What the Town of Shelter Island is Doing     The Shelter Island Deer and Tick Committee, through two years of research, has concluded that the best way to reduce the tick population is to kill them on the host, which is the deer. It is working aggressively to pursue the 4-Poster system that could eventually eliminate up to 95% of all blacklegged ticks and lone star ticks.  This 4-Poster system is currently allowed in every state except New York. We are working with other East End towns and our legislators to move the NY State DEC to permit its use.        Finally, hunting is encouraged during the deer hunting season. Shelter Island is 12.1 square miles. After a count of deer this past December, which found 570 deer (although some may have been hidden), and a winter hunt that took approximately 150 to 200, we estimate that there are about 37 deer per square mile.  That number, experts tell us, should be no more than 20 in order to maintain a healthy balance with nature. All hunters must observe State license requirements and designated hunting periods. Even if an area is not posted as “No Hunting,” a hunter must obtain permission to hunt from the landowner and adjacent neighbors.