For Release: October 7, 1999

Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management has announced that the season for archery deer hunting on Block Island opens on Monday, October 18. It continues on the following dates: October 19-22, 25-27, 29, November 1-2, 4-5, 8-10, 12, 15, 16, 18, 22, 26, 29, 30 and December 2, 3, 6-10. Hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Either sex deer may be taken throughout the season.

To hunt on Block Island, archers must have a current Rhode Island hunting license and a current archery deer permit issued by the Town of New Shoreham. Block Island archery deer permits may be purchased at the New Shoreham Town Clerk's Office on the island, at DEM's Office of Boat Registration and Licensing at DEM Headquarters, 235 Promenade St., Providence, or at any hunting license vendor throughout the state. Permits are $7.50 for Rhode Island residents and $25.50 for non-residents of the state.

In addition, archers must carry on their person a valid archery proficiency card, as well as written permission to hunt on private land, countersigned by the chief of police or his island representative. All state land on Block Island will be closed for archery and shotgun deer hunting during the 1999-2000 hunting season.

Safety regulations require hunters to wear fluorescent orange above the waist. Archers must wear a minimum of 200 square inches of fluorescent orange while travelling to and from a stand, and may remove their orange while in the stand. However, during the shotgun season on Block Island - which takes place on numerous dates in December, January, and February - hunters must wear a minimum of 500 square inches of fluorescent orange at all times.

All deer taken must be tagged immediately, checked within 24 hours and have a leg seal attached before leaving the island. Block Island deer may be checked at the residence of Arthur Rose, Westside Road, from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., or at the residence of Kurt Littlefield, 487 Old Town Road, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. All deer tags look similar, except for the code number. (To avoid having a deer permit invalidated by tagging a deer with an incorrect tag, hunters should use waterproof ink to mark the back of their tags with the permit type.) Hunters may obtain up to five tags - each one specifying a hunting season (archery, muzzleloader, etc.) The tags look very similar, especially at dusk. If the wrong tag is affixed - even by accident - the permit is invalidated.

There is no bag limit for deer taken by archery on Block Island. However, prior to the season, archers may purchase two Block Island archery deer permits from the Town of New Shoreham. After checking the first deer, archers may then purchase additional town archery deer permits. A hunter may not possess more than two town archery or shotgun deer permits at one time.

Additional hunting information is available in DEM's 1999-2000 RI Hunting and Trapping Abstract, which is available by calling 222-3075, or from hunting license vendors.