Hilltop Reservation Deer Hunt Slated to Start Jan. 29

Essex County scales back deer management program.

The sixth year of Essex County's deer management program—slated to begin Jan. 22—has been scaled back from previous years, County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said Tuesday.  The program has been reduced from last year's 24 hunting sessions in 12 days to nine sessions in six days. It will run from Jan. 22 to Feb. 7 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Also this year, there will be no hunting in Eagle Rock Reservation. "This program, in my mind, is more of a maintenance program each and every year just to maintain what we have," DiVincenzo said. "The numbers speak for themselves." On county roadways, the number of deer carcases removed last year was down to 201, from 363 in 2011. North Caldwell Borough Administrator Mel Levine said although the …

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Plea to County: Continue Deer Culling in Reservations

The letter writers represent Hilltop and South Mountain reservations in Essex County.

The South Mountain and Hilltop Conservancies are mobilizing a petition drive for supporters of the Hilltop, South Mountain and Eagle Rock Reservations to counter a possible end to the County's deer management program.  After several years of culling deer densities in our area have been reduced somewhat, but are nowhere near the 10-per-square-mile number needed to allow the forests and their ecosystems to regenerate. We believe that stopping the culling, even for a year, is extremely ill-advised. With no natural predators in our area (wolves, mountain lions, black bears), deer populations will continue to expand unless the County actively reduces the herds.  We've set up an online petition for voting-age residents to tell Essex County …

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James Lawson

8:20 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012

The most affordable happens to be salt licks that have a large amount of birth control in them the only problems with these licks is that they also affect other animals that lick them. Some animals it works like it does with the deer, but it can be detrimental to other animals   more ›

Weekend Patch Poll: Essex County Winter Deer Hunt

As the annual deer management program reaches the midway point, we'd like to know your thoughts.

Essex County is midway through its annual winter deer hunt that started on Jan. 17 in the hopes of curbing the whitetail deer population. Since 2008, volunteer sharpshooters have stationed themselves at platforms in county reservations to cull deer. Last year, the county reported that the efforts had curbed 1,089 deer since the program's beginning. In 2010, the deer hunt spread to three reservations - South Mountain, Eagle Rock and Hilltop. In addition, the county has installed traffic deflectors and started replanting the undergrowth in some of the reservations as additional methods to curb deer. This year's hunt will finish on Feb. 23. Even after four years, some people object to the hunt and say it's inhumane and ineffective. We'd like …

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Essex County News

Body Found in South Mountain Reservation

Woman walking her dog discovered body in Millburn.

A decomposing body was discovered in the South Mountain Reservation in Millburn Tuesday afternoon by a woman walking her dog, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said. The body was found in the woods, according to Katherine Carter, spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office. She said the body is likely that of a man, wearing blue jeans and gray sneakers. The body does not show obvious sign of foul play. The woman, who has not been identified, spotted the body about one mile south of South Orange Avenue. The incident remains under investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office. Patch will update this story when more information becomes available.

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A Meal at McLoone's Boathouse Restaurant

Jointly owned venture between Tim McLoone and Essex County is warm, welcoming and inviting place for a meal.

At first glance, the interior of McLoone’s Boathouse Restaurant, the newest component in the South Mountain Reservation complex, is reminiscent of an enormous country inn.  The 12,000-square-foot restaurant, a joint venture between Essex County and restaurateur Tim McLoone, features multiple gas-fueled fireplaces in each room. During our visit, the fireplaces were set at a high setting for both effect and warmth. The restaurant seats 250 guest in rooms decorated with dark wooden walls and model ships. The outdoor area seats an additional 85-100 people and overlooks the Orange Reservoir, owned by the township of Orange.  The restaurant is just the latest installment in a series of improvements in the South Mountain Reservation complex  -- …

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