Big Game Briefs: May/June 2002

The Big Game Briefs are a compilation of recent events, program status and anecdotes pertaining to deer and bear management issues across the state. Submissions of local interest from each regional Deer Biologist, along with statewide perspectives from Central Office Big Game staff are consolidated to present a review of current deer and bear management program issues across the state.

REGION 1

STATE OF THE DEER HERD MEETINGS

Two State of the Deer Herd (SODH) meetings were held during May. Approximately 80 people were in attendance at the two meetings. Following the presentation, the floor was open for comments and questions. In general, participants were pleased with the changes to the DEC Automated Licensing System (DECALS). Other comments that were heard at both meetings included a need for a junior big game license, additional land access, mandatory hunter orange during regular season, and increased muzzleloader opportunities. The use of crossbows for deer hunting came up at both meetings and a consensus was not reached regarding use for deer hunting. An additional SODH presentation was made at the Region 1 Environmental Conservation Officer's block meeting to inform them of the regulation changes that have been made.

DEER DAMAGE

A total of 95 Nuisance Deer Permits have been issued to date for 2002. Requests for permit applications and renewals have increased over the last month because the growing season is now under way and damage to crops becomes more obvious to landowners. Those requesting permits are encouraged to allow hunting on their property during the deer hunting seasons and are also encouraged to enroll in the Deer Management Assistance Program. The new DEC pamphlet "A Landowners Guide To Using Hunting To Control Deer" is being provided to landowners claiming property damage. Regional staff are also working with Human Dimensions Research Unit of Cornell University to develop a survey of Suffolk County landowners to gather information on attitudes towards deer management, including factors influencing a landowners decision to allow hunting and hunter access on their property. The Region is also working with the Long Island Farm Bureau to increase hunter access on private lands within the agricultural community.

2002-03 DEER SEASON FORECAST

The mild winter and abundance of acorns last fall resulted in most adult females coming through the winter in good condition and twin fawns have been sighted with regularity by staff this spring. Early indications show that mast will be relatively abundant again this fall, which may lead to decreased deer movements. Aside from the potential for the abundance of acorns to limit deer movements, hunters should plan on seeing plenty of deer during the upcoming hunting season in Suffolk County. With favorable hunting conditions and increased opportunities for hunters to harvest deer, the 2002-03 season outlook is very promising. Hunters are encouraged to take advantage of the guaranteed Deer Management Permits for Wildlife Management Unit 1C. Those expecting to hunt in Suffolk County as well as upstate are encouraged to apply for the WMU 1C (Suffolk county) DMP as their second choice area. Hunters choosing WMU 1C as their second choice area will still receive a preference point even if they are denied a DMP for any upstate WMU that they may choose for a first permit . Hunters are guaranteed a WMU 1C DMP if they apply for it. The special January shotgun season will be managed in a similar fashion to last season. Those who wish to hunt deer during the special January season on DEC-managed lands in Suffolk County must enter a drawing. In order to enter the drawing, the Department must have received an entry by December 2. The entry consists of a legal size envelope which must contain a self-addressed stamped return envelope. The return envelope must have the hunters back-tag number written across the front of the envelope. Within 10 days following the drawing date, hunters will receive a pamphlet that includes a drawing number and detailed instructions for the procedures for making a reservation. The drawing number will determine which date the hunter can show up at the Ridge Hunter Check Station to make a reservation. The hunter or their representative must be present at the check station in order to make a reservation. Entries should be mailed to NYSDEC-Deer Drawing, Box 659, Ridge NY 11961-0659.

REGION 3

STATE OF THE DEER HERD MEETINGS

Region 3 held two SODH meetings in the spring of 2002. Attendance at both meetings was lower than expected. Comments and questions at the meetings included issues such as the need for better access, season restructuring, and incentives to hunters for harvesting antlerless deer. There were also questions raised about why the junior big game license for 14 and 15 year olds was not approved and what, if anything, hunters could do about helping to get it passed by the legislature. In addition, several attendees had concerns about how DMPs applicants will be selected through the DECALS system, the need for a Quality Deer Management program to restore trophy-sized bucks to the region, and the legalization of crossbows.

DEER DAMAGE

As of June 30, more than 150 deer Nuisance Deer Permits have been issued in the region for the year to date. The majority of the complaints are for agricultural crop and ornamental plant damage. Complaints have been received from all seven counties in the region, with the highest number of complaints coming from Dutchess, and Ulster counties. Thus far, nearly 250 deer have been destroyed pursuant to the damage permits issued in the Region for 2002.

