Numbers down for recreation deer hunt: Herd numbers await ‘flyover’ count

The number of deer taken by hunters on Shelter Island through the end of November is significantly less than it was for that period in 2019.

Under normal circumstances, that would appear to reflect a decline in the number of deer on the Island, Animal Control Officer (ACO) Beau Payne told the Deer & Tick Committee last week.

But there was also a significant drop in the number of hunters here during the same period, so it will take until a late January “flyover” to assess the deer population and determine if the herd is much less than it has been, he said.

The town had been set to employ Ohio-based Davis Aviation to make a flyover count of the herd earlier this year, using infrared video techniques from 1,600 feet beginning about two hours after sunset. To be effective, the flights should be done annually. But the idea was scrapped because of complications due to the pandemic.

Through November of last year, 87 deer were taken by 40 hunters. This year, 62 deer have been taken by 22 hunters. At least one hunter reported his efforts were undercut by hikers in the woods despite efforts to provide signage and warnings when hunting is underway in order to keep hikers safe.

Much less hunting has taken place on Sylvester Manor property since people seeking to get out of their houses, but still socially distance, have been visiting the trails in that area, ACO Payne said.

Hunters have also reported spending more time in the fields with lower results, he said.

Whether the town will see better numbers during the so-called “deer damage” hunt in February and March remains to be seen, ACO Mr. Payne said.

Deer damage, or “nuisance,” hunting helps communities overrun with deer by allowing special licenses issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to hunt outside the regular hunting seasons.

A decrease in deer taken has also led to less venison available free of charge at a refrigerated unit at the Recycling Center. This year, only 270 pounds of meat has been available, compared with 400 pounds at the same point last year.

About 50 deer have been placed in the cold storage unit at the Cobbetts Lane Firehouse until they could be butchered and hunters could either take the meat home or contribute some to the Recycling Center’s refrigerated unit.

“The meat goes fast,” new committee member Julia Weisengberg noted.

Tick drag numbers — the process of using a piece of cloth dragged through specific areas to determine the presence of ticks — have been relatively stable, ACO Payne said.

That prompted member Hank Amann to suggest use of tick tubes — small units that are treated with the tickicide permethrin to kill ticks on mice.

It’s impractical for the town to spend time and money on the use of that system, both ACO  Payne and Committee Chairman Dr. James Bevilacqua said.

Dr. Bevilacqua said people could purchase their own tick tubes online while Mr. Amann said they can  use the cardboard inserts from toilet paper and stuff them with permethrin-laced cotton. But committee member Scott Campbell, who is lab director of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, said the tick tubes are only effective with black-legged ticks, not lone star ticks.

Since the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation banned the use of 4-poster units, the only tool the town has left to decrease the tick population on the Island has been culling the herd of deer. The last use of 4-posters on the Island was in November 2019.

While there aren’t numbers available, there appears to be an increase among patients diagnosed with babesiosis rather than Lyme disease this year, Dr. Bevilacqua said. It was less seen in the Northeast in the past, but has been making its way across the country more than other tick-borne illnesses, according to information from Columbia University.

A study there shows some people have no symptoms, but babesiosis is a serious illness. The Columbia University report shows some people suffer with malaria-like symptoms.

Anyone who suspects they may have babesiosis needs to see a doctor for a clear diagnosis and treatment.

Noting the presence of a number of new Island residents, Supervisor Gerry Silller asked about a “concerted educational push” to reach those who may not be alert to the Island’s problem with ticks.

Dr. Bevilacqua said winter is not the most effective time for education, but that in late March or early April, the committee will plan an educational outreach at a time when it’s likely to be most effective.