DEM ANNOUNCES SHOTGUN DEER SEASON OPENS ON MAINLAND ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3; ALREADY OPEN ON BLOCK ISLAND
 

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management has announced the seasons and rules for shotgun deer hunting on both the mainland and Block Island.

The season for shotgun deer hunting throughout mainland Rhode Island will be open from Saturday, December 3 through December 11 in all Rhode Island counties on both state and private land, continuing through December 18 on private land only.

Deer hunters must wear a minimum of 500 square inches of florescent orange, as must all users in management areas during the shotgun season.

While shotgun deer hunting is again permitted in portions of the East Bay; hunters are urged to check their local ordinances, as some towns do not permit discharge of firearms or Sunday hunting. For instance, Newport does not permit discharge of shotguns and Portsmouth does not permit Sunday hunting. In DEM's East Bay management areas, only archery hunting is permitted in Simmons Mill, no Sunday hunting is permitted in Eight Rod Farm, and no firearm deer hunting is permitted in Seapowet Management Area. Hunters are also reminded that there is no shotgun season in the Northwest Cooperative Deer Hunting Area from December 12 to December 18.

Hunters must check their deer at state-run biological check stations, including one at Fort Wetherill, during the December 3 to December 11 portion of the season. Check station hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., except for the Durfee Hill station, which will operate from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. During the private land only season, hunters must check their deer at a vendor check station. A list is provided in the 2005-06 Rhode Island Hunting and Trapping Abstract. A new check station, Moyworks, located at 215 Third Street in Newport, has been added to the list. Sandy Bottom Bait and Tackle in Coventry will not be checking deer during the shotgun season.

The season for shotgun deer hunting on Block Island opened on Monday, November 18 and will be open on select weekdays through February 17th. The individual dates are listed in the 2005-06 Rhode Island Hunting and Trapping Abstract. All deer must be checked at the island check station, at the home of Arthur Rose on West Side Road, and must have a metal leg seal attached prior to leaving the island.

As in past years, DEM is focusing on reducing the deer herd by increasing the take of antlerless deer. However, access to private land continues to be a limiting factor. Hunters are urged to contact landowners early for permission to hunt on private land.

DEM has increased the number of deer permits that hunters may purchase. Hunters can obtain one either-sex deer permit and two antlerless deer permits for both state and private land. The permits are valid in Providence, Kent, Bristol, and Washington counties (except Block Island) and the towns of Tiverton and Little Compton. The permits may be used in any sequence and all are valid during the entire season. An additional suite of permits for Conanicut and Aquidneck Islands, except Newport, is being offered this year. Hunters may purchase two permits: one either-sex and one antlerless. On Block Island, hunters may purchase up to five permits. Deer permits cost $12.50 each for Rhode Island residents and $25.50 for non-residents.

As in the past, shotguns are limited to 10, 12, 16, and 20 gauge, plugged to 5 shell maximum. Buckshot is limited to 00 buck or larger and is prohibited in 20 gauge. Deer hunters can carry only buckshot, sabot rounds, or rifled slug while hunting.

Hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. All deer must be ear-tagged immediately and checked within 24 hours.

Anyone hunting on private land must obtain written permission from the landowner and carry this authorization at all times. Several towns, including Block Island, require countersigned written permission by the chief of police.

Hunters are asked to submit deer heads for Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance. The state quota has been increased to 180 samples, about half of which have been collected. Many samples are still needed from the East Bay, as well as Kent and Washington Counties. Only Providence County surveillance has been completed. Check station operators will be available to assist hunters with sample submissions. All heads must be fresh and include hunter name, address, and location of kill. The surveillance is a continuing part of DEM's efforts to keep Rhode Island deer herds free of Chronic Wasting Disease. Chronic Wasting Disease is a progressive neurological disease that is always fatal to deer and elk. It has been found in wild deer and elk in limited areas of several midwest and mountain states, two Canadian provinces and just recently in central New York and Northeastern West Virginia. As a result, very strict rules have been implemented on restricting the import of deer and other cervids from CWD endemic areas, defined as the state and counties bordering that state where CWD has been identified.

Additional information about deer permits, check station locations, hunting rules and regulations, and CWD is listed in the abstract, available from DEM's Licensing Office at 235 Promenade Street in Providence, or from hunting license vendors. The abstract can also be found on DEM's website, www.dem.ri.gov, by clicking on "Topics," then "Wildlife."