Board weighs bow hunting option

IRVINGTON — The Irvington Board of Trustees has set their sights on two plans, totaling $59,000, to manage deer through bow hunting and to monitor the impact of that effort on the 259-acre Irvington Woods. 

During their meeting on June 17, the board reviewed options from forest and deer management companies, and chose two to work in tandem. They include a one-year $12,000 plan from Forest Management Solutions to monitor tree regeneration and vegetation conditions in the woods, and a one-year $47,000 plan from Kelley Deer Management to conduct 1-2 bow hunts per week starting in the fall. Kelley’s program also comes with the option to renew annually.

A 2023 study by Kelley estimated that 57.2 deer inhabit the woods. In a more balanced ecosystem, that number should be 11.9, according to the study. According to the Ecosystems Protection subcommittee of the Irvington Woods Committee, deer have caused the woods to lose roughly 90 percent of its seedlings, shrubs, and vines during the last 30 years. When deer eat seedlings, it takes away the ability of the forest to regenerate.