Wear orange in the woods or die
With
Shotgun Deer Hunting Season Opening December 5th, DEM Reminds State Management
Area Users to Wear 500 Inches of Solid, Daylight Fluorescent Orange for Safety
Reasons
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) reminds all
Rhode Islanders that, for safety reasons, they must wear solid, daylight
fluorescent orange when in State management areas and undeveloped State parks
during the shotgun deer hunting season, which opens on Saturday, December 5.
He wasn't wearing orange
All
hunters, including archers, are required to wear 500 square inches of solid,
daylight fluorescent orange clothing during the shotgun season. Waterfowl
hunters hunting from a boat or blind, over water or field, and when done in
conjunction with decoys are exempt from the orange requirements. Archers are
exempt from wearing orange in areas of the state that are limited to hunting by
archery-only.
Throughout
all shotgun deer seasons, all other users of State management areas and
designated undeveloped State parks also must wear at least 500 square inches of
solid, daylight fluorescent orange material. For all hunters and management
area users, the orange clothing should include a hat and vest worn above the
waist and visible in all directions. An orange vest that's 20 inches long by 25
inches wide has 500 square inches of surface area.
The shotgun season for deer in Zone 1 runs from Saturday, December 5 through Sunday, December 20. The shotgun season for deer in Zone 2 is from Saturday, December 5 through Sunday, December 13.
From Saturday, December 26 through
Saturday, January 2, 2021, hunters may hunt only on private lands for
antlerless deer in Zones 1 and 2. The statewide bag limit is two antlered deer,
and no more than one antlered deer can be harvested in Zone 3. The bag limit
for antlerless deer is three in Zone 1, and two antlerless deer in Zone 2 and
Zone 3.
The
season for shotgun deer hunting in Zone 4 (Block Island) will be open on select
weekdays through February 26, 2021, as published in the state's 2020-2021
Hunting and Trapping Abstract. Hunters should call the New Shoreham Police
Department at 401-466-3220 for check station information. There is an unlimited
bag limit for antlerless deer on Block Island.
Deer
hunting hours are the same this year as in prior years: one-half hour before
sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. For more information on seasons, bag
limits, zones, and regulations, review the 2020-21 hunting abstract.
All deer hunters are required to obtain written permission annually for all deer hunting on private lands. DEM has developed a courtesy card, available on the DEM website, for hunters and landowners to sign that gives the dates for permissions and contains A Hunter's Pledge regarding principles of conduct.
DEM
encourages private landowners to allow hunters to hunt deer on their property,
where feasible, during deer hunting seasons as this is a sound management
technique that benefits deer habitats and regulates population growth. EDITOR'S NOTE: F**k that! - W. Collette
Hunters are required to report their deer harvest online at www.dem.ri.gov/huntfish within 24 hours of harvest. Deer must be tagged in the field, with a valid deer tag for the appropriate season, immediately upon taking. Those who do not have internet service or cellular data access may call DEM's Division of Fish & Wildlife at 401-789-0281 between 8:30 AM and 4 PM Monday-Friday to report their harvest.
Hunter
education is offered as part of DEM Division of Fish & Wildlife's Hunter
Education Program. Safety training is required by law in Rhode Island for
beginning hunters. To date, more than 40,000 people have completed a hunter
safety course in Rhode Island, helping to reduce related accidents in the state
and elsewhere. A complete schedule of hunter educational offerings is available
here.
To
purchase a hunting license, or for more Information about Rhode Island's
hunting and fishing licensing system, visit www.dem.ri.gov/huntfish. The site
also acts as a portal to help plan adventures that make the most of Rhode
Island's great outdoors. It links to information on hunting and fishing
opportunities, trails, and natural areas through a variety of maps, as well as
certification information for hunter safety and boating safety.
For
more information on DEM programs and services, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow DEM
on Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM), Instagram (@ri.fishandwildlife) or Facebook at
www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM for more information on deer hunting in Rhode
Island as well as other timely updates.
Related
links
2020-2021
Hunting and Trapping Abstract