2002 DEER SEASON FORECAST

The unseasonably warm weather in fall 2001 appears to have had an effect on last years hunter success in parts of the region, as evidenced the buck take decline in several Wildlife Management Units (WMU) compared to the previous year's take. However, almost half the WMUs showed no significant decline, and except for 3A and 3H, all WMUs in the region were either at or above their established Buck Take Objective in 2001. For the 2002 deer season, applicants will receive a first Deer Management Permit in most units and many will receive a second permit if they opt to apply for one. Once again, Bonus Permits will be available in WMU 3S (Westchester County).

COOPERATIVE HUNTING AREAS

The Ten Mile River Boy Scout Camp will no longer be operating as a Cooperative Hunting Area by DEC and is not open to the public. For information on alternative places to hunt in Sullivan County, call 845-256-3098.

REGION 4

DEER DAMAGE

Through June, nuisance complaints are down dramatically from last year. In 2001, there were 75 permits issued from January through June, while this year, only 50 have been issued. In 2000, there were 48 permits issued for the same time period, almost the same number as this year. Perhaps the mild winter and bumper acorn crop last fall are partially responsible for the reduction in deer damage. With high deer numbers throughout most of the region, the decline in damage is not expected.

STATE OF THE DEER HERD MEETINGS

Region 4 held two State of the Deer Herd meetings. The first one in Oneonta on May 22 had 102 hunters attending, while the second meeting in Albany on May 29th was less well attended in that only 24 present. There were many questions at both meetings about DECALS and the 3/2 tag structure. Access problems came up as an issue at both meetings as did the need for the use of blaze orange. At the Oneonta meeting, the Department was criticized for not issuing enough DMPs in some units where the overabundance of deer is readily apparent. Hunters were very enthusiastic about the many changes which will be taking place this fall.

2002 DEER SEASON FORECAST

Several comments have been received from the public regarding the increased number of fawns that people are seeing. Adult females came through the winter in great shape, and there was likely little fawn mortality. As such, we can expect a very productive spring fawning season this year. The temperature has soared in late June, but there has been a fair amount of rain in recent weeks and the city reservoirs are near full again.

The outlook for the 2002 big game hunting seasons is a very promising one. With the deer harvest in the region down last fall in part due to the warm weather during the hunting season, there should be increased numbers of deer out there this fall if normal weather prevails. The harvest should be up quite a bit, perhaps as much as 10-15%. The goal is to issue about 67,000 deer management permits (DMPs) in the region this fall, a slight increase over last year. The increase will be seen in WMUs 4C, 4F, 4K, 4M, 4N, 4O, 4P, and 4W. DMP numbers will remain the same for units 4B, 4G, 4H, 4R, and 4S. While all Columbia County units will see fewer permits issued this fall, the numbers are all above the number issued in 2000. There will still be a lot of permits available for these very productive units. Access is an issue in all these units.

REGION 5

STATE OF THE DEER HERD MEETINGS

Region 5 held three State of the Deer Herd meetings in the spring of 2002, one each in Clinton, Hamilton, and Saratoga Counties. Total attendance at the three meetings was 96. Most of the attendees were very positive about the changes that have been made and proposed for the future, but some were confused by the magnitude and combination of changes being implemented this year. Most of them left with at least a basic understanding of how things will go this year, but the more information we can get out to hunters the better. Issues and comments brought up by attendees included deer baiting, support for an early southern zone muzzleloading season, support for an earlier opening of the northern zone archery season (September 1), and a request for a new license type that adds trapping to the super sportsman license.

DEER DAMAGE

Deer damage complaints in the Region are approximately 40% less than at this time in 2001. A wet spring led to early green up of natural vegetation, possibly taking some of the pressure off of commercial crops. Three years of Deer Management Assistance Permits (DMAP) issued at problem sites may be reducing local deer populations to a more tolerable level, and DMAP permit holders may prefer that program to Nuisance Deer Permits.

2002 DEER SEASON FORECAST

Mild winter conditions this past winter were good news for the Adirondack deer herd. The Northern Zone units in the region should have recovered somewhat from the winter of 2000-2001, and the deer population should be higher this fall than in it was in 2001. Deer populations in the southern zone units in the region are mostly over the objectives, but high DMP numbers last year should begin to have an effect this fall. All four units will have fewer permits available this year, but the chances of getting a first permit in any of the units is high. There will be no second permits available in WMU 5N or 5P, and the chances of a second permit in WMU 5R or 5K are low.

VENISON DONATION

Regional meat processors were contacted about participation in the expanding venison donation program. Of the nine processors, three agreed to participate this year, and four others expressed interest but do not have freezer space available to store donated venison until it is picked up. The program will consider providing freezers to processors who need them.

REGION 6

STATE OF THE DEER HERD MEETINGS

Three SODH meetings were held within Region 6 with about 130 people in attendance. The topic of most interest to attendees was the new DECALS system and the recent changes to deer hunting licenses. The meetings provided a good opportunity to inform hunters and others interested in deer about recent regulatory changes and about the current status of deer herds in the local area.

