Island unaffected by holiday deer hunt suspension

Just days before Shelter Island’s recreational hunting season gets underway, Animal Control Officer Beau Payne wants residents to know that the season runs through the end of January.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is exploring the possibility of a holiday period of no hunting between Christmas and New Year’s in some areas, but that’s not something that would apply to Shelter Island, Officer Payne said.

The Island starts its hunting season Oct. 1, while some communities around the state begin the season in September.

The Deer & Tick Committee sees the later start as a matter of safety, since many seasonal residents are on the Island in the early fall. No one wants to risk an accident with hikers in the same areas as hunters.

In the same way, “the nuisance hunt” runs in February and March, but doesn’t extend on the Island beyond the end of March, again a bow to safety concerns.

“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.