Bow hunting season to begin at EPCAL Oct. 10

There are still 210 out of 251 spots left for Riverhead hunters who want to take part in the seven-week-long bow hunt at Calverton Enterprise Park this fall, town officials said this week.

The hunt will be held for seven weeks from Oct. 10 until Nov. 27 at nine locations at EPCAL. Four hunters are assigned to each location for a one-week period. Only Riverhead residents may participate.

“There’s a lot of hunters in the Town of Riverhead, believe it or not,” said Town Board member and liaison to the town’s hunting committee, George Gabrielsen. But when a lottery was held on Tuesday for first choice on location and date, only about 38 hunters attended, he said. He speculated the lottery had not been well publicized and all 251 hunting spots will be booked by the start of the season.

Mr. Gabrielsen said the town decided to bring back bow hunting at EPCAL after a lapse of a decade because a shotgun hunting season last year had been so successful. Shotgun hunting season begins again in January.

Of the hunters, Mr. Gabrielson said, “They’re very responsible people.” Mr. Gabrielsen is a hunter himself.

Anyone interested in participating must bring his or her hunting and bow hunting licenses to Town Hall to apply for a spot. There is no fee.