Hunting for ideas at Town Hall

Hunters packed the meeting room at Town Hall Tuesday night at the invitation of the Deer & Tick Committee.

About 30 men were present and were asked to present ideas on how to improve the town’s deer management program.

Committee Chairman Mike Scheibel noted that the purpose of the program is to reduce tick-borne illnesses.  It had two components, installation of 4-posters —feeding stands that brush deer with a chemical that kills ticks — and reducing the deer herd through recreational hunting,

Police Chief Jim Read, who is in charge of the town’s deer management program, said that last year 350 deer were taken on town property and at Mashomack and Sylvester Manor, a significant drop from 2006, the first year of the organized effort the program, when 478 deer were harvested.

The number of hunters registering to hunt on town property has also fallen, from 26 in 2006 to 17 in 2013.

Few statistics are available on deer taken on private property by owners or others who have the owner’s permission to hunt.

Tuesday night hunters had ideas on:
• Changing the dates of the state-regulated hunting season.
• Re-thinking the type of weapons allowed.
• Getting the word out through newspaper ads on hunting programs and notifying homeowners that they can allow hunting on their property if they’re concerned about deer.
•  Allow non-residents to hunt on town property.
• Allowing recreational hunters the same tools used by professional sharpshooters who hunt at night with silencers and use bait to attract deer to certain areas.

At the top of the meeting there was a discussion on exactly how many deer live on Shelter Island. Some hunters maintained that there are less deer, by a wide margin, than in the past, while committee member Jim Colligan, who is also president of the Silver Beach Association, said that in his neighborhood there’s an “over abundance” of the animals.

Data from the police department shows that from January 1 to September 4, 2013, there were 13 motor vehicle accidents involving deer, while in the same period this year, 26 deer have been struck by vehicles.

The numbers through the years varies, the department’s records show, but it’s a significant spike form 2013 to 2014, nevertheless.

It also should be noted that these numbers only reflect accidents that have been reported to the police.
Currently, hunting season is October 1 to January 1 for archery, and January 1 to January 31 for firearms.

In the past, there had been a “deer damage,” or “nuisance” season from January 31 to March 31, but that has been halted due to ongoing litigation, Chief Read said.

Nuisance hunting helps communities overrun with deer by allowing special licenses, also known as deer damage permits, issued by the New York State Department of Conservation. Those qualifying for the special licenses are individual farm owners, for example, or municipalities, which can then designate an agent to hunt. Damage permits also allow night hunting and baiting for deer.

Nassau County resident John Forsythe, who was in the audience Tuesday night, suggested changing the town rule banning non-resident hunters from town property.

Mr. Scheibel said “resident-only is something we should think of relaxing.”

Islander Jeff Brewer said many bow hunters “are just going for antlers,” and when firearm season opens “when we go into the woods with a shotgun” the deer are gone. “Deer know enough not to got into some areas.”

Other hunters suggested doing away with the October start date and push all hunting up to November 1.
Richard Kelly suggested organizing a petition drive to get as many as 500 names to put pressure on officials to change regulations and bring the issue to the public’s attention.

Mr. Brewer said crossbow hunting should be allowed, which is currently against state regulations. It was suggested that mayors and supervisors of East End towns put pressure on state officials to change the archery regulations. Supervisor Jim Dougherty, the town board liaison to the committee, seemed to agree with the proposal.

Mr. Dougherty is chairman of the East End Supervisors and Mayors Association.

Mr. Colligan and others said the meeting was a good first step and hunters have to be involved in policy-making decisions.

“It’s important for us to form a team,” Mr. Colligan said.

Chief Read invited all hunters who are interested in getting involved to contact the committee’s secretary, Jennifer Zacha at 749-0600, extension 2656, or write to her at [email protected].