Deer Management
Overabundance of white-tailed deer in our community has contributed to public health issues such as increased automobile accidents and risk of Lyme disease, in addition to damage to home landscapes, crop losses for farmers, and ecological degradation of meadows and forests.
Community Conservation members with properties from as small to 5 acres to over 50 acres can engage in sustainable and responsible deer management activities. FoHVOS provides the following guidance and tools to landowners:
- Conduct a visual assessment of the deer impacts on your property
- Assist in developing a deer management plan
- Recommend and connect landowners with local licensed hunters
Want to learn more? Contact FoHVOS Stewardship Director, Mike VanClef at mvanclef@fohvos.org
Deer Management Testimonial from a Residential Community Conservation Member:
“Got Deer? Who doesn’t?! We recently purchased our dream property with ample room for gardening. Unfortunately, we also acquired a large herd of voracious deer. When a deer jumped over our car as we came into our driveway I knew we had to do something. Our neighbor recommended her son who was a new, licensed hunter. But where to start? We aren’t hunters. We didn’t know what the rules were.
We wanted to pursue deer management on our property responsibly and FoHVOS made it incredibly easy and even enjoyable for us. One phone call to FoHVOS put us in touch with Mike VanClef. Mike discussed how important deer management was to not only our property but to the region. We talked about the damage caused by deer overpopulation on our forests and farmlands.
He created overlay maps of our property showing safety zones for hunting. Perhaps best of all he arranged for a seasoned hunter to mentor the newly minted hunter interested in hunting at our place. They came out with the maps, walked the property, and created a safe and effective strategy for managing the deer.
Our young hunter benefited from the knowledge and guidance of a master hunter who helped him at every step in the process from setting up the deer stand to delivery of the deer to the processor. We now have a freezer full of healthy venison. Even better, we felt like we were involved with a community of people taking the time to help each other and our natural resources. We are so impressed and thankful to FoHVOS for their commitment and accessibility.”
– Hopewell Valley Resident