Region 7 Deer Forecast
Deer hunting prospects for the 2007 deer seasons should be very good throughout much of the region. Deer populations have rebounded in most Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) from the declines experienced in early to mid 2000s, with populations now at or near desired levels in most units. Management mode in most units has shifted from allowing growth to trying to check, if not reduce, deer numbers. The winter of 2006-07 while tough in some areas, is not expected to have had much impact on deer populations in most WMUs. Deer Management Permits (DMPs) will be increased in several units and all units will again have permits available for the fall of 2007. Total DMP target level for the Region will be up about 30%, which will boost harvest opportunities.
Unit Summary for the 2007 Season
Following is a brief description of the WMUs for which Region 7 oversees deer management and a unit by unit review of deer populations, management efforts and harvest expectations. Included in each is the unit's Buck Take Objective (BTO) which is established based on the recommendation of a Citizen Task Force (CTF). The BTO is the number of antlered bucks expected to be harvested, per square mile, when the WMU's deer population is at the level recommended by a CTF. The annual buck harvest per square mile, and other indexes, are used to gauge a WMU's deer population size and its relationship to the desired population level. This relationship is key to determining management direction. Note: some portions of Regions 7's counties fall into WMU's managed by an adjacent region, i.e. eastern Oswego County lies in 6K. See other regional forecasts for a report on these lands.
WMU 7A
Area = 545 square miles
BTO = 1.8 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Buck Take = 1.9 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Total Deer Take = 3.3 deer harvested per square mile
WMU 7A is comprised mainly of lands in western Oswego County, and also includes small portions of Cayuga and Onondaga counties. The unit has very little public land. It lies in the Great Lakes Plain physiographic zone and presents a relatively flat landscape. Soils in much of the unit are poorly suited for farming with only about 15% of the land being farmed and a good deal of the area (70%) is forested. The unit's deer population dropped below the objective following the winter of 2002-03 and management efforts until last year (including no DMPs in 2005) were intended to allow the population to recover. The buck take rose just above the unit's objective in 2006, rising from 1.4 to 1.9 per square mile. The buck take suggests the population has rebounded and other indicators, such as the bow hunter sighting log, also suggest this deer population rose in 2006. DMPs will again be available in 2007 with the management intent to hold the population at its current level. The winter of 2006-07 may also stymie growth. DMPs will be down slightly in 2007 and about 1/3 of the applicants should receive a first permit, no second permits will be available. Buck take is expected to drop slightly in 2007.
WMU 7F
Area = 687 square miles
BTO = 1.5 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Buck Take = 1.7 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Total Deer Take = 3.9 deer harvested per square mile
WMU 7F is centered in northern Onondaga County and also includes portions of Cayuga and Madison County and has very little public land. The unit lies in the Great Lakes Plain physiographic zone and presents a relatively flat landscape. About 35% of the land is farmed and about 40% is wooded. The unit also has considerable developed areas where management capability is compromised. After a nine year run in which the buck take exceeded the BTO, the buck take fell to the objective in 2004 and held there in 2005. In 2006 the buck take (1.7) rose back above the objective and it and other indicators, such as the bowhunter sighting log, suggest the population is on the rise. Deer management efforts for 2007 are intended to prevent further growth in the unit's deer population. Permit numbers will be increased and all applicants will receive a first permit and about 2/3 should receive second permits. Expect slight increase in the 2007 buck take.
WMU 7H
Area = 357 square miles
BTO = 1.9 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Buck Take = 3.1 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Total Deer Take = 7.2 deer harvested per square mile
This unit is comprised of lands in southern Cayuga County and northern Tompkins County and has very little public land. The unit lies mainly in the Finger Lakes Highlands physiographic subzone with some of the Great Lakes Plain zone on the north end. Soils in much of the unit are well suited to agriculture and almost 50% of the unit is cropland, while only about 30% is forested. A CTF held in early 2007 recommended that the unit's deer population to be reduced by 40%, resulting in the BTO being reduced from 2.8 to 1.9 bucks per square mile. The major issues influencing the CTF's call for a reduced deer population were agricultural damage, highway safety and impacts on the forest ecosystem. The buck take in 2006 had climbed to 3.1 per square mile and it and other indicators suggest the population was on the rise. That coupled with the new lower BTO results in the management intent for 2007 being to start the process of reducing the unit's deer population. DMP numbers will be increased in 2007 and all applicants will receive first permits and about 2/3 should receive a second permit. Buck take may increase slightly in 2007.
