The bowhunting season for deer opens on Oct. 1, and in Suffolk County licensed archers can obtain permits starting on Monday for access to designated areas in select county parks.
"Eastern Suffolk County is home to a growing and abundant population of white-tailed deer where public hunting is used as an important management tool to combat against depredation of local farmlands, nurseries, and gardens," according to a county announcement of the season.
In addition to requirements imposed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the County Parks Department requires that archers have an active Suffolk County Green Key card, a county archery permit, and a valid New York State big game license and tag.
Green Key cards cost $30 each for county residents and provide access to county parks and to reduced fees for activities at those parks for three years, with reduced fees for youth, emergency volunteers, auxiliary police, veterans, and the disabled; the annual cost for nonresidents is $200. They can be purchased in person only and are available locally at Cedar Point County Park in East Hampton and at Montauk County Park.
County archery permits cost $38 and are also available at Cedar Point County Park Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
East of the Shinnecock Canal, there are 12 archery hunting areas on county parkland in East Hampton and Southampton Towns.