[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough
of Chester 12-5-2017 by Ord. No.
2017-08; amended in its entirety 8-14-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-10. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Open space — See Ch. 172.
A.
The goal of the management program is to manage the deer population
on Borough-owned open space land without excessively conflicting with
open space users and/or neighbors. The specific objective of the program
is to reduce the population of white-tailed deer on Borough-owned
tracts, and to reduce agricultural crop damage and motor vehicle accidents
with deer. The program is designed to decrease the deer herd population
on municipal lands in a manner consistent with state regulations.
B.
Although the presence of hunters on open space areas does not present
a real danger to visitors based on hunting accident statistics, enjoyment
for many visitors is reduced by the known presence of hunters, by
the sight of hunters, and by the sight of dead deer or deer viscera.
This chapter is intended to balance hunting and management activities
with continued passive recreational uses of municipal owned lands.
A.
The Borough hereby designates three hunting areas located on the
Borough-owned open space lands located at 50 North Road, Chester Borough.
Two of the hunting areas shall be reserved for hunting by Borough
residents. The third hunting area shall be a management area with
hunting limited to Borough employees, and controlled by the Borough
Department of Public Works supervisor.
B.
White-tailed deer hunting will be open on said Borough land for three
specific seasons as established by the New Jersey Fish and Game Council,
and as further established annually by the Borough via resolution
adopted by the Borough governing body.
C.
A limited number of hunting permits will be available for Borough-owned
land by Borough residents. The Borough shall issue no more than two
permits for each season to Borough residents by lottery for use of
the two of the zoned hunting areas. Once an individual's name has
been drawn from the lottery for a particular season, that individual
cannot be redrawn for other hunting seasons during that year's hunting
season, unless there are less than two applications submitted for
the seasonal permit lottery.
D.
Hunting is limited to bow and arrow and crossbow only. There shall
be no hunting permitted on Borough-owned property with a firearm of
any kind.
All hunters applying for a municipal hunting permit must possess
all appropriate licenses and zone permits issued by the New Jersey
Division of Fish and Wildlife for white-tailed deer hunting in the
aforesaid Borough land assigned to each hunter with a Borough-controlled
hunting permit.
A single permit is valid for one hunting season.
The cost for each permit cost be $25 and shall be paid within
five days of notification that the permit applicant has been selected
in the lottery. No permit fee shall be required of a municipal employee.
A.
All state hunting regulations, licensing requirements and permit
requirements shall be in effect on Borough-owned lands open to hunting.
Hunters are responsible for obtaining and learning state regulations
and Borough open space regulations. All hunters acquiring a Borough-controlled
hunting permit shall attend a mandatory, preseason safety awareness
meeting to be announced when hunting permits are issued. Hunters seeking
a Borough permit shall be at least 21 years of age, with no criminal
history, a valid license from State Fish and Wildlife, and pass a
designated proficiency test.
B.
Hunters shall be required to park their designated vehicles in appropriate
parking lots and shall display a parking placard issued by the Borough
in the front windshield. Hunters shall carry the required permits
at all times while hunting on these lands and shall produce the permits
for spot check inspection by officials of the Chester Police Department
and/or the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. Hunters shall
contact the Borough's Public Works supervisor and sign the hunter's
logbook each time they arrive for and depart from hunting activity.
When hunters take a deer on Borough property, they shall report the
date of taking, and size and sex information, together with a photograph
of the deer and tag, to the Borough's Public Works supervisor at the
conclusion of their hunting activity.
C.
The use and/or construction of permanent tree stands are prohibited. Hunters found using a permanent tree stand will be subject to prosecution pursuant to Subsection E herein and termination of the permit issued. Portable tree stands are allowed, but are used or left unattended at the user's risk. The permit holder's name and permit number must be on the stand in an obvious location. Screw-in tree steps must be removed at the end of the permit season or when the tree stand is moved. Deer feeders are permitted, but must be removed by the final day of the hunter's permit.
D.
Possession of a permit to hunt on Borough-owned land does not give
hunters permission to cross private property. Hunters are responsible
for knowing the boundaries of Borough land, as well as safety zones.
E.
Hunters in the controlled hunting program who receive summonses for
hunting violations committed on Borough-owned park lands will have
their hunting privileges revoked for two years and face a fine of
up to $1,000. Hunting privileges will be permanently revoked for a
second offense and face a fine of up to $2,000.
F.
Nonhunting visitors are encouraged to wear blaze orange and confine
visits to Sundays during the hunting season.
G.
Hunters shall be required to shoot one antlerless deer before shooting
an antlered deer (buck).
H.
As a condition of issue of permit, each hunter shall be required
to execute a release to the Borough of Chester.
I.
Lotteries required pursuant to this chapter shall be conducted by
the Borough Clerk from qualified applicants.
J.
Hunters shall remove all entrails and visera from Borough property
and properly dispose of same off premises.
K.
Hunting permit holders shall give the Borough’s Public Works
Superintendent at least 24 hours prior notice of when the permit holder
intends to hunt so as to allow for adequate public notice of the hunt
to those who enter upon of the Borough property that a hunt is in
progress.
[Added 11-4-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-17]
The hunting of white tail deer by Borough employees shall be
subject to all of the limitations, restrictions, and requirements
of this chapter, unless it is stated therein they are exempt. Borough
employee permits are further subject to the foregoing:
A.
No more than three municipal employee hunting permits shall be issued
by lottery for each of the three hunting seasons established above.
B.
Only one municipal employee shall be permitted to hunt on Borough
property on any given date. If two or more employees wish to hunt
on the same day, one employee shall be selected by lottery.
[Added 11-4-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-17]
A.
The Superintendent of the Borough's Public Works Department
is designated as the person responsible for management of authorized
hunting areas, to whom hunters are to report and give notice of the
taking of deer, and who shall designate or approve appropriate parking
areas to be used by hunters.
B.
The decision of the Borough's Superintendent of Public Works
may be appealed to the Borough Administrator.
