Populations of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have recently increased in many areas of the eastern United States to the point of causing damage to ecosystems, people, rare plants, other wildlife & the deer themselves. East Hampton Town is no exception. For more information, please read the plan entitled Management of the White-tailed Deer Population in East Hampton Town that the Town Board adopted on June 20, 2013. 

2017 Statistics Update:  According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the calculated deer harvest in East Hampton for the year 2016 totaled 427.  While this number is comparable with deer harvest numbers of recent years, the calculated number of deer-vehicle collisions has been on the rise, totaling 475 last year in East Hampton.

 

               Summary of East Hampton Town's
                          Deer Management Plan

The goal of the Town's deer management plan is to restore balance and sustainability to the town's natural environment. Following is a summary of the recommendations of the plan:

• Obtain a count of the current deer population
• Increase and facilitate hunting opportunities across public and private land
• Establish a Deer Management Advisory Committee
• Coordination with other governmental agencies and private landowners
• Establish reliable metrics to assess program effectiveness
• Consider professional deer cull
• Increase coordination and communication for all involved
• Develop support for non-lethal deer management methodologies once the deer population has been stabilized
• Establish annual budget and/or other funding for deer management
• Coordination with the deer management plan published by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC)

 

                                        Contact

Please contact the Deer Management Coordinator in the Land Acquisition and Management Department by email or at 631-324-7420 for any of the following reasons:

• You would like to inform us about nuisance deer or deer damage in a specific area (whether on public or private land).
• You are a landowner that would like to allow hunters to hunt deer on your property.
• You are a landowner looking for assistance in applying for a Deer Damage Permit (nuisance permit) from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
• You are a hunter looking for private land to hunt.