A hunt to reduce the deer population in Mill Creek Metroparks will go on after Mahoning County Common Pleas Judge Anthony D’Onofrio affirmed the earlier decision of Magistrate Nicole Alexander to deny an effort by neighbors to halt the hunt.

In a ruling handed down Monday, Judge D’Onofrio found no error of law or other defect in the magistrate’s finding and denied a request for an injunction against the park system.

The controlled hunt, which began in October, permitted archers to hunt until December 1 and firearm hunters from December through the end of January. 

Residents behind the lawsuit expressed safety concerns and the accuracy of the deer count, which prompted the culling effort.

Judge D’Onofrio has scheduled a status conference on the matter in fifteen days.

The judgment entry may be seen below: