VENANGOTWP — A hunting preserve on Erico Road was approved Tuesday night by the township supervisors.

No one spoke against the plan proposed by the Hindman family, tentatively called Horseshoe Hill Hunting Preserve, at the meeting.

It is still subject to restriction by the county and by the state Department of Agriculture, which would make sure no existing whitetail deer are fenced into the property.

"The plans we have are in their infancy. We are looking at roughly two years to open," said Dan Hindman, who represented the family at the hearing.

His parents own the more than 300 acres along Erico Road.

Hindman said the preserve would use almost all of the land with fences set back "several hundred yards" from any of the adjacent properties.

He said hunting would initially be avoided on the southeastern corner of the property, where a strip mine and rock quarry operate.

"We're thinking primarily deer and elk, but we're also not limiting ourselves," Hindman said of the potential game there.

He estimates 50 to 100 guided hunts would take place at the preserve annually.

Hindman, who is an avid hunter, would like to keep the number of hunters on the property at one time to a minimum "both for safety and to ensure a fair chase."

Hunters would be subject to Pennsylvania Game Commission laws and be allowed to hunt with crossbows, compound bows, muzzle-loaders and rifles, Hindman said.

"We have no specific laws pertaining to such a preserve," Supervisor Richard Mizgorski said of the township before the vote.

The Hindmans' preserve is unaffiliated with the Horseshoe Hill hunting preserve that was proposed in Slippery Rock Township in June.

Slippery Rock resident Robert McConnell, owner of a ranch which operates in conjunction with Rathmel Run hunting preserve in Reynoldsville, was denied a hunting preserve bid by township supervisors there last June.

Slippery Rock supervisors denied rezoning the agricultural land based on the recommendations of the township planning commission. The supervisors also cited the safety of citizens, the preservation of the scenic environment and the preservation of agriculture as reasons for their denial.