Veteran Archers Sought For Deer Reduction
Only veteran archers will be permitted to apply for the 2014 deer reduction effort in Warsaw. Veteran Deer Task Force archers are defined as those who have successfully participated in the city’s reduction effort for a minimum of one year since the inception of the program.
“We have been able to maintain a core group of committed archers in our program the past several years,” said Jeff Grose of the Deer Task Force. “We believe this group of veteran DTF archers is large enough, they know and follow our strict guidelines and they have a proven track record of safely taking deer in our declared reduction zones.”
Adding new members that qualify each August into the program has been very positive, but new members require more training and oversight which puts an increased burden on the dedicated volunteers and the administrative team at the Warsaw Police Department that oversees the training. “We will obviously evaluate the impact this ‘only veterans may apply’ policy has on our program after the 2014 reduction effort,” Grose noted.
Veteran DTF archer training is set for Saturday, Aug. 16, and Thursday, Aug. 21. Only former archers will be invited to return and qualify for the reduction efforts this season. The Saturday, Aug. 16, session will be from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Warsaw Police Department. On Thursday, Aug. 21, training is from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. also at the police department.
Public Reduction Zones are being limited this year because of the huge increases in the amount of deer that have been taken in the reduction zones. The DTF believes that limiting participation in some of the public zones will improve the quality of hunting for archers in future years.
The Public Reduction Zones being used for limited participation and/or are being closing for this season include: Hire Park (BMX) and the island at Lakeview Middle School.
Those interested in the program can click on the following links:
Returning DTF archer application form for 2014
Private landowner information and application
Training Dates, Times and Tentative Agenda
Memo to Veteran Archers wanting to participate in the 2014 program
Additional information and forms may be found on the city’s website.
The official proposal will be introduced to the Warsaw Common Council in late August or early September.