Environment DEC
From the April 2003 issue
New Hunting Regulations Help New York Hunters Achieve Record Deer Take
The new modifications to deer hunting laws, licenses, tags and practices afield that were implemented by DEC this past season resulted in a record high total harvest. The total take in the 2002 season was approximately 308,000 deer, roughly nine percent higher than the 2001 take of 282,000 deer. Of the 2002 total, nearly 180,000 were antlerless deer, and more than 128,000 were bucks--the second highest buck take ever recorded by New York hunters. The top five counties with the highest deer take were Steuben, Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua and St. Lawrence.
Maintaining Deer Populations
A critical goal in helping to control the state's deer population, New York's deer hunters achieved the desired harvest of about 110,000 adult females. DEC issued more than 668,000 deer management permits to hunters during the initial instant lottery, and an additional 102,000 deer management permits during the extended first come-first served application period. These permits are valid only for the taking of antlerless deer and serve as the cornerstone for statewide deer management efforts.
Deer populations vary throughout New York, and approximately half of the current Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) have deer populations that are above desired levels. The goal of DEC's deer management program is to maintain deer numbers at levels that meet local interests and habitat conditions, while also providing quality hunting opportunities for New York's 650,000 deer hunters. For more than a decade, DEC has utilized local citizen task forces to establish deer population objectives for most WMUs. The task forces represent a broad range of public interests and consider concerns of farmers, foresters, conservationists, landowners and hunters.
Management Programs
Two deer management programs that are intended to enhance deer harvests had positive results during the 2002 season. The Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) offers site specific relief for farmers and others suffering from deer damage. The DMAP program has been in existence since 1999 and continues to grow, with more than 12,000 deer taken by hunters from approximately 2,200 problem areas during the past season.
The Venison Donation Program also expanded last year and New York hunters donated more than 85,000 pounds of ground venison to charitable institutions during the program's fourth year of operation.
