09/25/2026
Southampton Town is rolling out a "residents only" hunting access program on CPF land. Non-residents can still come along with a resident friend, because as every deer hunter knows, nothing beats sharing a stand when trophy hunting.
Let's be clear about the goal here. This isn't about reducing deer numbers. It's about reducing hunter access. We've always defended the position that "if you can hike it, you can hunt it," as long as you can meet the discharge setback.
Unfortunately, this fight will have to be taken up by New York State hunters, and the question is simple. Who are the beneficiaries of the Peconic Bay Region Community Preservation Fund of 1998? The law that created the CPF says these lands must be managed for "public use and enjoyment." Not resident use. Public.
Every buyer who has closed on property post 1998 in the five East End towns (Southampton, East Hampton, Riverhead, Southold and Shelter Island) has paid that 2% transfer tax, whether they live here full time or not. Many residents never paid a dime into it, while plenty of non-residents did. If the Town insists on limiting access, then make it "CPF taxpayers only," not "residents only."
If the five East End towns want fewer hunters, then restrict access to those who paid for it.
White-tailed deer are not the only vector for the ticks that carry various diseases that plague the South Fork, but they are the foundational one, and as the concerns about
