Conservation meets ‘ethical’ hunting: John Heinz Refuge hosts mentored deer hunts

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In the early hours of a crisp fall morning, several novice and experienced hunters gathered at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge for the Mentored Deer Archery Hunt. The annual event spans four separate weekends and brings together aspiring and professional archers for a controlled hunt that regulates the deer population at the Tinicum refuge.

“We didn’t feel as though people in urban areas had as much opportunity to hunt,” manager Lamar Gore said, explaining the motivation behind the program.

“This is our fifth year running this program and it’s growing each year,” he said.

The program is free and co-run by John Heinz, the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) and the National Deer Association (NDA). Participants are taught about deer biology and habitat, hunting safety rules and ethics, crossbow tips, field game care and meat processing. Archers also learn about the history of conservation hunting and how to make a successful, “ethical” shot by aiming at the right spot on a deer’s body.

“I personally was kind of a late onset hunter and I know the challenges that you can have getting into hunting and it’s really special to be able to share that with other people,” said Evan Mock, PGC Hunting and Trapping Management Technician.

John Heinz has allowed controlled archery hunting since 2019. Prospective hunters have to participate in a lottery and secure an antlerless deer license from the PGC through a lottery system. They must also obtain several “red tags” which allows them to hunt for deer control purposes. The season begins in October and goes through January.

“We clearly have a habitat and a wildlife management goal, and we have too big of a deer population and we have to lower that population either through hunting or through sharp shooting,” Gore said.

As part of the program, experienced hunters accompany mentees to camouflaged tents, also known as “blinds,” installed throughout the refuge, where they sit and wait with their crossbows for their target. Sometimes, the wait can be hours or days. When participants successfully snag a deer, they wait for officials to track it and transport the deer to be processed for meat.

The Friends of Heinz Refuge pay the fees for each participant’s first deer “from field to fork,”  Gore said.

On Thursday, Drexel University student Laura Giannini was one of the participants. She said the program allows her a chance to be outside and connect with nature, she said.

“I did this program last year, I was curious about hunting so I tried it out and felt like it was life changing,” Giannini said. “It’s a lot more meditative than I thought, there’s a lot of time just sitting outside in the cold, listening to the sounds of nature.”

Gabe, a Philadelphia resident who did not share his last name, successfully shot a deer with the help of his mentor.

“After you shoot it, it’s almost like you don’t believe it, you’re in shock from the experience,” he said.

For absolute beginners, the rush of the hunt is intense and sometimes there are delayed responses to a successful hit.

“It’s hard to tell (when a shot is successful) because there was a lot of adrenaline,” said Philadelphia resident Josh, who also declined to share his last name. “It’s still sinking in, it’s weird.”

Josh said the chance to get a deer was his way to take control of humanely controlling the deer population.

“It’s showing respect,” said the former vegan.

Unlike Gabe, Michael Giovingo of Lancaster was motivated to participate in the program because he wanted to source his food.

“I was a chef for about 30 years and to me, this is foraging for my food,” Giovingo said. “I’m done paying, I’m done getting screwed at the grocery store.”

According to a 2023 press release from the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, which cited Pennsylvania Department of Transportation figures, “there were 5,849 deer-related crashes in Pennsylvania last year, resulting in 1,265 injuries and nine fatalities.”

The PGC said that populations of deer in the state have leveled out in recent years thanks to activities such as hunting. At John Heinz, the mentored hunt controls the deer population, and helps the refuge ecologically.

“When you lower the population you’re improving the habitat because deer can over browse, and that damages the habitat for other species out there,” Gore said.

John Heinz will host three more mentored Archery Hunts in the coming months. One in November, and two in January.