NORRISTOWN — Montgomery County Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites has declared that it will do a deer cull at the Norristown Farm Park. The cull will happen in the months of March and April in cooperation with state and federal agencies.
The cull will occur at night using skilled USDA Wildlife Services staff, according to the county. The entire operation will be carefully watched by officials from different agencies and will occur after hours when the park is closed to the public. The park will be regularly patrolled to ensure public safety. There will be no impact to park visitors, neighboring residents, or nearby properties.
Cull and hunting activities have happened yearly at the Norristown Farm Park since 2005 as part of the park’s changing wildlife management program. A cull involving the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2023 produced 1,700 pounds of venison which was given to local food banks. Hunters involved in the lottery drawn archery hunt this past October removed nine deer.
Surveys carried out this year by USDA Wildlife Services show that there are an estimated 122 deer on the property, down from 133 in 2023. Biologists nationwide advise 20-30 deer per square mile. Norristown Farm Park is 690 acres and the perimeter is one square mile. This past year the three local municipalities sharing boundaries with the Farm Park reported a combined 47 deer-vehicle collisions.
Deer culls work to lower deer populations in order to balance the size of the herd with the available resources, according to a Montgomery County press release. Culls decrease crop damage, lower deer collisions with cars, and reduce damage to the park’s vegetation and residential landscapes. Carefully managing the deer population helps in reducing the spread of wildlife borne illnesses such as Lyme disease, epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) and chronic wasting disease (CWD), while improving the health and the vigor of the remaining herd.
All of the deer taken as part of this year’s cull will be processed and the venison will once again be donated to area food banks to help fight hunger.
Residents with questions should contact the Norristown Farm Park office at (610) 270-0215.
