Greenport Investigates Deer Management Program

may join in opening up municipal lands to deer hunters next year to help thin the

At Monday evening’s work session, Mayor David Nyce suggested to the board that the village open up its municipal lands to bow hunting. Nyce said that although the village does not have a lot of municipally owned land, it could be opened to hunting. He thought Moore’s Woods might be a good starting point.

The mayor made it clear any hunting in the village would abide by state laws and bow hunting could only take place a safe distance away from houses or trails.

Nyce said that without predators the local deer population has grown too much for the area. He said it would be too late to implement the program this year but suggested maybe the short January season could be met. Trustee David Murray said the January season is a shotgun season and would not be appropriate for the village.

Trustee Mary Bess Phillips agreed the deer population is out of control and said some of her neighbors have voiced their concerns.

Southold Town is in the midst of its third bow-and-arrow deer hunting season and had 75 slots available to hunters for the 2011 season. The town recently purchased a refrigeration unit to store deer meat brought in from the hunt.

With the board’s approval, Nyce will invite a representative from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to make a presentation to the community on deer hunting.

“I understand these efforts are just drops in the bucket, but every drop helps,” Nyce said.