Deer hunting will return to Mount Penn and Antietam Lake Park this fall.
Local officials will allow bow hunting at these locations starting in September by a group of hunters who have secured special licenses. It is part of an ongoing plan to thin the large deer population.
The controlled archery hunt will begin Sept. 19 and run through Jan. 24, with hunting permitted on Sundays. Hunting is permitted to take place from 30 minutes before sunrise and continue until 30 minutes after sunset. Hunters do get to keep the meat.
Hunting of any kind is not typically allowed on Mount Penn or in the park.
But in April 2021, the Berks County commissioners approved a deer management program partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services based on recommendations in the Antietam Lake Natural Resource Stewardship Plan.
County officials, along with those from the Reading, say the program is meant to reduce deer populations until the negative impact is alleviated, and then to maintain deer populations as needed to have a balanced ecosystem. The hope is the program will reduce land damage, minimize the threat of disease, reduce deer-related accidents and rebalance the local ecosystem.
No hunting will be allowed in Antietam Lake Park without authorization from Wildlife Services and a valid permit. Archery hunters must follow all Pennsylvania Game Commission rules.
The hunters were selected to participate in the program by Wildlife Services through an application process. They were required to pass a proficiency test, and attend an orientation that covered safety and hunting ethics.
For more information or to get a waiting list to participate in future hunts, contact Wildlife Services at 610-916-1415.