Township seeks OK to hire sharpshooters

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A township wants to hire sharpshooters to thin out the deer population, saying other efforts, such as controlled archery hunts, haven't worked.
If the state Game Commission awards a deer-culling permit to Upper St. Clair Township outside of Pittsburgh, it will be the third area in the state with such a license. The others are Fox Chapel in Allegheny County and Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, Game Commission spokesman Jerry Feaser said.
The deer population in the township causes problems, including traffic accidents, said Commissioners President Frank Marsh. Drivers hit 136 deer in the township in 2002. In 2000, vehicles hit 127 deer in the township, according to data collected by the township.
Besides archery hunts, the township used special lights along its major roadway, Route 19, to scare away deer. More than three years ago, commissioners voted to invite the Humane Society of the United States to study the feasibility of managing a nuisance deer herd with contraceptive darts.
Sharpshooters could start hunting deer within the next six months if the township's permit application is approved, said Commissioner Ched Mertz.
The township would pay for the hunt and donate the venison to food banks and needy families.