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News Release RI Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade St., Providence, RI 02908 (401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
SMALL GAME HUNTING SEASON OPENS ON OCTOBER 20, DEM REMINDS ALL USERS OF MANAGEMENT AREAS TO WEAR FLUORESCENT ORANGE "This requirement is a vital part of the state's hunter safety effort, and is key to maintaining the state's excellent hunter safety record," said Michael Lapisky, DEM Deputy Chief of Wildlife. Examples of fluorescent orange that meet the requirements are a hat covering 200 square inches or a combination hat and vest covering 500 square inches. State wildlife management areas are in good condition for the start of the hunting season as a result of extensive food plot plantings and other land management activities designed to benefit wildlife habitat, according to Brian Tefft, principal wildlife biologist with DEM's Division of Fish and Wildlife. "Significant habitat management projects involving brush mowing and forest management activities have occurred that have added great wildlife habitat diversity in the Arcadia and Great Swamp management areas," Tefft said. Small Game Hunting The legal shooting hours for most small game, which includes ruffed grouse, pheasant, bobwhite, rabbits, hare, squirrel, and fox, are sunrise to sunset. However, there are exceptions. Hunting hours for coyotes, which have no closed season, are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. The raccoon season opened on October 1, with no restricted hours. Season end dates differ. For ruffed grouse, quail and pheasant the end date is December 31; for rabbits, hare, squirrel and fox, February 28, 2002. As in past years, the small game hunting season is closed in Providence, Kent and Washington counties during the shotgun deer season, which runs from December 1 to December 16. Daily bag limits for small game are consistent with previous years: pheasant (2), bobwhite (3), ruffed grouse (1), rabbits (3), hare (2), and gray squirrel (5). There is no bag limit for fox or raccoon. Under its pheasant stocking program, DEM will release about 2,500 pheasants at major wildlife management areas from opening day through December 1. Pheasant stocking will occur at Arcadia, Great Swamp, Carolina, Durfee Hill, Black Hut, Buck Hill, Sapowet, Nicholas Farm, and Big River Management Areas. Upland Migratory Bird Season Season and bag limits for Rhode Island migratory game birds are established following guidelines set by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The mourning dove season will reopen on October 20 and run until November 17 and again December 22 to January 13, 2002, from sunrise to sunset, except on October 20 when it begins at 7 a.m. The daily bag limit for dove is 12 birds. Woodcock hunting opens November 1 and closes on November 30, with a daily bag limit of three birds. The season for rails, already open, runs to November 16. The snipe season, also already open, runs to November 14. Federal law requires migratory bird hunter to use a shotgun capable of holding no more than three shells. Federal law also requires all hunters to carry a Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program (HIP) permit while hunting migratory game birds. HIP permits are available at all hunting license vendors in the state at no cost. Check Stations Open To assist DEM in gathering information on hunter effort and game harvested, all hunters using Arcadia, Great Swamp, Carolina and Durfee Hill Management areas on weekends through November 11 must check in and out of check stations at those management areas and record their harvest. Special permits are required to hunt waterfowl at Great Swamp and the Burlingame North Camp area. Hunting licenses, as well as abstracts that summarize the hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits by species, are available at various license vendors throughout the state, at DEM's Licensing Office at 235 Promenade Street, Providence and at DEM's Division of Fish and Wildlife offices in Wakefield and West Kingston. The abstract is also available on DEM's website, www.dem.ri.gov, by clicking on Fish and Wildlife Regulations on the Publications page. A resident hunting license is $9.50, with all money collected going into a special restricted account used specifically to fund the state's wildlife restoration program. These funds benefit both game and non-game species. Hunters are advised to check with local authorities before hunting in unfamiliar areas, as municipalities may impose additional restrictions on hunting within their boundaries. Hunters may contact the main office of DEM's Division of Fish and Wildlife in Wakefield at 789-3094 or the Great Swamp field office in West Kingston at 789-0281 for further information. -30- |
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