Binghamton, N.Y. - Officials at SUNY Binghamton have debated for years about what to do with the excessive number of deer on the campus.

A decision has finally been made. This week, a crew of specially selected local bowhunters are participating in what's being called a "controlled hunt" designed to kill up to 50 deer.

Sunday, the bowhunters were allowed on the campus Nature Preserve for the hunt, a pilot program recommended by the Committee on the University Environment, according to The Binghamton Press.

"From 5 a.m. to noon Sunday through Tuesday, the Nature Preserve will be closed while selected bowhunters exercise a controlled hunt killing up to 50 deer," the newspaper reported.

Bowhunters who wanted to participate were required to submit applications to the university's police chief. They were all interviewed before being selected for the program. During this week's deer cull, entrances and exits of the Nature Preserve will be cordoned off to stop anyone from entering the area.

College officials figured that this would be a good time to allow the bowhunters on the preserve. The school's final exams ended Friday and the residence halls were scheduled to close Saturday morning. The controlled hunt is taking place during the final days of the bowhunting season for big game in the Southern Zone.

"Compared to the use of firearms, archery hunting is less disruptive, and the limited range of arrows makes it a safer option," the school's deer management plan said.

The controlled hunt is a reaction to a situation that is negatively affecting the ecosystem of the school's Nature Preserve and the surrounding area, in addition to addressing deer-motor vehicle accidents and growing incidents of Lyme disease, which are both associated with excessive numbers of deer.

"Because the deer have no natural predators in the Nature Preserve, and because hunting is not allowed, the deer population is currently five to 10 times larger than research shows it should be," the school's management plan reads. "The goal is NOT to eliminate deer completely, but to reduce the population to a level at which the forest can begin to recover. We want deer to remain an integral component of a healthy, ecologically balanced environment in our natural areas."

According to plan, "In less than one square mile, Binghamton University's Nature Preserve contains 260 deer where (research suggests) there should be only 15 or 20 to be considered in balance with a healthy forest."

A portion, if not all of the venison generated from the hunt will go to local food pantries, the plan said.

The plan notes: "A controlled hunt will be repeated each season that we are given permission by the DEC. The deer population and its effects on the forest will be monitored, options will continually be reviewed and further actions will be taken when necessary."