DEMAND THE EAST HAMPTON TOWN BOARD STOP THE $70,000 PLAN TO KILL 200 DEER IN SPRINGS — SHOW US THE EVIDENCE!

The East Hampton Town Board is proposing to spend $70,000 of taxpayer money to hire outside professional hunters to kill approximately 200 deer in Springs during 2026–2027.

Before a single deer is killed, residents deserve to see the complete plan and understand the evidence behind this decision.

Where is the proof that killing 200 deer will actually solve the problems the Town is trying to address?

If the goals are to reduce tick-borne disease, prevent deer-vehicle collisions, or protect our environment, where is the scientific evidence that this approach will make a measurable difference specifically here in Springs?

We have taken away much of the wildlife’s natural habitat, built roads and barriers, and pushed animals into increasingly developed areas. Now the proposed solution is to eliminate them.

We believe coexistence and responsible, science-based wildlife management deserve serious consideration before an irreversible decision is made.

A plan to KILL deer should involve actual academics who are able to understand cause and effect in a complex way.  It should require the expertise of  epidemiologists and statisticians…not hunters.   These deer will die in vain to protect the egos of a few uninformed careless individuals who are making decisions using their opinions and not science.  

THE TOWN BOARD MUST ANSWER THESE BASIC QUESTIONS:

1.  What scientific evidence shows this will actually work in Springs? Is that evidence based on our local deer population and conditions?
2. How many deer are actually in the target area? What is the current population, and how was it measured?
3. How will success be measured? What specific results and data will determine whether this program works?
4. Have non-lethal alternatives been fully explored? What about 4-poster tick control stations, wildlife crossings, and other non-lethal approaches
5. What is the precise stopping point? At what point will the killing be discontinued?
6. Who will independently verify the results? Will a neutral researcher tally the actual number of deer killed and evaluate the outcomes? How will the public be kept informed?

WHAT WE ARE DEMANDING:

• Immediately pause the proposed deer cull.
• Release the complete deer management plan to the public.
• Provide the scientific evidence supporting the decision.
• Fully explore non-lethal alternatives.
• Establish independent monitoring, public reporting, and a clearly defined stopping point.

We should not be asked to accept a plan we haven’t even been allowed to fully examine.

This is about more than deer. It is about how our Town makes decisions, how it spends our tax dollars, and whether irreversible actions are supported by evidence.  A temporary reduction in deer numbers is not the same as a lasting solution. And taxpayers deserve evidence that the proposed program will deliver lasting results before a single deer is killed.

Times are changing, and our approach to animal welfare must change with them. Across the country, people are increasingly questioning practices that were once accepted as normal or necessary. From the successful movement to END horse-drawn carriages in New York City to the nationwide public outcry over the treatment of beagles at Ridglan Farms, we are seeing a shift in expectations about how animals should be treated. 

Tradition is not a justification for continuing outdated practices. We should be looking for more humane, science-based solutions that reflect today’s understanding of animal welfare and our responsibility to coexist with wildlife.

SIGN THIS PETITION. DEMAND TRANSPARENCY. DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY. TELL THE EAST HAMPTON TOWN BOARD TO SAVE OUR DEER.