Sharpshooters kill 322 deer in Township's population control plan
Despite the heated debate surrounding the issue, White Buffalo ? the group hired to rein in the unchecked deer population in Princeton Township ? has completed this year's phase of the five-year plan just as silently as it carried out its sharpshooting techniques.Aiming to cut back on deer-car collisions as well as to balance the deer population at an environmentally sustainable level, Princeton Township Mayor Phyllis Marchand affirmed that the sharpshooters "met or exceeded the goal we had," noting that 322 deer were killed in all.Only antlerless deer were targeted, comprised of young males and females, with a higher percentage of does killed to forestall further growth of the population.The deer population was slated to triple if these does had not been killed, according to Marchand.Citing ethical and safety concerns, several groups have protested the systematic shootings, pushing for other forms of population control, such as immunocontraception recently used to combat similar problems in Canada.Marchand emphasized the merits of the sharp shooting procedure, however, citing that more than 12,000 tons of meat were collected from the deer carcasses and donated to area food kitchens that "were very happy to receive the high protein meat that doesn't usually come their way."Marchand, however, was quick to add that the decision to hire the sharp shooters arose after other attempts to curb the problem during the past 10 years had failed.Reduced speed limits along Princeton roads, signs warning of dangerous deer crossings and increased lighting have been implemented to protect drivers and animals.