local deer population too large for Millburn's ten square miles. With that sizable population of deer comes increased incidence of Lyme disease, dozens of traffic accidents and near-misses annually, and extensive economic damage to local plants and gardens.

Millburn's township committee needs to continue encouraging the county and nearby municipalities to cooperate in deer management. The town should continue its practice of culling herds on selected areas of township property.

Finally, the town should make available to residents affected by pocket deer herds the means to control deer populations on private property, including looking at programs implemeted in Princeton Township and other communities.

For the past five years, the problem of small herds of deer on private property has been the missing piece of Millburn's deer management program. The recommendation now in front of the Township Committee is that the net and bolt method be permitted on private property. This concept has been used successfully in Princeton for five years. The Township Committee has delayed application for a state permit and signature of a contract with White Buffalo, Inc., because of the protests of a handful of animal rights activists who live in town.

Since 2002, the number of confirmed cases of Lyme disease in the Township has risen from 12 to last year's figure of 27. The tri-state area, plus Pennsylvania, has 75% of the cases in the U.S.

The town has conducted controlled hunts in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005. A deer census was conducted by Hot Shot Infrared Inspections, Inc., in 2000 and again in 2004.The first census counted 400 deer, the last count totaled 214.The program has been conducted on two pieces of public property that are specified in the permit application to the State. Carcasses are butchered and the venison delivered to a food pantry. Nearby residents are notified of the dates and hours of the culling. The police manage the process and are in charge of security. The culling has been done by sharpshooters from Deer Management Systems under an annual contract with the Township. Here are the number of deer culled by year: 2001 – 113; 2002 – 127; 2003 – 67; 2005 – 132. Costs were: 2001 – $38,500; 2002 – $16,475; 2003 – $10,967; 2005 – $37,810.

There was a delayed hunt in 2002 - 03, because the town had not proved sufficient landscape damage when the permit was prepared. The town issued a poll to residents in the culling areas. There were 1672 of 3975 surveys returned for a 42% return rate. 74% supported the culling program; 14% did not; 12% were not familiar with the program. 72% had property damage from deer; 28% did not. The estimated value of shrubs and flowers lost to deer, plus the estimated replacement value totaled $3,071,623. (February 2003). That season the program was delayed, resulting in a small number of deer taken.

There was no hunt in 2004 because the previous years' deer population did not justify a hunt. We appeared to have reached an acceptable population. The problem with not culling is the speed with which the herd multiples when this does not occur.

Hunting in New Jersey is regulated by the Division of Fish and Wildlife, of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The Division has allowed a special permit deer hunt at the Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge since 1974, and has issued permits to conduct deer hunts throughout the State. From 1995 to 1999 the Union County Division of Parks and Recreation used volunteer agents armed with scope-sighted shotguns to remove 727 deer from the Watchung Reservation, and stabilize the population at approximately 60 deer.

Concern about Millburn's deer population increased during the late 1990's. Residents complained about car accidents, Lyme disease, destruction of landscaping, and befouled lawns and back yards. Essex County was approached to conduct a culling operation in South Mountain Reservation, following Union County's lead. For the last eight years, the County Administrations have named committees, and held random meetings. In the words of one resident, "If we can get Essex County to participate, so much the better since the South Mountain Reservation is obviously the source of a part of our problem. But we should not let inaction by the County paralyze us." In 2000, Essex County spent $250,000 to construct a holding pen for deer as part of a proposed trap and transfer program. Trap and transfer is no longer an option because of the fear of importing/exporting a wasting disease, and a general overpopulation of deer throughout New Jersey and neighboring states.

The municipal government promoted fencing, road reflectors, education programs about deer-resistant plants, and live capture and transport of deer to a research facility or deer farm. The town was in the process of applying for a trap and transfer permit in the fall of 1999, and then decided to research the new sharpshooter legislation. In September 2000 a new state law took effect, allowing sharpshooter hunts on public land. Millburn was the first town in the state to apply for a permit. Princeton was the second.

According to a January 19, 2006 article in the Star Ledger, "Unfortunately for people, car collisions account for most deer deaths. The state spends a good deal of effort and money picking dead deer up off the road."

Bow hunting: Several municipalities including Mountain Lakes and Princeton Township supplement paid deer management services with police-supervised volunteer bow hunters in designated areas.

Contraception: Spay Vac has not been approved for use in the US by the FDA. Controlled experiments have been conducted by several scientists, including Larry Katz at Rutger's Cook College, who says, "...immunocontraception will not work to control deer populations." To date, there is no tested, legal, effective and cost-effective form of deer contraception. Also, deer given Spay Vac cannot later be used as a food source.

Millburn Township should resume its deer management program and include as part of that program portions that deal with private property. The Township should activate a program that is consistent and ongoing. The Township should also encourage, in everyway possible, that surrounding towns and Essex County activate programs, too. The Township should take action at every appropriate level.

WeLoveMillburn.com's mission as we have stated on our website at www.WeLoveMillburn.com, is to help all the residents to be better informed about the issues that affect our community. We do this in a positive spirit of informing one another about what is happening, what is not happening and what is possible. We are all neighbors and this is our town.

WeLoveMillburn.com
February 5, 2006

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