The 2026–2027 deer hunt

On August 20, 2026 the Township Committee adopted Resolution 2026-230, 5–0 (OCR), authorizing the Blue Ridge Sportsman Club to conduct the 2026–2027 deer management hunt on listed Township-owned properties and, if Somerset County approves, on six County-owned parcels.

The resolution lists Township parcels by block, lot, address and acreage, from the Mountain View Road and Dead River Road corridor to Mount Horeb Road, Stirling Road, Mountain Avenue and Mary Street. Its Township acreage figures total about 760 acres. Allowed methods vary by parcel: bow only on many; bow and muzzleloader on others; bow, muzzleloader and shotgun on some. The former Glen Hurst Golf Course parcel at 185-A Mountain Avenue is listed at 99.0 acres, and the Club “will not hunt this property on dates selected by Recreation.”

The resolution requires the Club to provide a certificate of insurance. This certificate must name the Township and County as additional insureds. The Club must also give the Township Administrator and Chief of Police a list of authorized members. They must coordinate with the Chief of Police and the Superintendent of Public Works on posting properties and informing the public. The Club must follow the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Fish and Wildlife regulations for the 2026–2027 season. They must also report periodically to the Committee.

The resolution does not state season dates or bag limits. It includes state regulations by reference. It is not clear from the records reviewed if Somerset County approved hunting on its six parcels. No resident spoke about the hunt at the meeting on August 20. The resolution’s recitals say the Committee created a deer-management subcommittee in 2005. They also say the Club has hunted Township land since 2005. The 2005 action itself was not reviewed.