Key Points
- Wilton’s Deer Management Committee approved the proposed 2026-27 controlled deer hunt, which would run from Sept. 15 through January 2027 if approved by additional boards.
- The list of participating town, Wilton Land Trust and SNEW properties remains unchanged from last year, with safety protocols and public notifications planned.
- Committee members cited growing concerns over tick-borne illnesses, including Lyme disease and alpha-gal syndrome, while also discussing helping neighboring Weston establish a deer management program.
Why It Matters: The annual controlled hunt is intended to reduce deer-related vehicle collisions, limit the spread of tick-borne diseases and protect local forests, while balancing public safety and recreational access to town-owned open space.
Wilton’s Deer Management Committee approved its plan for this year’s controlled deer hunt during its Jun. 24 meeting, and the list of properties where hunting will be permitted remains unchanged from last year.
The hunt, which has been taking place annually for 25 years, is intended to help reduce the number of car-deer accidents, limit the spread of tick-borne diseases, and protect forests from damage caused by over-browsing. If the plan is approved by the Wilton Conservation Commission, the Wilton Land Trust and the Board of Selectmen (BOS), it will begin Sept. 15 and run through the end of January 2027.
Affected Properties
The plan approves deer hunting in the following locations (note that these locations will be closed to the public during the hunt period):
- Five town-owned properties: Vista Rd., Belknap Preserve, Wren’s Thicket, Sharp Hill Rd. and Linden Tree/Deforest Rd.
- Ten Wilton Land Trust properties: parcels at Gregg Preserve, Coulhane, Chessor Ln., St. Johns/Chicken St., Seeley Rd./Pen Central, Middlebrook Farm and Thayer Pond, plus land trust parcels adjacent to the town-owned properties at Vista Rd., Sharp Hill Rd., and Linden Tree/Deforest Rd.
- Five properties owned by South Norwalk Electric and Water (SNEW) that are always closed to the public: City Lake, Popes Pond, Crystal Lake, the Diversion parcel and Comstock
Deer Management Committee Chair Mike Russnok noted one parcel that has occasionally been included in previous hunts, Sackett’s Preserve, continues to be “rested” due to the low number of deer reported on the property. He said the committee will continue to periodically review the parcel for possible inclusion in future hunt plans.
Several properties prohibit hunting during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. All Wilton Land Trust properties except the Gregg Preserve are restricted to bowhunting only, as are the town-owned parcels of Wren’s Thicket, Sharp Hill Road, and Linden Tree/Deforest Rd.
Hunting on private property is also legal in Wilton, provided that hunters follow certain guidelines and restrictions. The town will facilitate matching hunters with private property owners and offers a free guide to interviewing and selecting a hunter. Currently, around 45 hunters are registered to participate in the program.
Wilton residents who have questions about the planned hunt locations should contact the town’s Environmental Affairs Department or the Deer Management Committee.
Safety is Committee’s Top Priority
Committee member Justin Viesta told GOOD Morning Wilton that ensuring safety is the committee’s primary concern when planning and carrying out a deer hunt.
“All of our hunters within the committee are vetted,” Viesta said. “They go through a process of proficiency shooting. All hunting takes place from tree stands, which are elevated positions. So, any projectile, whether it be an arrow or a bullet, is projected towards the ground. … Those projectiles are going into the ground right after impact.”
Viesta emphasized that, to ensure maximum safety, hunters try to keep all shots to within 20 to 30 yards.
“Safety is our responsibility and always has been, as hunters and as stewards of the land,” Viesta said. “I always tell the homeowners, don’t change anything you’re doing. The worst thing that would happen is a homeowner comes out and scares the deer away.”
Prior to the hunt, the Environmental Affairs Department mails out notices to residents living within 500 feet of parks where hunts are scheduled to take place, and also installs fluorescent orange signs warning visitors that the park is closed for the duration of the controlled hunt.
Committee Emphasizes Elevated Risk of Tick-Borne Diseases
During the Jun. 24 meeting, committee member Jeffrey Runge, a veterinary surgeon, said that he and his medical colleagues have been seeing an increase in tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease and alpha-gal syndrome, as well as rickettsial (bacterial) diseases such as babesiosis and anaplasmosis, and expects these diseases to be a “huge problem” this year.
“I do not doubt that the alpha-gal phenomenon, which probably you’ve heard of, is going to be a question coming this fall to us,” Runge said.
Alpha-gal syndrome is a potentially fatal chronic allergy caused by tick bites. A person with the allergy can experience symptoms ranging from rashes and hives to severe gastrointestinal and cardiovascular issues after consuming red meat, dairy products, and even some medicines.
The committee plans to discuss developing a plan for conducting educational outreach in the community to raise awareness of the risk posed by tick-borne and bacterial diseases.
“I know people are worried about ticks, but … when they hear … what can really happen, I think it would really open a lot of eyes and prepare people … to take care of what they need to around their properties and their children,” committee member Jeff Lapnow said.
Committee Discusses Assisting Weston with Developing Deer Management Program
Also during the meeting, committee member Donna Merrill asked the committee to consider making a presentation to the Town of Weston‘s conservation commission about setting up a deer management program of their own.
“I just feel that we’re not an island,” Merrill said. “You guys and all the hunters just do such a terrific job; wouldn’t it be great to actually … grow this with contiguous towns? Ridgefield hunts, and I’m not quite sure who else does, but Weston is heavily wooded and heavily deer-browsed, as you know.”
Merrill noted that Wilton shares a long border with Weston, and she has been told the town is “just crushed with deer.”
Director of Environmental Affairs Mike Conklin suggested also reaching out to the Aspetuck Land Trust, which maintains 45 trailed preserves in Fairfield County, to gauge their interest. He noted that there had been a county-wide municipal deer alliance, but it disbanded about a decade ago.
Next Steps
The Deer Management Committee will present the approved plan to the Conservation Commission at its Wednesday, July 1 meeting. Once approved, it will be submitted to the Wilton Land Trust and finally to the BOS prior to the plan’s start date.
During the Jun. 24 meeting, the committee also welcomed new member James Crossen, who is filling a vacancy.
Are your landscaping and gardening efforts being undermined by deer? The Deer Management Committee has posted a document prepared by The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station at New Haven with detailed lists of annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees that are most and least susceptible to deer browse damage.