WMU 7J
Area = 839 square miles
BTO = 2.2 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Buck Take = 2.3 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Total Deer Take = 5.4 deer harvested per square mile
WMU 7J is centered in southern Onondaga County and also includes portions of Cayuga, Cortland and Madison counties and has limited public lands. The unit lies in the Appalachian Plateau physiographic zone and presents a rolling landscape on which many of the flatter areas, valleys and hilltops, are farmed and the hillsides are wooded. About 45% of the unit is farm land and about 40% is wooded. After a seven year run with buck takes above the objective, the 2004 buck take (2.1 per square mile) fell below the BTO. In 2005 the buck take (2.4) rebounded back above objective. While the buck take fell slightly to 2.3 in 2006 other indicators, such as the bow hunter sighting log, suggest this deer population was stable to slightly rising in 2006. In 2007 deer management permits will be increased seeking to prevent growth in the unit's deer population. All applicants should receive first permits, and a little less than half should receive second permits. Expect a slight increase in the 2007 buck take.
WMU 7M
Area = 1,658 square miles
BTO = 2.5 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Buck Take = 2.7 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Total Deer Take = 4.6 deer harvested per square mile
WMU 7M encompasses nearly all of Chenango County and also includes sizable portions of Cortland and Madison counties and small areas of Broome, Onondaga and Oneida counties. The unit covers 1,658 square miles and includes an abundance of public lands. The unit lies in the Appalachian Plateau physiographic ecozone and presents a rolling and predominately wooded landscape. Farming which once occurred in much of the unit is now limited to the more fertile sites. About 25% of the area is in farms and about 70% is wooded. The 2006 buck take rose to 2.7, slightly above the BTO. Other indicators, such as the bow hunter sighting log, also suggest the population was climbing. For 2007 DMP numbers will be increased seeking to halt any further growth in the unit's deer population. About half of those who apply will receive a first permit, with no second permits being available. Expect little change in the 2006 buck take.
WMU 7R
Area = 739 square miles
BTO = 2.7 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Buck Take = 3.4 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Total Deer Take = 8.5 deer harvested per square mile
WMU 7R encompasses much of southern Tompkins County and northern Tioga County. It also includes portions of Broome, Chemung, Cortland, and Schuyler counties and contains a fair amount of public land. The unit lies in the Appalachian Plateau physiographic ecozone and presents a rolling landscape. Farming which once occurred in much of the unit now occurs on only about 25% of the area and about 65% is wooded. The 2006 buck take rose slightly, to 3.4 bucks per square mile, and continued a long run (12 years) higher than the objective despite efforts to reduce the unit's deer population. Doe harvest rates have been high in the unit and some indicators, such as the bowhunter sighting log, suggests the unit's deer population may be in decline. Deer management permit numbers for 2007, will remain high in a continued effort to reduce this population to the objective. All applicants will receive a first permit and about 2/3 will receive second permits. Expect little change in the buck take in 2006.
WMU 7S
Area = 741 square miles
BTO = 3.0 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Buck Take = 2.8 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Total Deer Take = 5.6 deer harvested per square mile
WMU 7S encompasses much of Broome and southern Tioga Counties and contains very little public land. The unit lies in the Appalachian Plateau physiographic ecozone and presents a rolling landscape. Farming which once occurred in much of the unit now occurs on only about 25% of the area and about 65% is wooded. The 2006 buck take held steady at 2.8 bucks per square mile, slightly below the unit's objective. Recent doe harvest rates were intended to allow this population to rise and we expect to see evidence of this in 2007. DMP numbers for 2007 will be increased somewhat to guard against this population rising significantly. All applicants will receive a first permit and a few, about 1/10, will receive second permits. Expect the 2007 buck take to increase toward the objective.
