State, town drawings set for January shotgun season for deer hunting

The special shotgun season for deer hunting in Suffolk County starts Jan. 3, 2016, the NY State Department of Environmental Conservations announced yesterday.

Hunters interested in hunting on DEC-managed lands during the firearms season must enter a drawing by Nov. 30.

The Town of Riverhead will hold a lottery for shotgun hunting permits to hunt on town-owned sites on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. at Riverhead Town Hall. Interested hunters must be present to participate in the town lottery.

To enter the DEC drawing, place a stamped, self-addressed No. 9 or No. 10 envelope, with your DEC back tag number printed on the back of it, inside a No. 10 envelope addressed to: NYSDEC-Deer Drawing, PO Box 659, Ridge NY 11961-0659. There is no application. Entries submitted on anything other than No. 10 or No. 9 return envelopes will be rejected.

Entries must be received by 4:45 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30. Entries can also be hand-delivered to the Ridge Hunter Check Station, 484 Randall Road, Ridge, NY 11961 by the above date. The check station will be open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Hunters should only send one entry. Individuals who send more than one entry will have all of his or her entries removed from the drawing. Each member of a two-hunter party may send one entry.

Drawing entrants will receive a notice telling them when to appear at the Ridge Hunter Check Station to make a reservation to hunt on DEC-managed lands. Reservations will be made Dec. 14-17, 2015.

The following state managed properties will be open for shotgun deer hunting from Jan. 3 to Jan. 31:

• Rocky Point Natural Resources Management Area;
• Westhampton Dwarf Pine Plains Preserve;
• Henry’s Hollow Pine Barrens State Forest;
• Barcelona Neck Cooperative Hunting Area;
• David Sarnoff Cooperative Hunting Area;
• Otis Pike Preserve.

The East Hampton Cooperative Area and Noyac (part of the Southampton Cooperative Areas) will be open for firearms deer hunting,  Jan. 4 – 31,  weekdays only.

Hunting during the January special firearms season will be allowed on certain designated town-owned lands, including sites within the Calverton Enterprise Park.

DEC regulations require that lands eligible for firearms deer-hunting must be at least 10 acres in size. Hunters must possess a valid big game hunting license, a signed landowner’s endorsement and, in Southampton, Islip and Smithtown, a town permit.

To help manage the expanding deer population in Suffolk County, the state has expanded archery and firearms deer hunting seasons. The regular (bowhunting) season for deer in Suffolk County now runs through January 31. The 2016 firearms deer season in Suffolk County, which runs from Sunday, Jan. 3 through Sunday, Jan. 31, including weekends. Town permits to hunt on private property are now only required in the towns of Southampton, Islip and Smithtown.

Deer may be taken only by:
Shotgun, using a single ball or slug;
Muzzleloading rifle or pistol, shooting a single projectile having a minimum bore of 0.44 inches.

Shotgun barrels may be rifled and telescopic sights may be used. Crossbows are not a legal hunting instrument in Suffolk County. Hunters should check with local towns and villages to determine any local restrictions or discharge ordinances.

Bowhunting on state-managed lands during the extended season is allowed at Brookhaven State Park Cooperative Hunting Area, Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest, Carmen’s River Pine Barrens State Forest, East Bartlett Conservation Area, Ridge Conservation Area, Wildwood State Park Cooperative Hunting Area and DEC tidal wetlands that are currently open to archery hunting. All hunters are required to have a DEC-Managed Lands Access Permit to hunt on these properties.