Island hunting season extended to tackle ticks

Local experts, hospital executives, hunters, and state officials all gathered in one room Wednesday afternoon to discuss the prevalence of ticks and tick-borne conditions, such as Lyme disease and alpha-gal syndrome, on Martha’s Vineyard, in what state officials are now calling a public health crisis. An expansion of the deer hunting season in an attempt to decrease the number of ticks was also announced yesterday. 

In a meeting room in Oak Bluffs Town Hall, many involved with the problem of ticks discussed what they know so far and outlined possible next steps. 

Tick-borne conditions have risen by alarming rates, with more Islanders than ever afflicted with alpha-gal, the red meat and dairy allergy from lone-star ticks. The Vineyard is regarded as a hot spot for many tick-borne diseases and some infections occur here at rates over 100 times higher than state rates. 

“As everyone in this room knows, the prevalence of tick-borne illnesses has gotten so bad on both Islands,” Representative Thomas Moakley said to the crowd of over twenty people on Wednesday. Moakley and State Senator Julian Cyr organized the meeting to keep up the conversation about ticks and prevention and move towards action. 

One way of tackling the increase in ticks is by mitigating the deer population, which are regarded as the top carriers. MassWildlife estimates the Island has over 100 deer per square mile outside of hunting areas, much higher than the state goal for ecological balance of 12 to 18. 

In a press release following the meeting on Wednesday, the state opted to extend the winter bowhunting and primitive firearm hunting season by two weeks, following a recent month-long extension, in an effort to make a dent in the deer population. The season will now run from Jan. 1 through Feb. 14, 2026. They also tacked on an additional hunting season for primitive firearms and archery next fall, from Sept. 21 through Oct. 1 in 2026.

“With deer density driving much of this public-health crisis, expanding deer hunting opportunities is a necessary step to protect our communities,” Cyr stated in the press release. 

Officials at Wednesday’s meeting discussed a possible cull of the deer population to broadly target the population and make a more immediate impact, but the idea was floated rather than more seriously planned. State representatives urged the public to make their considerations known going forward, and said they will announce public hearing sessions in early 2026 to discuss whether to make hunting season extensions permanent and possibly allow Sunday hunting. Massachusetts is one of only two states in the country that don’t allow hunting on Sundays. 

The environmental implications of a large deer population was also discussed in Wednesday’s meeting and subsequent press release. On the Vineyard, some of the highest deer density in Massachusetts not only lends itself to the spread of ticks but also contributes to coastal erosion and habitat loss for other species. 

The deer often feed on grasses near marshes and coastlines. According to Martin Feehan, the deer and moose project leader at MassWildlife, this increases flood risk and results in an imbalanced ecosystem because the deer population on the Island is largely overrun. This impact becomes even more acute on an Island where residents already experience elevated home insurance rates and fears due to climate concerns like flooding and storms. 

Feehan said targeting the deer population is one solution, but those reductions alone will potentially have little to no impact on tick abundance. 

“[It’s] important to note that any permanent strategies, long-term, really have to be a combined effort, both in terms of your herd management, but then also alternative strategies, such as treatment,” Feehan said. 

“If there was an easy solution, it would have already happened,” said Catherine Brown, the state epidemiologist. 

One effort to minimize the deer population was made recently by a group of locals and tick researchers: Tick Free MV is a new nonprofit organization, launched to specifically create initiatives to incentivize hunting and encourage venison donation, which will also help combat food insecurity. 

Brian Athearn and Bret Stearns, two local hunters, spoke about the prevalence of ticks and mitigation techniques going forward in front of the state officials on Wednesday.

“If anybody has any questions of us, we have a lot of ideas, and we’re actively, weekly, daily, feeling out other hunters and scaling out what the community wants and what people are willing to do,” Athearn said. He said working with property owners and communicating with Islanders about what they’re looking for should be a priority. 

And recently-elected council chair of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Kevin Devine, asked officials about tribal involvement in mitigating the deer population. He pointed to the federal grants and resources that are available to assist with public health crises on tribal lands. 

Devine referenced the Tribal Epidemiology Center, made up of 33 tribes, including the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah). “I’m pleased to announce that they have public health staff and resources. They have an epidemiology staff and resources. All of those are available to us here,” Devine added. 

Concern about epidemiologist resources were further highlighted by the only local expert on the matter, Lea Hamner, who is a contract epidemiologist for the county. Her work is funded a mere eight hours a week to address the issue of tick-borne conditions across all six Island towns. 

“With Lone Star ticks taking hold, alpha-gal syndrome has exploded. Five years ago it was a blip; this year our only allergist had over 400 active alpha-gal syndrome patients before retiring. It has become one of our most common tick-associated conditions,” Hamner stated. 

She said five years of research has shown that the Vineyard has far exceeded the number of cases than state comparisons. Lyme disease and babesiosis are 11 times higher than the state, ehrlichiosis is 99 times higher, tularemia is 143 times higher, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever is an alarming 185 times higher. 

“Schools have changed lunch programs. Nurses are managing many more epi-pens. Community members have canceled surgeries because their providers couldn’t guarantee alpha-gal-safe medications. People feel alpha-gal syndrome is inevitable — and that is unacceptable,” Hamner continued. 

Health officials also pointed to the uptick in emergency visits and positive tests for tick-borne conditions. 

“This summer, 19 percent of visits overall were tick-related,” Jeff Levy, chief executive officer and owner of Martha’s Vineyard Medical, said. 

Claire Seguin, the chief nurse and vice president of operations at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, said they’ve seen a drastic uptick in positive alpha-gal tests — from two in 2020 to 724 so far this year. The hospital even changed their cafeteria menu to accommodate the allergy. 

One in every hundred emergency room visits are for tick bites or related symptoms. And, Seguin said that “that’s not counting primary care” visits regarding the many tick-borne conditions.