Long Islanders asked to slaughter deer to Help Control Deer Overpopulation
Applications must be filed before Oct. 1 deadline for the permits. Paul – stock.adobe.com
State officials are calling on Long Island hunters to help reduce the area’s exploding deer population, which is damaging crops, increasing car accidents, and spreading tick-borne illnesses.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is encouraging more residents in Nassau and Suffolk counties to apply for deer management permits this season. The goal is to control the growing herd, which has flourished in suburban environments where natural predators are absent and food is plentiful.
“The DEC strives to manage deer populations at levels that are in balance with the available habitat and in alignment with public desires by incentivizing harvest of antlerless deer by hunters,” the agency said in a statement ahead of this fall’s hunting season.
Hunters must apply for permits by October 1. These permits provide additional tags for antlerless deer, beyond the two allowed under a regular hunting license. In areas with severe overpopulation, the state is also offering “bonus” permits to further encourage harvesting.
While hunters on Long Island did increase their deer take last season, DEC officials say it still wasn’t enough to significantly impact the population. Managing deer remains particularly challenging on the island, where hunting participation is low and deer are increasingly found in suburban neighborhoods.
“We’ve been concerned about deer overpopulation for quite some time,” said Leslie Lupo, a DEC wildlife biologist.
However, animal welfare advocates are urging the state to explore non-lethal alternatives. “The Department of Environmental Conservation should be supporting conservation — killing is not conservation,” said John Di Leonardo, executive director of Humane Long Island.
The group recommends methods such as immunocontraception (deer birth control), planting deer-resistant vegetation, installing fencing, and using deterrents like radios, soap, or even human hair to keep deer at bay.
Statewide, deer are responsible for approximately $59 million in annual crop damage and contribute to over 70,000 car accidents. Suffolk County ranks third in New York for deer-related collisions, according to data from officials and State Farm Insurance.
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