The Omena Woods Association Deer Management Program

For three years OWA has held a managed hunt to bring the Omena Woods deer population to a level that will allow the wildlife to co-exist with the native flora and fauna. The managed hunt began in 2021 and has reduced the deer population as well as providing venison for local food banks. In 2023 16 deer were culled, 12 of which went to food security programs. In previous years the hunt yielded 12 deer (2021) and 18 (2022).  In the narrative below you’ll learn why and how OWA decided on a managed hunt to control the deer population.

To conduct a managed hunt, OWA coordinates with the Omena Hunting Group and the neighboring Smith Orchard. OHG manages the logistics of the harvest on OWA and Smith Orchard property.  

The Environmental Issues that Drive our Deer Management Program
Deer are overabundant on the Omena Woods Association property, overbrowsing the woods and severely deteriorating the health of our forest. An overabundance of deer result in an area that can’t regenerate effectively and can’t support the native flora and fauna of a typical forest understory. You can see the damage done to the understory in the accompanying photo.

In addressing this problem OWA consulted with Dan Schillinger, CFA to create a Forest Management Plan. His advice was to “Manage the deer herd to sustain ecosystem function” To read the details of Schillinger’s report, click here.

The Decision Making Process
Before settling on a managed hunt, the Board of Directors considered multiple deer management options and decided to conduct a managed hunt using hunters from Omena. As noted above, that has been a successful program and has helped feed local families. You can find information about the options OWA considered by clicking here.