Region 5 Deer Forecast
Region 5 is the largest and most diverse region in New York. Occupying the northeast corner of the state, the region varies from riverbottom farmlands in the south, through the high mountain wilderness of the Adirondacks, to the flat farmlands in the St. Lawrence valley in the north. Deer populations reflect this variety of terrain, with relatively dense populations in the south and north, and low populations in the mountainous areas. Deer hunting opportunities range from suburban woodlots to vast wilderness forests. The region consists of six Northern Zone Wildlife Management Units (WMUs), and four Southern Zone WMUs, as well as small parts of five other WMUs that are managed by other regions. The overall forecast for the upcoming deer season is mixed. Deer numbers should be higher in most of the southern zone units, but lower in some of the interior Adirondack units where last winter's snowfall caused some deer mortality.
Unit Summary for the 2008 Season
Included in the discussion of most WMUs is a term called the Buck Take Objective (BTO). A BTO for a WMU is the desired number of antlered bucks expected to be harvested per square mile when the WMUs deer population is at the level recommended by the Citizen Task Force. The BTO is not the estimated take for the coming season but rather is the objective of our management efforts. The annual buck harvest is used as a gauge of population size and its relationship to the desired population level.
WMU 5A
Area = 816 square miles
BTO = None
2007 Buck Take = 0.9 bucks harvested per square mile
2007 Total Deer Take = 1.3 deer harvested per square mile
This unit is located in the northeast corner of New York, bounded on the north by the Canadian border and on the east by Lake Champlain. The unit has mainly flat topography and a predominance of farm country interspersed with small second growth woodlots and apple orchards. Soils are generally shallow and rocky except in the Lake Champlain valley. The buck take has varied from 0.6 to 1.1 per square mile since 1992. The 2007 buck take was 0.9 bucks per square mile, up from 0.7 the previous year. The 2008 harvest is expected to be slightly higher than last year. Winter conditions were not as harsh in this unit as they were in the higher elevations of the Adirondacks. Antlerless harvest is restricted to bowhunting and muzzleloading seasons. There will again be an early muzzleloading season (October 11-17, 2008) for deer of either sex in this unit. There is no late muzzleloading season this year. In the next year or two, the boundary between this unit and WMU 5C will be adjusted to the north to better reflect the difference in deer habitat between the units, and at that time a late muzzleloading season may be opened in WMU 5A. Public access in this unit is limited to a few state forests and wildlife management areas. No Deer Management Permits (DMPs) are available in this unit.
WMU 5C
Area = 920 square miles
BTO = None
2007 Buck Take = 0.6 bucks harvested per square mile
2007 Total Deer Take = 0.7 deer harvested per square mile
This unit is a transition area from the farm country in the Champlain Valley to the peaks of the Adirondack Mountains. Deer population density is low, with the buck harvest varying from 0.3 to 0.6 per square mile since 1992. The buck take in 2007 was 0.6 per square mile, up from 0.5 the previous year. The deer population is mainly controlled by winter weather in this unit. This past winter was average in this unit, with relatively high snow depths but average to above average temperatures. Snow conditions were variable, with supporting crusts formed in most areas that allowed deer to walk on top of the snow and find adequate food. These conditions did cause some winter deer losses, which should mean a decreased buck take this fall. Antlerless harvest is restricted to bowhunting and early muzzleloading seasons. The early muzzleloading season (October 11-17, 2008) will be for deer of either sex this fall. In the next year or two, the boundary between this unit and WMU 5A will be adjusted to the north to better reflect the difference in deer habitat between the units. Public access in this unit is very good, with plenty of state forest preserve which is open to hunting, and paper company leases available on large tracts. No DMPs are available in this unit.
WMU 5F
Area = 1,328 square miles
BTO = None
2007 Buck Take = 0.5 bucks harvested per square mile
2007 Total Deer Take = 0.7 deer harvested per square mile
This unit is dominated by the highest peaks in the Adirondack Mountains and is almost entirely forested. Elevations reach from around 1,000 feet to over 5,000 feet above sea level. Much of the land here is steep and remote with few roads and trails. The deer population is low, but the unit offers classic Adirondack wilderness hunting for those who are willing to hike or ride horses into the back country. The deer population in this unit is mainly controlled by winter weather, with the buck take consistently around 0.4 or 0.5 per square mile for the last ten years. The outlook for this fall is for a decreased buck take due to some winter losses. Since the land is remote and difficult to access, many bucks live longer and the average antler size is larger than most other areas of the state. Antlerless harvest is restricted to bowhunting and muzzleloader seasons. The early muzzleloading season (October 11-17, 2008) will be for deer of either sex this fall. Public access in this unit is very good, with plenty of state forest preserve open to hunting. No DMPs are available in this unit.
WMU 5G
Area = 1,113 square miles
BTO = None
2007 Buck Take = 0.9 bucks harvested per square mile
2007 Total Deer Take = 1.4 deer harvested per square mile
This unit covers most of the Lake Champlain Valley and the eastern foothills of the Adirondacks. The topography ranges from rolling farms near the lake to steep forested hills to the west. The harvest has been slowly increasing over the past ten years but decreased slightly to 0.9 bucks per square mile in 2007. Average winter conditions this past year led to some winter morality, so the buck take should decrease a little this year. Both the early muzzleloading season (October 11-17, 2008) and the late muzzleloading season (December 8-14, 2008) will be for either sex. Public access in this unit is good, with quite a bit of state forest preserve open to hunting in the western part of the unit. No DMPs are available in this unit.
