ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Deer strikes and deer feeding in people’s yards has become such a problem in one local township, local leaders are now forming a plan of attack.
Commissioners in Ross Township say they are working to find a solution.
Local body shops in the area also say hitting a deer is no longer a seasonal issue, mostly confined to the fall.
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“The deer hits are constant now there is no seasonal time for it,” said Jeff Critchlow.
Critchlow’s body shop is usually a busy place in the winter because of accidents and crashes caused by the weather. But this winter and throughout the year, bad weather or not, Critchlow is dealing with damage because of deer.
Ross Township is holding a meeting Tuesday night to address the problem.
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Between Nelson Run and Seibert roads, the deer population is a big problem and not only when it comes to collisions, he said.
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“Chewing up their yards, eating their bushes, their flowers, their gardens,” DeMarco said.
DeMarco said in the past 10 years, it’s obvious the deer population has grown, and now so has the level of frustration for the people he represents.
In their draft for deer management policy, DeMarco said the numbers are striking.
In Ross Township in 2018, there were nearly 140 crashes reported to the police department. But they estimate a much lager number of nonreported crashes. There have been 740 crashes since 2014.
DeMarco said the solution comes down to eliminating the deer. and in this case, “a well-managed archery -- hunt archery, not rifle archery."
DeMarco said Tuesday night’s meeting at the Ross Municipal building about the deer problem is open to public and all are invited.
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