The 2026–2027 deer hunt, explained

Resolution and vote

Resolution 2026-230, “Authorizing 2026-2027 Deer Management Hunt on Certain Township and County-Owned Properties,” appears on the August 20, 2026 consent agenda as item 2026-230. It was among resolutions 2026-210 through 2026-234. Committeeman McCarey moved the consent agenda. Committeeman Croson seconded the motion. The roll call vote was McCarey – yes, Blick – yes, Croson – yes, Deputy Mayor Kian – yes, Mayor Fine – yes. This was a 5–0 vote (OCR).

The minutes record the consent agenda as a single vote. There was no separate discussion of the resolution. No dollar figure or term appears in the resolution.

The resolution grants Blue Ridge Sportsman Club permission to hunt on the listed Township properties and “on County-owned properties as approved by Somerset County.”

Its recitals state that residents “have expressed concerns to the Township Committee regarding the impact of the increase in the deer population upon their properties,” that the Committee designated a subcommittee in 2005 to develop deer-management options, and that the Club “has been authorized to deer hunt on Township lands since 2005.” The 2005 resolution and the resident correspondence are not in the records reviewed.

The August 20 minutes record no public speaker on the hunt. The resolution itself does not state season dates, bag limits, or a harvest target.

Parcels and permitted methods

The resolution lists Township properties by block and lot, address, and acreage. The parcels run along several corridors:

The parcel identifiers, addresses, methods, and acreage below come from the resolution’s OCR text. LocalWhy has not visually checked these entries. The acreage figures are (OCR).

• North of Route 78, Block 6. Access Road/Route 78 (17.23 acres); 19, 21, 23–24, 22 and 20 Mountain View Lane (2.54, 1.59, 4.40, 1.56 and 2.38); Mountain View Lane (4.60); Frontage Road (18.55); 29 Dead River Road (29.62).
• Mountain View Road, Block 15. 88A (9.99 acres, bow only); 66B (20.29, bow only).
• Mount Horeb Road. 15 Mount Horeb Road, the “Codington property” (44.47, bow only); 24 Mount Horeb Road, Salvato Nature Preserve (20.68, bow only).
• Block 35, Dead River Road. 28 Dead River Road (20.76); 143 Mountain View Road (50.84); three Route 78 parcels (17.30, 15.94 and 13.42).
• Other sites. 28 Berkshire Drive (23.5, bow and muzzleloader); 184 King George Road (17.32, bow only); Dealaman Nature Trail and Warren Nature Preserve at 197 and 173 Mount Horeb Road (25.09 and 21.83, bow only); 19 Saw Mill Road (94.76); 229 Mountain Avenue (24.73, bow only); rear of the Wagner properties at 195 Mountain Avenue (62.50); 185-A Mountain Avenue, former Glen Hurst Golf Course (99.0); Old Stirling Road parcels (2.4, 2.39 and 19.01); 56 Mountain Boulevard at Elks Trail and Bardy Road (5.89, bow only before 9:00 a.m.); four Stirling Road parcels listed together as 16 acres (bow and muzzleloader); and land off 10 Mary Street (50.84, bow only).

For the four Stirling Road parcels, the resolution’s table lists 5.3, 1.59, 8.48 and 1.09 acres (OCR). These sum to 16.46 acres (OCR arithmetic). The group is labeled “16 acres” (OCR). Both figures appear in the same resolution.

Hunting methods vary by parcel. Some parcels allow only bow hunting, others allow bow and muzzleloader hunting, and some allow bow, muzzleloader, and shotgun hunting. The acreage figures in the Township table total about 760 acres (OCR arithmetic). LocalWhy added the resolution’s figures. These figures were not checked against tax maps.

Required safeguards and reporting

The resolution sets conditions for the permission.

• Insurance. The Club must provide a certificate of insurance naming the Township and County as additional insureds.
• Member list. It must give the Township Administrator and the Chief of Police a list of members authorized to hunt.
• Posting and notice. It must coordinate with the Chief of Police and the Superintendent of Public Works on posting the properties and informing the public.
• Season rules. The season “shall be as specified by the NJDEP Fish and Wildlife Hunting Regulations as posted to the Fish and Wildlife website for 2026-2027.”
• Reports. The Club must provide the Committee with periodic reports.

The resolution does not specify where notices are posted. It also does not state which Recreation dates are reserved at the former Glen Hurst Golf Course, or what the reports must contain. No report from the Club is included in the records reviewed. No harvest count from prior seasons appears in them.

The resolution also does not describe how the Club’s members are screened. It does not explain how the Township verifies compliance with the member list. Those details would be in the Club’s arrangement with the Township or the police. LocalWhy has not reviewed that agreement.

On the Glen Hurst property, the resolution states the Club “will not hunt this property on dates selected by Recreation, as per prior agreement with Recreation.” The agreement itself was not reviewed.

County and season questions

Two approvals outside Warren are referenced, but they are not in the record reviewed.

Somerset County. The resolution says the Township Administrator is requesting permission from the Somerset County Park Commission for six County-owned parcels: 32 Ferguson Road (59.47 acres, bow and muzzleloader), 13 Arvidale Road (27.90, bow and muzzleloader), 155 Mountain Avenue (45.96), Mountain Avenue Block 87.01 Lot 2.01 (16.25), 17 Dock Watch Hollow Road (18.82, bow only) and land off 10 Mary Street (50.84, bow only; all acreage OCR). The County table totals about 219 acres (OCR arithmetic), and the Mary Street parcel appears in both the Township and County lists. The resolution is phrased as a request; it is not evidence that the County approved hunting. The County Park Commission’s decision was not obtained, and the county site needs a browser.

The state season. The resolution incorporates the NJDEP Fish and Wildlife regulations for 2026–2027 but does not restate opening or closing dates, bag limits or zone rules. The state hunting page resolved to a “This page has moved” message when the runner requested it, so the season dates need a browser. LocalWhy has not reviewed them.

The resolution allows hunting on specific Township properties. It also allows hunting on specific County properties, provided the County approves. The resolution includes state hunting season rules but does not state their dates.