Park rangers block to the entrance to the park during last year’s hunt.
Credit: Tom Sofield/NewtownPANow.com
The annual state-sanctioned antlered and antlerless deer hunt will take place at Tyler State Park Wednesday.
The 1,711-acre park that sits in Newtown Township and Northampton will be closed to the public due to the planned hunt that aims to lessen the deer population.
In total, 150 permitted hunters were selected by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) during a lottery drawing. Park officials said hunters will be able to use semi-automatic or muzzleloader shotguns with “00” buckshot ammunition.
Rangers from the DCNR, state conservation officers and state troopers will block entrances to the park during the hunt, which last year netted just under 100 deer. Park Manager Corey Snyder said safety is of utmost concern for officials.
State officials have said that deer in the park can impact the balance the ecosystem by over-browsing on tree saplings, forest understory, shrubs and wildflowers. In order to keep the park’s ecosystem functioning properly, hunters are called upon for culling the deer herd.
A deer runs after hearing a shotgun blast at Bucks County Community College near the border with the park.
Credit: Tom Sofield/NewtownPANow.com
Protestors against the hunt are a common fixture during the annual event.
In addition to the hunt Wednesday, a late season antler and antlerless archery hunt is scheduled to run from December 26 to January 27 at a 500-acre portion of the state park. In total, 60 permits for the archery hunt were issued with only 12 hunters authorized per day.
For more details and to ask questions on the Tyler State Park hunt, the park office can be reached at 215-968-2021.
