Find Another Spot

By mere feet, a worker at the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Refuge escaped tragedy when shotgun slugs fired by a deer hunter whizzed by, striking animal enclosures at the center.

But the events on that day early last month still were tragic for workers at the center, who, after hearing the familiar refrain of gunshots, raced outside to find a 7-month-old fawn that had been raised in the sanctuary dying of a gunshot wound inflicted by a hunter. Efforts to save the deer were fruitless.

The hunter claimed he had gotten lost and didn’t realize the animal was on protected refuge land. Shelter personnel, noting that hunters are directed not to shoot within 500 feet of any structure, assert that the deer was shot less than 50 feet from the center.

While the two sides in the incident are diametrically opposed — wildlife hunting is a time-honored tradition that helps families supplement their food supply, and the refuge is committed to helping injured animals in the wild — the two can coexist, perhaps not harmoniously but at least in mutual tolerance.

Given that, it just makes sense that there should be a more significant physical buffer between the sanctuary and any hunting going on in the surrounding area.

A 2003 agreement between Suffolk County and the State Department of Environmental Conservation makes that difficult, however. It allows hunters to travel through Munn’s County Park to get to Henry’s Hollow, a landlocked area where hunting is allowed, and which abuts the Wildlife Rescue Center property.

Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming and State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. have both been working to explore that agreement and had asked the DEC to suspend hunting in the area. It did not.

Fleming, along with officials from the center, during a meeting of the Suffolk County Legislature’s Environment, Parks and Agriculture Committee late last month, urged change. Thiele noted recently that the incident with the deer in early January was not the first hunter incursion onto the center’s property.

Thiele and Fleming, along with officials from the center, are asking the county to either rescind or alter the agreement between the county and state to avoid any further incidents at the center, which, in addition to caring for injured animals, also is host to a nature trail and offers classes to kids in the area.

It just makes sense to rescind the agreement — and Thiele and Fleming must continue to work toward that.

There are plenty of other areas for hunters to enjoy their sport that won’t put susceptible animals, rescue workers and children in danger from those who might miss their mark. The next time, the tragedy might not be avoided.