Email This PageDeer Cull Delayed
A planned deer cull in the College’s Crum Woods did not occur this winter due to a policy change in Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) regulations that was proposed after the Borough of Swarthmore and adjoining Nether Providence Township applied on behalf of the College for a cull permit. If approved, the new policy will grant landowners culling and controlled hunting rights without the sponsorship of a local municipality.
On the advice of the PGC, the College has since re-applied, as a landowner—independent of the municipalities—for a cull permit. It decided against the suggested option of a controlled hunt, which would be open to the public by special permit, and maintains its stance that a cull by sharpshooters is the most effective way to manage the deer overpopulation that is threatening the ecosystem of the Crum.
In a Jan. 27 interview with the Daily Gazette’s Lauren Stokes ’09, Director of Grounds Jeff Jabco said he believed the delay would give the College a chance to strengthen parts of its proposal. “I’m meeting with some folks from the Game Commission soon…. I’d like to walk the area with them; it will make them more familiar with what we’re dealing.”
If the application is approved, the College would proceed with the cull next winter.
—Carol Brévart-Demm
Correction: The Pennsylvania Game Commission issued a change in its regulations that allowed the College to apply directly for a cull permit as a landowner, and, to date, a single application has been filed. The Borough of Swarthmore and Nether Providence Township have only been involved insofar as they approved limited exceptions to their firearms ordinances so as to allow a cull to proceed in the Crum Woods.
