MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The 2013 deer harvest is well on its way with 21 deer harvested as of October 7th.

Due to an excessive amount of deer this season, qualified hunters have been chosen to participate in a managed deer harvest in select township areas. The hunters are using bows and are only allowed to shoot antlerless deer.

"Well first of all, you have to have all the proper equipment and have all the proper attire to wear. During gun season, you have to wear hunter orange, during bow season, you can wear the kind of clothes I have on today," said Meridian Township hunter, Marvin Johansen.

This hunt is closed to the general public, only qualified and approved hunters can participate. The parks and land preserves are still open for public use. The managed hunting program is full at this time, but Meridian Township is accepting names for their waiting list.

"One of the things that we do is we go out and scout the area to ensure that there are no other hunters in the area and if there are, we coordinate with those hunters to ensure that there is adequate hunter protocol and safety," Meridian Township hunter, Max Miller, added.

Hunters face several hazards while they're in the woods, especially when they hunt from a tree stand.

Hunters wear a fall hazard protection harness to avoid falling from the tree stand. They also tie their bow to a string and pull it up when they're in place rather than carrying their equipment up with them.

All venison received by these hunters is donated to the food bank and the food bank distributes it to needy people in the community.