Selected participants, who must live in the county and pass a proficiency test, will be allowed to hunt deer in sections of Muscoot Farm Park and Lasdon Park in Somers beginning Nov 7.
The hunting program was one recommendation from a county study to control the deer population released in November.
"It's great that they acted upon some of the things we recommended," task force member Doug Erickson said. "It's a better approach on running the parks."
Erickson, president of the Westchester Bowhunters Association, said he would like to see expansion of the program to other parks.
"It's an effective approach because the other options we looked at on the task force were cost-prohibitive and have proven to not be effective, in a study arena," he said. "There are programs like this throughout the country that have proven successful, so this is a good step."
The study, which took nearly three years, indicated that deer have damaged forests and reduced plant diversity, destroyed habitats for themselves and other animals, and harmed human health.
In addition to hunting, the task force recommended deer monitoring for more accurate population counts, public education about illegally feeding deer in the state, legislation to adapt more controls, and public-private partnerships for deer management programs.
Areas in the two parks were selected as the launch sites for the bowhunting program since they are not well-traveled by the general public during the fall, county parks spokesman Peter Tartaglia said.
Anti-bowhunting advocate Mel Lederman of New Rochelle, who said he has attended music concerts at Ladson Park, objected to the program because of animal cruelty.
"I feel it is an inhumane way to kill a creature," he said. "When you put (an arrow) in the side of an animal, it really suffers, and I feel that suffering.
"I feel most people aren't equipped to use a bow and arrow," he added.
Smaller municipalities are also taking steps to manage their deer herds. A study by the Greenburgh Deer Committee, released last month, recommended the town's six villages consider professional sharpshooters to cull herds. The town study focused on health concerns linked to diseases spread by deer ticks such as Lyme disease, environmental effects and road hazards. The committee considered fencing and hormone-laden darts, a form of contraception for does.
Pound Ridge became one of the first towns in Westchester County to allow licensed hunters to bowhunt on three town-owned parcels in 2006.
The application deadline for the county hunting program has been extended to Aug. 27. Approximately 50 hunters will be selected through a lottery. An additional 15 will be alternates on a wait list.
The regular bowhunting season in Westchester lasts from October to the end of the year.
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