WMU 5H
Area = 2,931 square miles
BTO = None
2007 Buck Take = 0.8 bucks harvested per square mile
2007 Total Deer Take = 1.0 deer harvested per square mile
This large unit comprises most of the central Adirondack Mountains and is almost entirely forested. Elevations reach from around 1,000 feet to over 4,000 feet above sea level. Much of the land here is steep and remote, with few roads and trails. The deer population is low and fairly stable, and the unit offers classic Adirondack wilderness hunting for those who are willing to hike or ride horses into the back country. Last year's buck take was 0.8 bucks per square mile. Last winter was harsh in some parts of this unit, with some starvation losses to the deer herd, so the deer take is expected to decrease this fall. The early muzzleloading season (October 11-17, 2008) will be for deer of either sex. Public access in this unit is very good, with plenty of state forest preserve which is open to hunting, and paper company leases available on large tracts. No DMPs are available in this unit.
WMU 5J
Area = 789 square miles
BTO = None
2007 Buck Take = 1.4 bucks harvested per square mile
2007 Total Deer Take = 2.1 deer harvested per square mile
This unit comprises the transition area from the Hudson and Mohawk River valleys to the foothills of the Adirondacks. The topography ranges from farm country in the eastern and southern portions to steep forested hills to the west and north. The harvest in 2007 remained the same as the previous year at 1.4 bucks taken per square mile, but harvest should decrease slightly this fall due to some winter losses. Both the early muzzleloading season (October 11-17, 2008) and the late muzzleloading season (December 8-14, 2008) will be for deer of either sex. Public access in this unit is fair, with some state forest preserve, which is open to hunting. No DMPs are available in this unit.
WMU 5K
Area = 165 square miles
BTO = 2.8 bucks harvested per square mile
2007 Buck Take = 1.8 bucks harvested per square mile
2007 Total Deer Take = 3.3 deer harvested per square mile
This unit is entirely made up of the Hudson River valley on the eastern side of the river in Washington County. The topography is all farm country with interspersed woodlots on small rolling hills. A Citizen Task Force was convened in 2004 and recommended a deer population increase. A new objective of 2.8 bucks per square mile was established. The buck harvest decreased to 1.8 in 2007, but the total deer take increased. Several years of low antlerless harvest should mean an expanding population and an increase in the buck harvest this fall. DMPs numbers have been low to allow the deer population to increase toward the new BTO and will stay relatively low this year. Hunters will still need preference points to receive a permit. There is limited public access in this unit. In the next year or two, WMUs 5K, 5N, and 5P will be reconfigured into two units (5S and 5T) to better reflect the differences in deer habitat and populations in the area. Citizen Task Forces for the new units will convene this coming winter to establish buck population objectives.
WMU 5N
Area = 448 square miles
BTO = 3.5 bucks harvested per square mile
2007 Buck Take = 2.8 bucks harvested per square mile
2007 Total Deer Take = 4.9 deer harvested per square mile
This unit consists of farm country stretching from the Hudson River valley on the west to the Taconic Highlands along the Vermont border on the east. The topography consists of farms interspersed with woodlots on small rolling hills, with some larger forested ridges in the southeast portion of the unit near Vermont. Some of this unit, especially in the south, rivals the most productive deer areas in the state. The buck harvest decreased slightly, from 2.9 to 2.8 bucks per square mile in 2007, but the total deer take increased. The buck harvest this fall is expected to increase in response to decreased antlerless harvests and mild winters the past several years. DMP availability this year will again be limited to hunters with preference points. There is limited public access in this unit, with some state forest land in the southeast part of the unit and one wildlife management area. In the next year or two, WMUs 5K, 5N, and 5P will be reconfigured into two units (5S and 5T) to better reflect the differences in deer habitat and populations in the area. Citizen Task Forces for the new units will convene this coming winter to establish buck population objectives.
WMU 5P
Area = 33 square miles
BTO = 3.4 bucks harvested per square mile
2007 Buck Take = 3.2 bucks harvested per square mile
2007 Total Deer Take = 5.7 deer harvested per square mile
This small unit is made up steep farm country on the edge of the Taconic Highlands along the Vermont border. The buck harvest increased a little to 3.2 bucks per square mile in 2007 after two years of relatively low female harvests and mild winters and is expected to increase again this year. DMP availability this year will be limited to hunters with preference points. There is very limited public access in this unit. In the next year or two, WMUs 5K, 5N, and 5P will be reconfigured into two units (5S and 5T) to better reflect the differences in deer habitat and populations in the area. Citizen Task Forces for the new units will convene this coming winter to establish buck population objectives.
WMU 5R
Area = 373 square miles
BTO = 1.3 bucks harvested per square mile
2007 Buck Take = 1.6 bucks harvested per square mile
2007 Total Deer Take = 3.4 deer harvested per square mile
This unit is comprised of small farms and suburban developments in southern Saratoga County. The buck harvest increased to 1.6 per square mile in 2007, but high antlerless harvests the past few years should begin to decrease the buck take toward the objective in 2008. DMPs will be available this year to New York resident hunters. There is limited public access in this unit, complicated by expanding residential development.
Ed Reed
Region 5 Deer Biologist
