First cull reduces deer population by 26

In an effort to manage the deer population and support the regeneration of the Irvington Woods, 26 deer were culled during the Village of Irvington’s first sanctioned deer bow hunt this past fall.

The board of trustees signed off on the plan last summer after the Irvington Woods Committee reported that an increased deer population was feeding on essential vegetation, causing the 259-acre Irvington Woods to lose about 90 percent of its seedlings, shrubs, and vines over the course of the last 30 years.

In July, the board of trustee approved a one-year $47,000 contract with bow hunter Peter Kelley of Kelley Deer Management, who tracked down deer one to two times per week during the Westchester County hunting season, from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31.