For Release: October 20, 1999

Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402
Stephanie Powell 222-4700 ext. 4418

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management has announced that the archery deer hunting season on Prudence and Patience Islands will be open Fridays through Mondays, from October 29 through January 15. Only bucks may be taken from October 29 through November 15; either sex deer may be taken from November 19 through January 15. Hunting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

To hunt these islands, archers must have a current Rhode Island hunting license and a current Prudence/Patience archery deer permit. Archers must also carry on their person a valid archery proficiency card and written permission to hunt on private land, countersigned by the chief of police or his island representative.

State land may only be hunted by archers with confirmed reservations for the first three weekends of the season. Applications were accepted by DEM through August 15, and successful applicants were notified in early September. Archery hunting is open to all hunters on state land for the remaining weekends during the season. Archers with a valid archery deer permit may also take raccoon and fox (no bag limit for either species) on Prudence Island during legal deer hunting hours.

Prudence Island deer hunting will end when a total of 60 deer have been taken, no more than 30 of which may be antler-less. This quota will include deer taken from Patience Island, but not those taken during the special season for paraplegic deer hunters.

All deer, whether taken on state or private land, must be tagged immediately, checked, and have a leg seal attached before being taken off the island. Patience Island deer may be checked on Prudence Island, or at a mainland vendor deer check station. All deer permits look similar. To avoid invalidating the permit by tagging the deer with an incorrect tag, DEM suggests that hunters with multiple deer permits mark the back of their tag, in waterproof ink, with the permit type. No additional deer permits will be available for Prudence or Patience Islands this year.

Archery deer permits for Prudence and Patience Islands may be purchased at hunting license vendors and also on Prudence Island at Canario's General Store, 113 Daniels Avenue. A list of vendor deer check stations and additional hunting information is available in the 1999-2000 hunting and trapping abstract, available from DEM at 222-3075, or from hunting license vendors.