BRISTOL, RI — Bristol town officials and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) have teamed up and will open four archery deer hunting zones in an effort to reduce the town’s deer population, state and local officials said Wednesday.
The archery-only hunting zones, which open when Rhode Island deer hunting season begins Friday, are at Minturn, Hopeworth, Skater’s Pond, and 100 Acre Woods.
DEM officials said the growing deer population has created a nuisance for many homeowners who have complained about the animals causing damage to their gardens and other property.
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The number of deer-involved car crashes has also significantly increased over the past few years. State officials said Bristol has the most deer vs. vehicle crashes per square mile in the state.
DEM’s responsibilities include working to protect and enhance wildlife habitat in Rhode Island to ensure healthier, more diverse, and abundant wildlife populations. Part of that responsibility includes managing deer across the state to ensure their population remains healthy and stable.
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DEM’s Principal Wildlife Biologist Dylan Ferreira worked with Bristol town officials to develop the cooperative that will help to control the deer population in town.
“In some instances, especially in urban areas with no or very limited hunting, deer populations can begin to exceed cultural and biological carrying capacity,” Ferreira said. “Legal regulated hunting is the main way state agencies manage deer populations across the country. Opening new town properties to hunting like Bristol is doing is a great step to reduce the population in Bristol and reduce the negative impacts associated with over-populated deer, such as deer vehicle collisions and private property damage.”
DEM officials said hunting has a long tradition in Rhode Island, supporting family customs, connecting people with nature, and attracting tourism to the state. Hunters provide funding for wildlife conservation through their purchase of guns and ammunition through the RI Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program, and through the purchase of their state hunting licenses.
“Hunters and anglers purchase around 70,000 licenses, permits, stamps, and tags each year and contribute more than $235 million to Rhode Island’s economy,” Ferreira said.
Deer hunting season in Rhode Island, for archery, begins Friday and runs through Jan. 31, 2024.
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