Oh Deer!!! The Bellmawr Dump Deer

[The following blog was originally posted on 2/25/07 on the Courier-Post town blogger site. They've since cancelled that project and took the blogs down... so I am reposting here. If there were reader comments with the original blog posts, they are not here as I couldn't find an easy way to repost them.]

There are deer living within the Bellmawr Landfill. Are they poised to dangerously move into our streets and neighborhoods?

In early September I took a walk through the Bellmawr Landfills. It was a nice sunny day, and there really was some great sights to see along the waterfront. The Big Timber Creek in that area really is a hidden gem. I took hundreds of photos, including many pictures of people enjoying the waterways along side the landfill. I really can see why the town and developer want to make something more of this land.

Much of the waterfront was bordered by lush trees and growth, providing a safe habitat for many creatures. During my walk, I picked up many tracks of deer and for most of my walk I didn't spot any other signs. But as I approached the highest point of the landfill... I noticed some movement in the distance. I switched over to my zoom lens, and was able to quickly pick out about 5 deer walking in the distance.
I was actually able to get fairly close, and between my DSLR camera's zoom, and some cropping in software, was able to catch a few good shots before they darted off. This little guy stopped and watched me for a few minutes... we had a short staring contest, before he bolted off into the trees behind him and disappeared down the embankment.

I've mentioned before that I am a lifelong resident of Bellmawr, and I have to admit... it was pretty exciting seeing deer within our borders!! I remember as a kid that the only wildlife we would see were grey squirrels. Once in a blue-moon there would be a possum! And sometime in the last 20 years it seems there was a rabbit population explosion... they are all over Crescent Park.

But deer? In Bellmawr? Cool!!

A few months later, in preparation for the landfill project, the Borough employees cleared out all of the high grass (which was about 10 feet high with numerous paths) and trees. The natural cover, food supply, and habit were gone.

I had wondered about the deer.... if they were ok in the landfill, and if they could find a way out. But truthfully, that land is bordered by Rt 42, Creek Rd, Big Timber Creek, and a portion of Rt 295.

In early January when driving around the Creek Rd bend (remember when it was called "Dead Man's Curve"?!) I saw the deer still out in the distance, but grazing in the open area. It made me think... hmmm they are getting a little more adventerous... food must be more scarce

So I was only partially surprised Saturday night (Feb 24th) as I headed around the Creek Road Bend to see that there was at least half a dozen deer grazing 5 feet from the curb of Creek Rd. At the entrance to the Environmental Center, off to the right side, are a few trees and bushes, and the deer were all congregating in that area grazing on the grass and foliage. I was on my way to Wow video and didnt have my camera, so I did a quick u-turn and headed home to grab my camera.

When I came back... I was relieved to see that they were still there!

Now this is where I made a small mistake. I pulled into the parking lot of the warehouse across the street and looped my car around. Idiot me, when I swung around I shined my lights directly onto the deer!!! They noticed me and were startled. By the time I opened up my door, they were on the move. Some were confused and didnt completely bolt.

So I was able to capture a few pictures, but they aren't as good as they could have been. I didnt really have a chance to position my camera properly. The images are obviously too dark, and the more I lightened them the more washed out they became.

In the pics, you can see that the deer are standing in the driveway of the Environmental Center, and are ready to jump the fence. The white sign at the entrance to the center is clearly visible. Now to be clear, the position of the deer in the pics is AFTER I had startled them. They were grazing just feet away from Creek Rd, between the trees (basically, directly behind the larger wooden sign).

The deer have probably been in the landfill for years. But there was plenty of trees and food to live safely without encroaching on civilization. Then the trees were taken away and the deer became a little more adventurous. Now only a few months after the clearing of the landfill, the deer are at the edge of Creek Rd. What happens if when spooked, those deer dart out into Creek Rd... into the traffic? What happens if the food supply gets thin enough that they intentionally decide to walk out of the landfill?

Spring is right around the corner, and grass and food will start growing again, and maybe the deer won't have to venture out so far... So maybe they don't encroach on civilization, but eventually civilization is coming to the landfill, and the deer will need to find a home. We've all seen deer on the side of the road on the AC Expressway, but there is more of a buffer there, and the natural habitat of the deer is not being removed. For the Bellmawr deer, they do not have the same habitat to live in and may be getting squeezed out. So the question is, do they find a home on thier own... or does the developer, NJDOT or the town need to safely relocate the animals so that they do not harm themselves or others?

As you can see in the pictures, it looks like the deer took advantage of a busted fence section to get out of the landfill area. I'll contact the Mayor's office on Monday to see if they can have some workers fix the broken fence section(s). This may be enough to keep them confined for now, but someone may still need to find them a home for the future.