The Department of Environmental Management is investigating the death of two deer by crossbow in private Buttonwoods.

A resident on her morning walk found the first deer Nov. 13 in a greenway off Buttonwoods Avenue. The second, which DEM spokesman Michael Healey described as a young buck, was found dead Sunday in the same block of woods in the area of Hawthorne Avenue. The carcasses were removed by the DEM and both had been shot with an arrow shot from a crossbow, Healey said.

Buttonwoods resident Claire Flaherty said she called Rep. K. Joseph Shekarchi when she learned of the shootings and that he in turn contacted the DEM. She has since met with DEM Deputy Chief of Law Enforcement Kurt Blanchard and Warwick Police. Maj. Michael Gilbert of Warwick Police said Tuesday police responded to a call on Sunday about the deer near Hawthorne and at this point the investigation is being handled by DEM.

Shekarchi said Monday he is troubled by the incidents and fears other animals may have been targets and wounded and left to die.

But the shooting of the deer could have been legal – although by statute, the DEM should have been notified of a wounding or the killing of a deer within 24 hours. Also, the hunter is required to make a reasonable effort to retrieve game that has been crippled or killed.

Healey pointed out that Warwick is in Deer Management Zone 1, which permits deer hunting by archery, including crossbow, between Sept. 15 and Jan. 31, 2021. Hunting by shotgun is also allowed in Zone 1 from Dec. 5 to Dec. 20, and again, but only on private land, from Dec. 26 to Jan. 2, 2021. The bag limit in Zone 1 is three antlerless and two antler deer.

“Assuming they [hunters] have permission, it’s allowable [on private land],” Healey said. He said the hunter or hunters need to be licensed.

According to the investigation as of Monday, Healey said it appears deer regularly cross from the wooded 200-acre City Park into Buttonwoods where they are being fed. He didn’t say who was feeding the deer or what they were being fed. Also, he said a tree stand was spotted on private property.

Flaherty said deer come around the cove that separates City Park into Buttonwoods and that she has seen as many as seven or eight at a time. Since living in Buttonwoods, she has seen the deer population increase.

Flaherty was not aware that archery deer hunting in Warwick is allowed on private land with permission of the landowner.

She asked, “As neighbors in a private community, do we have any rights?” She was incredulous that neighbors would allow hunting in Buttonwoods.

The Buttonwoods Association sent an email to members Tuesday urging them to not feed deer by leaving pumpkins alongside Buttonwoods Avenue, as was being done. Pumpkins, which were attracting as many as 15 deer at a time, were cleared from alongside the road Tuesday.

According to the DEM website, regulations for deer hunting have been established with specific management goals, including the reduction of auto strikes, to address nuisance deer complaints in addition to the DEM’s goal “to preserve and maintain quality deer hunting for sportsmen.”

In an exchange of emails, Blanchard said: “DEM actually has increased our take and possession limit in more populated areas of the state as a practice of deer management. The many reasons that are considered are human / animal conflict, disease and public safety concerns such as vehicle collisions.”

By state law, annual written landowner permission is required for deer hunting on private land during the deer season. It is not required that deer permits (tags) be signed by the landowner, provided the hunter has other written permission in possession. The law also requires that no archery deer hunt within 200 feet of an occupied dwelling without written permission of the owner. The restriction on the discharge of a firearm is within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling.