With deer populations continuing to increase across Suffolk County, including the East End of Long Island, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has announced that it will open a special shotgun season for deer hunting with more areas open to sportsmen.
The DEC expanded the 15-year-old boundries on the South Shore, where hunting was previously restricted, including in areas in East Hampton and Southampton. Hunters, however, still have to refer to local town ordinances.
The season, which allows for deer to be taken with muzzleloaders or shotguns loaded with a single slug, will officially open on Jan. 7 and run through Jan. 31. Hunting will not be permitted on weekends.
"Overpopulations of deer have the ability to negatively impact natural habitats along with agricultural, public and private properties, and public health in the forms of automobile/deer collisions and tick-borne diseases," a DEC statement reads. "Hunting is DEC’s most effective and efficient known tool to maintain wildlife populations at levels that are compatible with communities and natural resources."
In May 2012, Chip Hamilton, a wildlife biologist with the DEC, reported that the DEC does not have exact numbers on deer populations in the Hamptons because it is a "tough number to quantify."
Hamilton said there are more deer on the East End of Long Island because of the available habitat, but more frequently deer are showing up in western Long Island, which indicates that the herds are enlarging.
East Hampton Village, he said, is also embarking on a project to quantify local deer herds using infrared cameras.
He also indicated that the DEC keeps a close eye on the number of deer harvested each season through its tagging and nuisance programs. Tags/permits must be obtained by anyone looking to hunt deer on the East End.
In 2011 — 2012 numbers are not yet available — 546 deer were harvested in East Hampton, 462 in Riverhead, 142 on Shelter Island, 641 in Southampton and 382 in Southold.
To ensure that all shotgun rules are followed, the DEC said it will ramp up patrols at shotgun sites throughout the month. Rules and regulations can be found on the DEC's website here.
What protest will he mastermind ? Another hunger strike ... IM SURE hungry people will benefit . DEC to be thanked for common sense decision in this problem . Time to break out the Bonac recipe book . Corn and applesauce for me ..
Ticks carry & transmit the pathogens that cause diseases. Ticks get the pathogens from rodents. Rodents are the animals that are infected by the pathogens that cause disease. Rodents are also considered the reservoir of disease; they sustain the pathogen & are the source of infection. Deer are a major host for ticks and are very important to tick reproduction, but they do not infect ticks with pathogens. In addition to deer, birds are important tick hosts. Rodents, wild & domestic animals, & humans are also tick hosts. Fewer deer may mean fewer ticks, but some studies show that deer densities must be reduced to very low levels,as low as 8 deer per square mile or less to be ‘effective’! A 2006 study showed there were between 2400 & 4400 deer in the 70 or so square miles of East Hampton Town. So, a target level of 560 deer MAY be ‘effective’ in tick reduction. ( I emphasize MAY because it is not clear if a ‘cull’ would reduce ticks!) While four-posters are OK, they typically use permethrin which is classified by the EPA as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans” . Permethrin is highly toxic to honeybees, fish & other aquatic organisms. There are other issues with four-posters as well. Integrated pest management using a variety of methods to reduce the diseases transmitted by ticks may be a good alternative to sole reliance on a deer cull or the use of chemical agents to kill ticks.
I don't want these killers to be attracted to my neighborhood. I prefer overpopulation and Lyme Disease to the alternative of enabling psychopathic behavior.
Vegetarian, not Vegan.