The Essex County Sheriff's Office has announced multiple road closures that will be made to accommodate the upcoming annual county-sanctioned deer hunt, which is scheduled to start on Jan. 17.
The annual Essex County Deer Management Program, now in its fourth year, will be held each Tuesday and Thursday from Jan. 17-31 at the South Mountain Reservation, which runs through Millburn, Maplewood and West Orange. County-approved volunteer hunters will be allowed to take deer out of the 2,047-acre reservation during daylight hours on the days of the hunt, when roads in the area will be closed from midnight until 10 p.m.
The following roads will be closed Tuesdays and Thursdays from midnight-10 p.m. from Jan. 17-31:
Turtle Back Rock, Walker Road, May Apple Hill (Northfield Avenue and Cedar Avenue entrances), Crest Drive (off South Orange Avenue, and Locust Grove (off Glen Avenue)
South Orange Avenue, Cherry Lane and Brookside Drive will remain open.
The second phase of the hunt is scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays from Feb. 2-23, and will be held at Hilltop Reservation and Eagle Rock Reservation.
The following roads will be closed Tuesdays and Thursdays from midnight-10 p.m. from Feb. 2-23:
In the vicinity of Hilltop Reservation, a 284-acre parcel that spans Cedar Grove, Verona, Caldwell and North Caldwell, Fairview Avenue, from Myrtle Avenue to Durrell Street, will be closed.
All roadways within the 408-acre Eagle Rock Reservation in West Orange will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic, except for business traffic for the Highlawn Pavilion only. No other roadways in the immediate vicinity of Eagle Rock Reservation will be closed.
In the three years of the Deer Management Program, 1,089 deer have been killed in total, including 339 last year, the highest number to date.
Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. said last year that culling the population of white-tailed deer is necessary for the safety of motorists traveling on roadways, and for the health of the county's forests. Echoing his point of view was Anne Stires, president of the Hilltop Conservancy.
The program is not without its detractors, who say population control methods including sterilizing the deer, are more humane. Last year, a group of residents protested the hunt outside Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, holding signs with slogans like "Stop the Brutality!" and "Honk if you Love Animals".
DiVincenzo will hold a news conference on the annual hunt on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at noon at the satellite office at the South Mountain Recreation Complex, 560 Northfield Ave., West Orange.
For further information about road closures during the dates and times of the Deer Management Program please contact the Essex County Sheriff’s Command and Communications Center at 973-621-4111.
Adam Kraemer
7:06 pm on Wednesday, January 4, 2012
While no one wants to see these majestic animals killed it is a necessary thing for public safety and the ecology of the area. The deer ultimately will help feed needy people. Other means of deer control just don't work. The county is doing the right thing.
ashley Wroblewski
3:39 pm on Thursday, January 5, 2012
"public safety " LOL yea I see dear a lot when I drive around Livingston. But I all so know to DRIVE SLOW AND LOOK OUT. And I beep if I see them . Killing them it not needed and really sick! Just slow down!
Lori W.
10:28 pm on Monday, January 9, 2012
I was driving the speed limit on JFK in Livingston early in the morning (about 5am) last summer. There was a truck behind me on the road. I came around the corner to see a deer in the middle of the road wanting to cross (but the concrete divider was in the way). I slowed down, slower than the speed limit and the deer started to freak out when I was driving by and dashed out in front of my car to go back. I had to stop quickly as I swerved to miss the deer and the truck behind me almost hit me.
Although slowing down sounds nice, it isn't necessarily going to fix the problem. You also cannot always predict what a wild animal is going to do. No single one idea will neither fix the problem or make everyone happy. We just have to do the best we can do.
Tama Flynn
12:35 pm on Friday, January 6, 2012
Not only are the deer an "issue" because they live on THEIR land which we keep taking away to develop and then complain about their existence as they try to find food to survive, but, if we're too selfish to use the birth control method, which is a no brainer for anyone with a soul (!), then at least spend the money to hire sharp shooters to insure they don't die a miserable death by these idiots who think of this as their leisurely fun and even use bows and arrows which makes these animals bleed to death. What is wrong with a society that allows this!!? HIRE SHARP SHOOTERS AND BE HUMANE at least!!!!
Ryan
1:38 pm on Friday, January 6, 2012
I thought they did hire sharpshooters. No? That's what was reported last year. There's no mention in this article of the method being used this year.
Chris Nesi
10:54 pm on Monday, January 9, 2012
Ryan: There's going to be a press conference this week where the rest of the details will be revealed. We just ran with the information that has so far been released by the county-- stay tuned for more.
Lori W.
10:36 pm on Monday, January 9, 2012
I neither have heard of anyone using bows and arrows, only volunteer shooters who are up in the trees and only allowed to shoot down at the deer if they happen to pass by. No offense, but when did the deer become property owners?? I love animals, but we were created to rule over them. If they are being used for food and not just killed for fun and left to rott, then what is the harm here??
I think less focus should be on this type of stuff and more focus on all the crazy drivers on the road speeding, driving crazy, texting while driving, driving while intoxicated, etc....The deer are overpopulated. And what about birth control. Aren't we talking about 'wild' animals here???