Deer hunting permits already in high demand
A deer in Heckscher State Park in East Islip. (June 15, 2011) Credit: Newsday / J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Riverhead Town officials say they are being flooded with applications from deer hunters to take part in a lottery to participate in the state shotgun hunting season on town-owned Enterprise Park at Calverton.
Even with the lottery limited to town residents and property owners, demand is high, officials said.
"It's overwhelming," Councilman George Gabrielsen said. The town began accepting applications Wednesday.
With about 150 slots for the undeveloped part of EPCAL, hunting areas are divided up so only one hunter at a time is in any single location.
People who live on rental property in the town and business owners with stores in Riverhead can apply for the hunt. But a store owner who rents his or her property and lives in another town is ineligible, Gabrielsen said.
The town hunt will be on weekdays from Jan. 7-31, and hunters will need to follow all state hunting regulations.
