MATTHEWS, NC – Bow hunting season starts Saturday in Mecklenburg County.
In Matthews, permits to shoot deer in town limits are awaiting approval. the permits are classified as “Discharge of Firearms”.
Flying arrows and dead deer aren’t exactly what property owners like Liz Teifer had in mind when she moved into her quiet, family-friendly Matthews community.
“This is not rural. We’re in neighborhood where homes are close together. I can’t imagine why you’d want to hunt deer,” said Liz Teifer, who lives in the Courtney neighborhood.
Teifer’s neighbor is one of six applicants asking the Town of Matthews to allow them to shoot deer with bow and arrow on their property.
“There’s a place for hunting, but it’s not in a neighborhood. It’s full of kids. I have three kids of my own and they play in the woods, they go down by the creek,” said Teifer.
The hunters who’ve submitted applications say they want to kill deer to eat, others say deer are eating their plants.
Matthews Mayor Jim Taylor says several factors will be considered before making any decisions, including days and times of shooting, fire direction and proximity to other homes.
“People who live in a normal residential neighborhood… the odds of having a permit approved for someplace like that is slim to none,” said Taylor.
Some of the properties listed for permits have fence lines that back up to schools.
“The deer is not going to be hanging out at about five in the afternoon when everyone gets off the school bus,” said Joe Leach, a Matthews resident.
Leach and some of his neighbors don’t see a problem with bow hunting near their property.
“I’m sure the property owners are going to take the proper precautions to make sure there is nothing around when they are doing this,” said Bryan Lane, a Matthews resident.
The Matthews Town Council will consider the permits on September 22.
Matthews Police and a biologist from NC State will make recommendations before a vote on each permit.
