New Jersey
New Jersey’s deer population is dropping, but complaints over deer destruction are on the rise
From Camden and Cherry Hill to Trenton and the Jersey Shore, what about life in New Jersey do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know.
White-tailed deer are everywhere in New Jersey, standing in fields, grazing next to roads, and even strolling through suburban front lawns and backyards in broad daylight.
Brian Schumm, an assistant biologist with the State Division of Fish and Wildlife, which is part of the Bureau of Wildlife Management, said that complaints about white-tailed deer are on the rise.
“There just seems to be too many deer, there seems to be too much damage,” he said.
And too many deer is a problem.
“With public safety we’re really thinking about deer-vehicle collisions, which occasionally are fatal, and tick-borne diseases,” Schumm said.
The other problem is ticks that often feed on deer and are transmitted by the animals as they wander into populated areas. These then lead to tick-related diseases in pets and humans.
Liz Thompson, a research associate with the New Jersey Farm Bureau said besides destroying flower and vegetable gardens, deer also pose a serious agricultural threat.
She said the Farm Bureau used drone technology and conducted an infrared study of areas near farmlands. The findings were shocking, she said.
“Biologists will say that five to 15 deer per square mile is sustainable, and we found areas that had more than 200 in some cases,” she said.
She said deer will eat whatever is most convenient, and a big field of produce or corn is an easy meal for them.
A report by Rutgers University’s School of Environmental and Biological Sciences found annual economic losses to high-value agricultural crops in New Jersey from deer damage total more than $15 million.
Thompson said a Farm Bureau survey found 25% of farmers abandoned parcels of farming land because of the deer pressure.
She said farmers are frequently frustrated trying to control local deer populations. “The deer can simply hide in these places that they can’t be hunted, and then at some point when it’s safe they come back to the fields and they eat again,” she said.
According to official estimates, the deer population in the Garden State is trending downward, now standing at 115,000, which is lower than it used to be, but Schumm said that total is based on hunter harvest data.
“So if we have areas of the state, suburban areas, urban areas, which we do get a lot of complaints about deer from, there’s obviously less hunter access to those areas,” he said.
He said the population estimate is probably accurate for parts of the state where hunting is permitted, but inaccurate for areas where hunting is reduced or prohibited.
Less interest in hunting
Schumm said that there is a steady decline in the number of hunters, and that could be a problem in mitigating the excessive deer population.
He pointed out that the average age of hunters in New Jersey continues to get older, and young people do not seem to be interested.
“It seems that our youth, with this technological revolution that we’re in, are a little bit less interested, and a little bit less familiar with the outdoors,” he said.
Schumm said the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife is taking steps to address the deer conundrum, by allowing archery hunting in closer proximity to populated areas.
He said normally deer hunters using a bow and arrow cannot be within 150 feet of a building without authorization.
“There’s some amount of permissions that can be granted, generally it requires a little bit more oversight from communities, maybe they issue permits to the hunters so they know who is out there and when they’re out there,” he said.
Trump rolls out Freedom Fuel gas stations, what are they?
Trump’s Freedom Fuel is selling gas at $3.47/gal in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
President Donald Trump is touting a new fuel option for motorists: Freedom Fuel, advertising gas at a discount price to local consumers.
When the network was opened and announced on July 7, it advertised $3.47 per gallon regular gas at the pumps, a noticeable difference from national and state averages in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
But is the gas actually as cheap as the 47th President says?
According to some gas tracking platforms, it may not be.
On GasBuddy, a website tracking gas prices across the country with a pricing heat map based on user submissions, some of the Freedom Fuel locations’ pricing appeared to have risen.
Some still sporting the names of what appeared to be their previous sites, like a Gas N Go on Island Ave, the following addresses on GasBuddy match those listed as one of Trump’s 25 gas stations.
The pricing, however, varies:
- 2200 Island Ave, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 8
- 400 Baltimore Pike, Springfield, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 9
- 6243 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 9
- 6800 E. Baltimore Ave, Lansdowne, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 9
- 6801 Tilton Rd., Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey – $3.89 as of July 8
- 6501 Delilah Rd., Egg Harbor Township New Jersey – $3.57 as of July 9
Much about the gas station network remains unknown, like how long they’ll be operating or where stations could be popping up next.
Administration officials told USA TODAY on July 8 that the federal government has no role in the Freedom Fuel Network, nor is it providing it with funding.
The White House also said that “no other entity or person” is subsidizing the cost of gasoline.
Contributing: Michelle Del Rey USA TODAY NETWORK
Kaitlyn McCormick is a Philadelphia-based reporter writing all things trending, breaking and city-related for USA TODAY’s Philadelphia Metro Connect Team.