DEER DAMAGE

Deer damage complaints handled by the Region during the late spring/early summer have been slightly lower than in the past few years. Increased antlerless harvest in selected WMUs coupled with growing interest in the DMAP Program are believed to be working in reducing deer conflicts in areas with the highest deer densities.

2002 DEER SEASON FORECAST

The 2002 deer hunting season is shaping up to be an excellent one in the North Country. Good over winter survival and an observable good fawn drop have contributed to a plentiful deer herd. Although management objectives in several WMUs have resulted in slightly lower deer numbers than a few years ago, overall numbers remain high in many areas, with deer in generally excellent condition.

REGION 7

STATE OF THE DEER HERD MEETING

Turnout was good at the Region's two State of the Deer Herd meetings, 60 plus at Binghamton and 80 plus at Syracuse. The bulk of the meetings was devoted to the new license format, computerized licensing, and how Deer Management Permits will be issued through the new system. Many other issues were also discussed with access, youth opportunities, and season revisions were among the hot topics.

DEER DAMAGE

The wet spring and resulting lush vegetation seems to have keep deer out of the agricultural crops somewhat, but Deer Damage complaints are coming in at a pace that will likely top 100 for a second year.

KING FERRY QDM PROJECT

While most accounts (including a picture of a doe with quadruplets) suggest that productivity was good in the Region this spring, you wouldn't know it based on our second year efforts trying to tag fawns at King Ferry. Fawns encounter rates for crews was only about a third of that experienced in 2001. In 2001 crews encountered a fawn about every half hour, while in 2002 it took crews about an hour and a half to find one. Some fawn encounters were with older fawns which eluded capture and a few fawns were found dead. When we were finished we had tagged five fawns in about 15 hours of searching, compared to 6 fawns tagged in about four hours in 2001. We don't doubt there are plenty of deer and fawns on the project area, so it may have been beginners luck in 2001 and/or just bad luck in 2002. We'll see what the spotlight and camera surveys find latter this summer and fall.

DEER MANAGEMENT & STATE LANDS

Public lands are often subjected to high hunting pressure which can depress deer numbers on and near the state properties. While this may be a blessing to neighboring farms (versus those that suffer extensive damage when a neighboring property is closed to hunting), it is troubling to hunters who rely on the state land for their hunting opportunity. Controlling DMP numbers on a scale to prevent this phenomenon is not practical. An approach that might be useful would be restricting the use of DMPs on state lands in a unit for a season or two. While this seems to be a possibly means to deal with this "tragedy of the commons" there seems to be a fair amount of resistance to the concept. Hunters seem more accepting of a complete moratorium on permits in a unit, which is not practical because of the need to provide the means to keep deer numbers in check on private lands where deer numbers are not depressed.

REGION 8

DEER DAMAGE

The issuance of deer damage permits is beginning to pick up significantly with 200+ issued in the Region already. Interest in DMAP remains strong as new requests for participation continue to come in. All past participants will be mailed an application for 2002 sometime this month.

STATE OF THE DEER HERD MEETINGS

The SODH meetings in the Region went well with a total of 135 people attending. Participants seemed very interested in the various changes being implemented this year. A good deal of discussion and comments followed the presentation. Deer hunters are still very much interested in additional opportunity for archers and muzzleloader hunters as well as possible changes for opening day, etc. The need to provide big game hunting opportunity for young hunters was a comment that surfaced repeatedly.

2002 DEER SEASON FORECAST

The DMP target for the 15 WMUs in Region 8 will have a record number of permits (about 215,000) available this year. All units will have two permits available for those who apply and most units should have some third and fourth permits available.

REGION 9

STATE OF THE DEER HERD MEETINGS

Two information meetings were held in Hamburg, Erie County and Randolph, Cattaraugus County, with a total of 140 people attending the meetings. At both meetings there was a positive response from the individuals attending. There were many questions and discussions regarding the new license structure and the new automated license system. Once people understood how things were changing for this fall, they were very supportive of the changes. There were many suggestions regarding a Saturday opener for the regular big game season and strong support for the need for legislation to allow 14 and 15 year old hunters to legally hunt big game during the regular big game season in New York.

DEER DAMAGE

The numbers of complaints during the last two months have been similar to those received in 2001, It is likely that complaints will pick up in the next two months with high deer populations and the start of the growing season with dry conditions in the northern half of the region. At this time damage is occurring primarily on young fruit trees and vegetables.

