Franklin Lakes Won't Allow Deer Hunting

Deer, a perpetual nuisance for some Franklin Lakes residents, will remain safe from hunters within the borough’s borders.

Following some complaints, Mayor Frank Bivona said, the council had mulled the idea of allowing hunters to pursue the woodland menaces, which chow on gardens, present traffic safety issues, and carry the potential for spreading ticks.

“We’ve talked about it a little,” he said. “But in Franklin Lakes—even though it’s a big place—there really isn’t a lot of open space.”

He said that the borough approached the county to inquire about hunting the deer population on properties such as Campgaw, but was informed that wasn’t a possibility.

The state, he said, would have allowed the municipality to permit hunting within Franklin Lakes borders, but the borough felt hunting even on its larger, one-acre private plots could pose safety issues.

“I just don’t think it’s a great idea to allow hunts on acre properties,” Councilman Frank Pedone said at a meeting last week. “Whatever goes up, comes down.”

According to a report issued by the NJ DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, deer populations have been increasing in suburban areas largely due to the absence of hunting, which it noted is unfeasible in many municipalities.

Bivona said that given the lack of local, hunter-friendly open space, the borough’s hands are simply tied in addressing the issue.

“Although I understand the concern about the deer population growing, there’s really nothing we can do about it,” he said.