MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Deer Management Program is back for the 4th consecutive year in Meridian Township.

The managed deer harvest will take place during the 2014 regular hunting season which begins October 1, 2014 through January 1, 2015.

The program was started as a response to complaints of deer over-population. The complaints revolved around damaging landscape including backyards and gardens, also the high amount of deer car collisions in the area and general ecological and health concerns.

73 highly qualified hunters have been given permission to hunt on 19 township properties and 1 county property.

The managed hunt is archery only and is not open to the general public; this years hunters have already been selected.

"Meridian Township residents are selected, they have to be 18 years or older, we ask that they take a proficiency test at the MSU Demmer center just to make sure that they can hit a target, we also do a background check," said Nicholas Sanchez, Meridian Township's Assistant Park Naturalist.

The majority of the deer are donated to local food banks with Michigan Sportsman Against Hunger funding the processing fee.

Sanchez wants to emphasis safety this hunting season.

"We have trail entrances posted. We're just trying to get that idea across so that hunters know that people are going to be out there and people know that hunters are going to be out there," said Sanchez.

The program is full at this point but Sanchez encourages people interested in next year's harvest to stop by the Meridian Service Center to be added to the waiting list.