Pennsylvania Game News - January 2019 - 23

Many already had taken a buck locally
or upstate, and some whip out cellphones
to share photos of trophy 8-, 9- or
10-pointers.
It was the third time Joe Joyce Jr., from
the Pottstown area, attended the pre-hunt
meeting. And this year, his two sons, Tom
and Joe, were selected, too.
"I put an application in every year,"
he said. "We hunt Bradford County a lot,
but we shoot more deer down here than
upstate."
The three were comparing hunting
notes with Mark Greismer, who would
be hunting the Norristown Farm Park
controlled hunt for the first time.
Greismer, of North Wales, had arrowed
an 8-pointer and a doe locally earlier in the
season, as well as a second doe upstate.
And while he didn't know it at the
time, Greismer would go on to take two
deer in the controlled hunt the following
week - the second just 15 minutes before
the 3 p.m. mandatory quitting time.
Those taking part in the hunt may use
only shotguns with 12-gauge slugs, and
they must have at least one antlerless
license for WMU 5D.
But the number of antlerless deer
they can take on the day of the hunt is
limited only by their number of tags,
and in WMU 5D, hunters aren't subject
to a three-license limit. After the initial
round of sales, an unlimited number
of licenses can be purchased until all
tags sell out.
The park also is in a Special Regulations Area, which means one deer doesn't
have to be tagged before a second is taken.
Rick Barnes, of West Chester, left, kneels
beside Norristown Farm Park Ranger David
Gill, who spent the day of the park's 2018
controlled deer hunt pushing thickets for
whitetails. The two does Barnes shot result
from such efforts.
JANUARY 2019

That's not to say it ever is easy.
Over the past 13 years, truckloads of
hunters have gone all day without firing
a shot, Shellenberger said.
But on the flip side, there's the hunter
who recorded an eight-harvest outing,
he said. And Joyce recalled the year he
shot six.
It has a way of averaging out.
Shellenberger's statistics show that
since 2005, 507 hunters have taken 473
deer on controlled hunts at the park.
The hunts are designed to be safe and
effective, with hunters assigned to one of
four approved hunting zones in wooded
areas that are natural corridors for deer,
in their regular travels or when pushed
in drives.
When the air horn signals the midday break, hunters can climb down from
their stands, eat lunch, tag any deer they
harvested - even leave if they are satisfied
with their take. Deputy sheriffs and park
rangers use ATVs to get to the deer.
Chris Daly, from Warrington, Bucks
County, left midday after using his lone
antlerless tag on a mature doe.
"It's an honor to be part of this hunt,
it's fantastic," Daly said. "The way they
run it, it's extremely professional."
Shellenberger is gratified by comments
like those from Daly, but he'll readily
admit pulling together the annual hunt is
no walk in the park.
But when he looks out at a healthier,
more-manageable deer population, now
estimated at perhaps 150 to 200 deer, it's
well worth the effort.
"We went from a cull situation years
ago to a maintenance mode now," he said.
"In the end, we want to do what's right for
a healthy, sustainable population of deer
in the farm park."
Those who have hunted there will tell
you they're well on their way.
23
Pennsylvania Game News - January 2019

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