Beginning this fall, the township will assign qualified hunters to sections of township land for the 16 to 17 week hunting season.
Hunters will go through a prescribed screening plan, according to Captain Michael Yanchak of the Peters Township Police.
He said they must pass a criminal background check, take a bow-hunting course, and must pass a bow-hunting test at a distance of 25 yards.
Yanchak said that they started the program last season with matching hunters with private property owners in the township. The vote April 28 extends the program to township property.
After a United States Department of Agriculture survey found that the township's deer population is estimated at 69 deer per square mile, the USDA recommended the township take steps to decrease that number. The township had paid $8,756 for the survey.
The township's Deer Management Advisory Committee suggested the township should open township-owned land to bow hunters for this purpose.
Township Manager Michael Silvestri told council April 28 that the USDA estimated there are 1,400 deer in the township, but there really should be about 400.
He said in urban areas you only want about five deer per square mile, but an acceptable number in a township like Peters would be 20 per square mile. This figure is less than a third of the estimated amount that are currently in the township.
"There's a lot of deer in the township," he said. "More than the township can support."
Council Chairman Frank Arcuri asked about the safety of residents using the township's parks during the hunt.
Councilman Robert Atkison said, "There is certainly no risk to anyone in the park recreating."
Yanchak said the hunters will be shooting down on the deer from tree stands. Also, the average distance most deer are shot with a bow and arrow is 20 yards away.
Yanchak said there would be postings alerting residents using the parks.
Councilwoman Monica Merrell said "You do need to make people aware."
Dan Sitler of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, said that archery hunters are required to be at least 50 feet away from any occupied residence.
He also said that with the screening process the township has set up "they are going to be your safe, ethical hunters."
Arcuri said there were already people hunting in the parks, even though it has been against township ordinance up to this point.
"There's people there illegally," he said.
Yanchak said that tree stands are regularly removed from the parks during hunting season already.
Resident Sue Ralston said she was concerned about the idea of hunters in the parks.
"Fifty yards is nothing," she said.
Ralston said she worried that it would deter some residents from using the parks during hunting season.
She admitted though that something has to be done to reduce the deer population.
"I know we need the deer hunting," Ralston said. "It probably is our best solution."
Mike Getto of the township's Environmental Quality Board, said people need to understand that this needs to be "a long term and sustained effort."
"It's not a one year solution, it's a many year solution," he said.