Selectman Implores Citizens to Allow Deer Hunters Private Land Access

The Conservation Commission is going back to its controlled hunt program after suspending it last year to on private residences. However, this isn’t because last year’s harvest was successful.

“[The hunting] is well-organized, but even with the success we’ve had, the count of deer throughout town has been the same. It hasn’t gone down,” said Patricia Sesto, Wilton’s Environmental Affairs Director, at Monday's meeting. “Town-wide, we aren’t making a lot of difference.”

Sesto said that “eventually we’ll want to dig deeper” than “recreational hunting, if you want to call it that" if the deer population is not weakened.

Allowing a hunter on a resident’s private property is still strongly encouraged. Sesto said that properties with large acreage are viable areas for hunters to reap deer, which cause  “millions of dollars” a year in accidents and .

But to significantly cull the deer population, hunters will need to be given permission to hunt on private property.

“Please, citizens, do this,” said Selectman Hal Clark, imploring Wilton residents to allow hunters on their land. Residents should also keep in mind that property which slopes towards another residence, or property on which houses are in close proximity to one another, are not viable areas for deer hunters.

As of now, hunters will be allowed to harvest deer on roughly 2900 square feet of open space around Wilton.Unused venison from killed deer is shipped to a butcher in Katonah, NY, where it will be given to shelters, according to Sesto. Sesto also said that it costs about $75 to have the kill removed in Connecticut.

Sesto encouraged any resident interested in giving access to their property for hunting purposes to call her at 203-563-0180 or email her at Patricia.Sesto@wiltonct.org.

Last year, the Deer Committee estimated that there were about 1,300 more deer in Wilton than what was ecologically viable.