2002 DEER SEASON FORECAST

Depending on whether you are a deer biologist or a deer hunter, the outlook varies for this fall's deer hunting outlook. This will be a critical year for controlling deer populations in some of our wildlife management units (WMU's). With deer populations as much as 60 percent above management goals in some WMU's, a high harvest of antlerless deer is necessary to stabilize the deer population in most of our management units. For the deer hunter, things couldn't be better. The deer harvest is projected to be a record for both antlered bucks and antlerless deer. In all 15 WMU's in the Region, every hunter applying for two deer management permits will be receive them. In some units there will be left over DMP's that hunters will be able to obtain around the middle of October using DECALS, our new automated license system.

BLACK BEAR COMPLAINTS

The region is on course to have a record number of bear complaints for this year. At this time we have received 70 complaints region wide. While the majority of complaints are related to bird feeders, we had one bear break into a house in Cattaraugus County. A large, 310 pound male bear was captured on April 15th near the Village of Angola, in southwestern Erie County. The bear was ear tagged and transported to the NY/Pennsylvania border in the southern tier and released. Two weeks later the bear was killed on the N.Y. State Thruway, within two miles of where he was captured. The bear had traveled approximately 42 miles straight line on his return trip. Wildlife staff members are starting to become frustrated with the high number of complaints that they have had to deal with.

CENTRAL OFFICE REPORTS

DECALS

Final preparations are underway for full implementation of the DEC Automated License System (DECALS) in time for the beginning of license sales on August 19th. Training of license issuing agents will conclude in early August and all hardware is expected to be in installed and running shortly thereafter.

DEER

STATE OF THE DEER HERD

During May and June, a total of 18 "State of the Deer Herd" meetings (SODH) were held throughout the state. Intended to serve as a follow-up to the Future of Deer Hunting initiative from two years ago, the SODH meetings provided an opportunity to outline and present the changes that will occur this fall, and to further review other changes that are still being considered for future seasons. Over 1,000 people attended the meetings and overall comments were highly favorable regarding the changes. Most attendees generally appreciated the innovative procedures that will happen with DECALS, license availability , DMP issuance, license structure and expanded opportunities afield. There appears to be support for continued revisions to season structure, youth opportunities and still more innovations to deer hunting in New York.

DEER MGT COMMUNICATIONS

The upcoming hunting seasons will see a number of significant changes that will directly effect hunters, including changes to license issuance and structure, DMP issuance and use, and game reporting. All Things considered, hunters are looking a some of the most sweeping changes that have occurred in decades. Several avenues will be used to help make the public aware of these changes. In place of the old DMP Application booklet that was previously mailed to all DMP applicants, an eight page brochure will be mailed to those individuals around August 1st. The DEER MANAGEMENT INFORMATION BOOKLET will include highlights of the changes and will cover in great detail license types and fees, application and reporting procedures, DMP issuance and other issues relating to deer hunting.

Several new and improved web pages will be available on the website by the end of July. Additionally the statewide and regional forecasts (by WMU) will be available to the public at about the same time.

NEW LEGISLATION

New legislation impacting deer management (A11166 & S06567) was recently passed by both the Assembly and the Senate. Three separate provisions are included in the bill, including consignment of Deer Management Permits from one hunter to another, accompanying other hunters after filling one's own tags, and expanded authority for the Department to adopt deer hunting regulations. Informally known as "The Common Sense" bill, this legislation will directly impact several key issues relating to hunter participation and increased antlerless harvest that were identified during the Future of Deer Hunting initiative.

NUISANCE DEER PERMIT PROGRAM

Several changes are being made to the Nuisance Deer Permit (NDP)System that should make the process of issuing and renewing a nuisance deer permit quicker and easier for both DEC Bureau of Wildlife staff and for the landowner suffering damage from deer. Proposed changes include a shorter NDP application, elimination of the need to collect agent information before the permit is issued, and a streamlined, almost automatic, NDP renewal system. Changes should be in effect by January 2003.

VENISON DONATION PROGRAM

Plans are progressing for expansion of the Venison Donation Program. A new brochure describing the 2002 program lists 67 processors in 35 different counties. About 230,000 copies of the brochure have been printed and will be distributed to License Issuing Agents for distribution when hunting licenses go on sale. The goal this year is to have 80 meat processors onboard and generate 100,000 pounds of meat for distribution. Information is available on the web at www.venisondonation.com and a toll free voice mail system at 1-866-862-DEER (3337).

NEW BROCHURE

A new brochure entitled " A Landowner's Guide To Using Hunting to Control Deer" was printed and distributed to the regions. Authored by Dave Riehlman (R7) and Jim Fodge (R8), the publication offers excellent insight for controlling deer numbers, especially for those landowners who are unfamiliar with deer hunting and deer management principles.

CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE

Preparations for surveillance for the presence of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in New York are underway. Sample sizes and collection technique protocols are being developed. Training will be provided for BOW staff late in July at the Cornell Veterinarian School in Ithaca.