According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the white-tailed deer population in Hopewell Township is growing, posing challenges for farmers, homeowners, and drivers. Deer-vehicle collisions, crop destruction, and ecological damage remain ongoing concerns. Hunting is the primary management strategy, but local experts say deer are adapting to avoid it.
Recent information published by the Mercer County Park Commission regarding deer management, Hopewell Valley has one of the highest deer densities in the county. They say that “wildlife biologists recommend 20 to 25 deer per square mile” for a balanced ecosystem, but in 2021, estimates placed the township’s density between 109 and 155 per square mile after birthing season.
The impact is visible in fields, in gardens, and on the roads, where more than 15,000 deer-vehicle accidents happen each year according to the state’s Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
Hopewell Township farmers like Chris Pazdan say deer continue to damage crops despite fencing and deterrents.
“I’ve seen a deer actually jump on an 8-foot high plastic fence, land on it, fence rips itself down and they go in. But if you put that wire around the top, that metal wire, it bounces them off it,” he says.
William Cane, a Titusville resident, has seen similar issues. He says, “You have to have like a 6- to 7-foot fence because otherwise, [the deer go] over the top. They actually know how to knock the fence down unless you put a steel wire around the top of it.”
Members of the Hopewell Township Deer Management Advisory Committee (DMAC) say deer have learned to avoid hunters.
That fact is supported by other organizations such as Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS). Michael Van Clef, stewardship director for the group describes the behavioral changes saying, “For the general public who are not hunters, they walk in their backyard and like a deer right there in front of me, I can pet them.” He adds, “They act very differently in the woods. They know that if they see a human standing next to a building, they’re not going to get shot.”
DMAC members also report that deer become more nocturnal during hunting season and move into developments or restricted areas where hunting is prohibited.
Hopewell Township coordinates with several organizations, including the Mercer County Park Commission, D&R Greenway Land Trust, and FoHVOS, to manage hunting. There are significant obligations placed on hunters. For example, according to state regulations hunters must harvest two to three mature does before taking an antlered deer. Targeting does helps control the population size.
Hopewell Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning noted that more hunters are using bows, which are typically shot from stands.
She says, “Bow season starts in mid-September and ends in mid-February. Gun season starts in mid-December and ends the same time as bow season.”
Despite these efforts, the number of deer harvested has declined. The Mercer County Park Commission Deer Management Report found that at Baldpate Mountain, the number of deer taken dropped from 114 in the 2019-20 season to 40 in 2023-24, despite an estimated 331 deer living in the area.
Some farmers obtain a deprivation permit from the state, allowing them to shoot deer year-round to protect crops.
While hunting remains the primary method of population control, alternative approaches have proven costly and largely ineffective. “The best contraceptive is a bullet or an arrow,” Pazdan said.
Traditionally nature has also played a role in controlling the population. In 2012, an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), transmitted by midge flies, significantly reduced deer numbers.
More recently, Hopewell resident Tom Niederer noted that coyotes have also impacted the herd. He says, “I think another big thing is that coyotes are killing deer left and right. So, you know, it’s an ongoing thing I think, but it’s fluctuated over the years.”
Although, according to the New Jersey Land Trust, hunting applications have increased, Van Clef said experienced hunters are in short supply. Local organizations managing hunting in Hopewell Township plan to coordinate more closely in the 2025-26 season to improve results.
Even as officials look for ways to reduce deer numbers, local hunters contribute to food assistance programs by donating venison.
According to their website, The Hunters Helping the Hungry program received 812 deer statewide in the 2024-25 season, providing 108,316 servings of venison. Hopewell Township covers butchering costs using revenue from hunting permit fees, but meat from sterilized deer cannot be donated.
While the township continues to balance safety, conservation, and agricultural concerns, those involved in deer management say traditional hunting alone may not be enough to control the population.
One Hopewell Township hunter summed up the challenge. “One of the biggest things with deer hunting, there’s no guarantee. You can bait, you can think you know when they’re coming and that’s one of the biggest (fallacies). I think sometimes people get involved in hunting and think oh I’m just going to go out there and it’s not that way anymore. It used to be here, it used to be very easy.”
With declining harvest rates and shifting deer behavior, Hopewell Township officials may be preparing to reevaluate their strategies for the coming season.
This article was produced as part of MCCC’s Community Reporting “J Lab” certificate program made possible by grant funding from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities and The New School: Journalism + Design.
