People living and working on the north end of Long Beach Island likely felt the need to rub their eyes after seeing a sight common in the woods but not on a barrier island: deer. 

“They have always come and gone,” said Stafford Township Lead Animal Control Officer Kelly Karch, whose office has interlocal agreements with Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Harvey Cedars and Long Beach Township. “It’s not like they are the first ones. They seek refuge and could have been fleeing a predator.” 

The only natural predator of whitetail deer in New Jersey is the coyote, but the total number of coyotes in the area isn’t enough to provide a true threat,…