National Park Service To Begin Annual Deer Culling At Floyd Estate, Fire Island Seashore

MASTIC BEACH, NY — A deer culling will take place during the second half of February on federal lands at the William Floyd Estate in Mastic Beach and the nearby wilderness area of Fire Island in Shirley, National Park Service officials said Tuesday.

The culling, which is an annual one as part of the Fire Island National Seashore White-tailed Deer Management Plan, will be carried out by highly-qualified wildlife professionals, and areas of the grounds will be closed to the public when operations are underway for safety reasons, according to officials.

The culling will only take place on federal lands, officials said.

Fire Island National Seashore Superintendent Alexcy Romero said the plan "has been a multi-year effort, done safely, and with success."

"It's important that we continue this effort to ensure the desired deer densities can be met to support a more diverse ecosystem," he said. "The overabundance of white-tailed deer has impacted the regeneration of vegetation in habitats throughout Fire Island and the William Floyd Estate."

The plan, approved in April 2016, contains an integrated management strategy to achieve a density goal of 20 to 25 deer per square mile and to reduce human-wildlife conflicts. The management strategy outlined in the plan includes:

● Expanded education and outreach
● Increased deer and vegetation monitoring and research
● Fencing
● Deer population reduction and maintenance through removal operations; a public hunt only within the Fire Island Wilderness; and fertility control, should a federally-approved agent become available and meet the established criteria laid out in the plan.

Additional information about deer management efforts, including outreach and education, frequently asked questions, and research articles can be found by clicking here.