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Deer Hunting Season Open at East River Preserve

After years of studying the destruction of vegetation at East River Preserve (ERP), the management plan allowing controlled hunting of deer was approved and the season opened at ERP on Oct. 17. It opened two days after the 2016 deer season opened as the management plan only allows deer hunting on ERP while school is in session from sun-up to 11:30 a.m. so there is no hunting on weekends or on Election Day.

“This happened after years of meetings and committees looking at the issue,” said Kevin Magee, the town’s environmental planner. “When the East River Preserve was first purchased by the town, the town created a management committee to manage the property.”

After the committee was formed, it observed that much of the vegetation on the ERP was damaged due to a large number of deer on the land. The exact number is unknown as deer are highly active, but herds of up to eight have been seen. The management plan was approved in 2012 without the deer hunting aspect as Magee noted there was “quite a bit of opposition.”

A new committee was formed to solely examine how to combat the issue of too many deer on the ERP. While examining options, areas of ERP were fenced as “exclosures” to keep the deer off of the vegetation in that area so it can be monitored without disturbance from migrating deer.

“We have seen the success of the program by seeing the regeneration of vegetation and smaller animals coming back in,” said Magee. “The shrub-land vegetation that the birds are in is being eaten by the deer so when it comes back, the songbirds are coming back.”

The committee, which was made up of people with varying opinions—some were against deer hunting, some were for it, and others were on the line—discussed the issue for months before it was unanimously approved in 2015. Magee noted there was an emergency room doctor on the committee whose biggest concern was safety.

“We had a very balanced discussion on the whole thing,” said Magee. “It went on to the Board of Selectmen and passed without an issue, but it was a year[long] process before the whole program was approved.”

After the program was approved, the committee received about 50 applications and, in July, a lottery determined 20 people plus two alternates to go through a testing phase and a safety meeting. Now there are 17 people with permits and eight were present on Oct. 17.

Magee wants the public to be aware that, with the season open, there is a possibility of people bow-hunting only on school days from dawn to 11:30 a.m. through Nov. 15. All hunters must be at least 200 yards from a marked trail and shooting from a tree stand. Magee recommends that hikers were brightly colored clothing and follow the town’s leash ordinance when bringing their dogs to the ERP.

Magee’s department has posted signs at the ERP regarding the hunting season, but he has seen several of them defaced due to opposition to the plan. He also noted that there are several state parks that allow hunting that many who use the parks are not aware of.

“I understand people are against it, but it’s a safety issue for people to deface these signs as the people using the property need to understand there’s a hunt going on,” said Magee. “Now people will know and can make an educated decision about what’s going on around them.”

When the original plan was presented, several residents were opposed to the plan because they were against hunting, according to Magee. The committee has stressed that this plan is in place to take control of the property and they have seen similar programs by the Audubon Society and the Regional Water Authority gain positive results.

“They’ve found similar improvements to their properties,” said Magee. “It’s not recreation. If we see the vegetation return, we’ll close off the hunt; it’s for control, not for sport.”