Deer Targeted In Long Island (O2)

A major push to trim deer numbers on eastern Long Island’s has targeted as many as 3,000 whitetails this winter. This deer targeting would be the largest federal deer removal program in the history of New York State.  Public official in Long Island say “it’s needed to control a growing whitetail population estimated at up to 35,000 on the East End and in the town of Brookhaven”. “We’re not talking about wildlife management anymore,” said Southold Supervisor Scott Russell. “We’re talking about pest control.” The Long Island Farm Bureau and USDA’s Wildlife Services program were hammering out a final agreement to make sure that this targeting idea will follow through. The targeting of deer will begin in February and likely last into mid-March. For this idea Sharpshooters would shoot the deer at night. The effort would focus on does and would, in some highly populated areas, involve the use of “drop nets” to capture and then shoot the deer.  Venison from the targeted deer would be donated to local food pantries. In addition to the sharpshooter effort, East End officials are pushing for state legislation that would allow bow hunters a chance to assist in controlling deer numbers. Current law prohibits hunters from firing shots from either gun or bow within 500 feet of a dwelling. DEC has been pushing for loosened restrictions for bow hunters, allowing them to shoot within 150 feet of a building to allow for better access to hunt deer. The only positive that I have gotten from this idea is that the venison is going to go to local food pantries. The rest of the idea I do not think is very fair for the deer. I do not like that hunters will be able to kill deer at night and also be able to trap deer in nets and then shoot them when they are trapped. I think that the DEC should just have another deer season with the same rules and regulations.