Shelter Island Deer & Tick Committee settles on new mission statement
If the Town Board agrees, the Deer & Tick Committee will change its mission statement to be more in line with its actual responsibility.
It’s a subject that’s been on the table for the Committee this year to better reflect today’s realities. The decision to finalize a new mission statement and ask for Town Board approval came at the Aug. 7 meeting.
Much of the concentration in the past has focused on efforts to kill ticks and reduce the deer herd on which ticks feed. But with the decision by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to ban use of 4-poster units — feeding stands that brush deer with a tickicide, permethrin — the Island Committee had to pivot.
Culling the herd, while still an objective, has always been limited on the Island, for the same reason as in many other communities around the state — the need for residents and visitors to hike safely.
On the Island, bowhunting season begins in October, not September. In February and March, specially licensed hunters are able to use guns in a so-called “nuisance hunt” to further cull the herd. But in many other communities the season lasts longer into the spring.
The mission statement Committee members hope the Town Board will adopt reads: ”Advise the Town Board on measures deemed socially acceptable, environmentally sound and fiscally responsible in managing, monitoring and maintaining the deer and tick population as low as possible in an effort to decrease risk and incidence of tick-borne diseases on Shelter Island.”
Committee Chairman Dr. James Bevilacqua advised his colleagues, “That’s the real reason we’re here — to cut down the incidence of disease by recommending preventative measures such as telling hikers how to dress to avoid being bitten by a tick and to check themselves for tick bites after they have been out in areas where ticks dwell.”
They will only advise the public to see a doctor if they have concerns. “It’s not the role of the Committee to put out medical advice,” member Dr. Josh Potter said, noting that should be between a patient and a doctor.
The Committee does pass on information from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and can share advice on how hikers should dress to keep themselves safe from tick bites. For example, residents and visitors should not hike in flip flops, short shorts and tops without sleeves. Those who find a tick on themselves and remove it can discuss with a doctor whether any treatment is advised.
Dr. Potter did advise that if a person is certain the bite only happened within a few hours, the chances are the ticks haven’t infected the hiker. But he cautioned that people often don’t know how long the tick has been present and it may be longer than a person realizes.
A rash at the site from which the tick was removed, and fatigue may be an indication of Lyme disease and a person should see a doctor, Dr. Bevilacqua and Dr. Potter said. Dr. Bevilacqua noted that some doctors advise treatment even before knowing for certain the patient has Lyme disease. Some get treatment they don’t need, he said.
Committee member Scott Campbell, Ph.D., who is director of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services Arthropod-Borne Disease Laboratory, noted Suffolk County data shows some small increase in Lyme disease between 2022 and 2023.
Dr. Bevilacqua wondered if the County or State have accurate numbers. Mr. Campbell said he thinks numbers will be better going forward, noting that statistics were skewed during COVID because of the increased population in the County.
Members of the Deer & Tick Committee will participate in the Green Expo that will occupy space on school grounds on School Street on Aug. 24 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Those interested in knowing more about the Committee’s work are encouraged to visit the group’s booth.
