DEM reminds public to wear 500 square inches of solid, fluorescent orange during shotgun season, starting Dec. 3
Throughout shotgun deer season, which opens on Saturday, Dec. 3, users of these recreational areas and hunters must wear 500 square inches of solid, daylight fluorescent orange clothing.
An orange vest and hat worn above the waist that's 20 inches long by
25 inches wide has 500 square inches of surface area. During the shotgun deer
season, archers and waterfowl hunters are exempt from wearing orange in areas
of the state that are limited to archery hunting only and waterfowl hunters
hunting only from a boat or blind, over water or field, and when done in
conjunction with decoys.
DEM also is reminding Rhode Island deer hunters that all deer taken during the first two days of shotgun deer season – Saturday, Dec. 3, and Sunday, Dec. 4 – must be physically checked at one of five state-run biological check stations. This includes deer taken with archery equipment. Exempt from this requirement are deer taken on Patience Island, Prudence Island, and Block Island; these must be reported using the online licensing system.
Operating Hours are 8 AM until 6 PM daily.
The five check stations are located at:
• Arcadia Management Area: Route 165, Ten
Rod Road at Wood River, Exeter, Phone: 539-7117
• Carolina Management Area: Pine Hill Road,
Richmond, Phone: 364-3483
• Durfee Hill Management Area: Reynolds Road
(Route 94), Glocester, Phone: 568-6753
• Great Swamp Management Area: 277 Great
Neck Road, West Kingston, Phone: 789-1636
• Tiverton Rod and Gun Club: 1529 Fish Road,
Tiverton, Phone: 624-3959
Deer hunters are required to obtain written
permission annually for all deer hunting on private lands. DEM's Division of
Fish & Wildlife (DFW) 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.
Check stations allow biologists and
volunteers to collect samples and take data that provide insight into the
overall health of Rhode Island's deer herd. Outside of check stations, hunters
are required to report their deer harvest online 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 DFW at 401-789-0281 8:30 AM-4 PM Monday-Friday to
report their harvest.
Hunter education is offered as part of DFW
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, helping to reduce hunting-related accidents in the state and
elsewhere. A complete schedule of hunter educational offerings is available
here. For more information on seasons, bag limits, zones, and regulations,
review the 2022-23 Hunting and Trapping Abstract.
DEM works to protect and enhance wildlife
habitat in Rhode Island forests and management areas to ensure healthier, more
diverse, and abundant wildlife populations.
A hunting license can be purchased online on
DEM'S Rhode Island Outdoors (RIO) portal. DEM's website,
www.dem.ri.gov/huntfish 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),
Facebook, or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem and @ri.fishandwildlife).
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