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Mile marker 113.3 on the eastern spur of the New Jersey Turnpike in Secaucus will forever be an incredible memory for one family, who scrambled to deliver their baby boy right on the side of the road.
Kristen Fast was in labor last week, with her husband driving her to the hospital on the turnpike, but when they got to the mile marker, baby Archer couldn’t wait any longer and had to be delivered on the highway.
Archer insisted on arriving three days before he was due, and maybe it was because his lovely big sister, 4-year-old Zelda, was waiting for him.
He was in such a hurry, he didn’t even let mom and dad get to the hospital for him to be born, although they tried.
“The doula said, ‘pull over, hang up, call 911.’ So we did that. We called 911. The operator started walking him through what to do,” said Archer’s mother, Kristen Fast.
“Next thing I know, I get in the back seat, and we’re making sure she’s comfortable, and I look down, and that baby is ready to go,” said Archer’s dad, Alex Fast.
New Jersey State Trooper Freddie Guacamaya responded to Alex’s 911 call.
“Cop comes, puts on his gloves, and he was fantastic,” Alex Fast said.
“I said, ‘Are you the EMT?’ And he didn’t answer. So I said, ‘You are not an EMT. I’m in danger.’ But he was fine, he was being very calm,” Kristen Fast said.
“They said, ‘you got to clamp that cord right away. If you have anything, if you have a string.’ So I panicked and just looked in the front and we just had an iPhone cable. So we just clamped the cord with an iPhone cable,” Alex Fast said.
“The EMTs came, and they said, ‘What is this?’” Kristen Fast said.
The loving, kind courtesies extended to the family just continued, helping to make their emergency experience flawless.
“There were three policemen who showed up. I said, ‘I’d love to be with her in the ambulance.’ And they were amazing. They drove our car to the hospital for us, which was so nice. They paid for our valet,” Alex and Kristen Fast said.
They were all welcomed to Hackensack University Medical Center with a healthy baby and a hearty story, backed by Archer’s exact birthplace, recorded accurately: New Jersey Turnpike I-95, mile marker 113.
“Archer’s healthy. He’s thriving. He’s a Jersey boy through and through. I don’t think you get more Jersey than being born on the New Jersey Turnpike,” Kristen Fast said.
New Jersey
What to know about Freedom Fuel Network as Trump urges cheaper gas prices in Pennsylvania, NJ
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — There are 25 new Freedom Fuel Network gas stations opening across the Philadelphia area and South Jersey as Americans closely watch gas prices.
This comes after President Trump announced the privately-owned network on social media last week, saying it will help drivers save money at the pump.
There are 25 new Freedom Fuel gas stations opening across the Philadelphia area and South Jersey as Americans closely watch gas prices.
The first location in Dresher, Montgomery County, opened on Friday, with the price of $3.47 per gallon.
This cost was a nod to President Trump serving as the nation’s 47th president.
However, that price has already started to rise after the president announced new U.S. strikes, sending oil and gas prices higher.
Some of those locations with gas stations participating in the Freedom Fuel Network include Lansdowne, Bensalem and Pottstown in Pennsylvania; and Marlton in New Jersey.
Gas Calculator: Find out how much it costs to fill your tank
A White House official told ABC News the administration is not involved with the company and is not providing any funding or subsidies.
Instead, the company says it is cutting its own profit margins to offer lower prices.
Some drivers are applauding this move while others, including gas analysts, are skeptical.
“$3.47 a gallon is a Godsend, honestly,” said one consumer. “Great price because this was a Sunoco before and prices were a lot higher.”
“I want Americans to be asking, ‘Where is that money coming from? Why are corporations and businesses willing to subsidize gas 50-cents a gallon for people, to make President Trump look good,” said another consumer.
Trump is also encouraging other gas retailers to lower their prices. He has not identified the company behind Freedom Fuel, saying only that it’s a private retailer.
Action News is still working to learn how long these lower prices will last and whether more stations will open.
Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
-
Missouri7 minutes ago
Missouri Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 winning numbers for July 9, 2026
-
Montana10 minutes ago
Montana Lottery Big Sky Bonus, Millionaire for Life results for July 9, 2026
-
Nebraska15 minutes agoHealthierU offers small group training for staff
-
Nevada22 minutes agoNevada bystanders pull crash victim from burning motorhome on I-15 near Mesquite
-
New Hampshire25 minutes agoTownsend man arrested in connection with two armed robberies in New Hampshire and New Jersey, authorities say – The Boston Globe
-
New Jersey30 minutes agoAre all Freedom Fuel locations $3.47? Not anymore
-
New Mexico37 minutes agoNew Mexico’s ban on liquor ‘minis’ yields mixed results five years later
-
North Carolina40 minutes agoNC state budget includes $27M for Madison County’s new public service complex
