UPDATE: MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - A total of nine deer were harvested during the early antlerless weekend.

ORIGINAL STORY: MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Meridian Township approved hunters dusted off their bows to kick off the 2013 Managed Deer Harvest on September 21st and 22nd during the antlerless weekend.

Hunting will continue October 1st until January 1st 2014.

This is the third year for the harvest with 21 properties and hunters being placed on any Township-owned properties that are large enough to hunt on.

One of the biggest changes from last year is there will now be hunting on Lake Lansing Park North.

Hunters can keep their first deer taken, but all others will be donated to the food banks at Okemos and Haslett Community Churches to feed the hungry.

Durning the harvest the parks and land preserves will still be open and safe to use.

Jane Greenway, Parks and Land Management Coordinator at Meridian Township had this to say about how neighbors have reacted to the program, "Neighbors usually see the hunters coming out of the parks and land preserves and thank them. Tell them that they can park in their drive-ways and tell them they can come inside and have some hot chocolate, those kinds of things. It has been surprisingly very well received by the community."