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The Department of Environmental Management announces that, in an effort to further manage the state's deer population as well as reduce the over 1,200 annual auto-deer collisions that affect public safety, it is encouraging more private landowners to allow hunters to hunt deer on their property during deer-hunting seasons.
Although a hunting permit from the state is all that is necessary when deer hunting at state management areas, it is necessary when hunting on privately-owned land for hunters to obtain, in advance, written permission from the landowner, and to carry it while hunting. It is, in fact, against the law both to trespass and to shoot on another's land without such permission.
DEM has standardized its hunter-landowner courtesy card, and made it available for downloading from the Department's website. The small card has space for the hunter's name, the location of the property for which permission is granted, the dates when the hunter is allowed to be on the property, and the landowner's name and signature.
"It is my hope that an increasing number of landowners would welcome hunters who agree to abide by a code and principles supported by DEM," said DEM Director W. Michael Sullivan, Ph.D. "Basic principles that hunters would need to follow include treating the landowner's land with respect, knowing the property boundaries, and respecting the rights of abutting property owners." The courtesy cards themselves contain A Hunter's Pledge regarding principles of conduct.
The hunter-landowner courtesy card is available at sports clubs and also on the DEM website, www.dem.ri.gov, by clicking on "Topics", then "Wildlife".
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