Region 5 Deer Forecast
Region 5 is the largest 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 three Southern Zone WMUs. 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 the 2008-09 winter caused some deer mortality.
Unit Summary for the 2009 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 Revisions - Some revisions to WMUs will be in place for the 2009 season. In region 5, a portion of WMU 5A has been added to WMU 5C, and a small portion of WMU 5J has been added to WMU 5H. Also, WMUs 5K, 5N, and 5P have been reconfigured into new units 5S and 5T. Hunters should carefully check maps to ensure they know the unit designation for the lands they hunt. If you hunt in these areas please review the WMU boundary descriptions.
WMU 5A
Area = 610 square miles
BTO = None
2008 Buck Take = 1.0 bucks harvested per square mile (calculated for the revised unit area)
2008 Total Deer Take = 1.4 deer harvested per square mile (calculated for the revised unit area)
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 2008 buck take was 1.0 per square mile, up from 0.9 the previous year. The 2009 harvest is expected to be slightly higher than last year. Winter conditions were about average in this unit and no significant winter loss was found. Antlerless harvest is restricted to archery and muzzleloading seasons. There will again be an early muzzleloading season (October 17-23, 2009) for deer of either sex in this unit. There will also be a late muzzleloading season this year for deer of either sex (December 7-13, 2009). This year the boundary between this unit and WMU 5C has been adjusted to the north to better reflect the difference in deer habitat between the units. 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 = 1,126 square miles
BTO = None
2008 Buck Take = 0.6 bucks harvested per square mile (calculated for the revised unit area)
2008 Total Deer Take = 0.8 deer harvested per square mile (calculated for the revised unit area)
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 deer population is mainly controlled by winter weather in this unit. This past winter was average in this unit, with normal snow depths and 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 not cause any significant winter deer losses, which should mean an increase in buck take this fall. Antlerless harvest is restricted to archery and early muzzleloading seasons. The early muzzleloading season (October 17-23, 2009) will be for deer of either sex this fall. This year the boundary between this unit and WMU 5A has been 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
2008 Buck Take = 0.6 bucks harvested per square mile
2008 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 county. The deer population in this unit is mainly controlled by winter weather, with the buck take consistently around 0.5 per square mile for the last ten years. The 2008 buck take was the highest since 1968, at 0.6 per square mile. The outlook for this fall is for a similar or slightly lower buck take since last winter was average in the unit. 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 archery and muzzleloader seasons. The early muzzleloading season (October 17-23, 2009) 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
2008 Buck Take = 1.0 bucks harvested per square mile
2008 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 and increased slightly to 1.0 bucks per square mile in 2008. Average winter conditions this past year should mean a similar harvest this fall. Both the early muzzleloading season (October 17-23, 2009) and the late muzzleloading season (December 7-13, 2009) 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 = 3,047 square miles
BTO = None
2008 Buck Take = 1.0 bucks harvested per square mile
2008 Total Deer Take = 1.2 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 county. Last year's buck take was 1.0 bucks per square mile. Last winter was harsh in this unit, especially in the southern part, with some starvation losses to the deer herd, so the deer take is expected to decrease this fall. The early muzzleloading season (October 17-23, 2009) 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. The WMU boundary between 5H and 5J has been changed this year, with some additional area added to 5H at the very southern end of the unit. No DMPs are available in this unit.
WMU 5J
Area = 674 square miles
BTO = None
2008 Buck Take = 1.4 bucks harvested per square mile
2008 Total Deer Take = 2.2 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.
WMUs 5K, 5N, and 5P
In 2009 WMUs 5K, 5N, and 5P were reconfigured into two units (5S and 5T) to better reflect the differences in deer habitat and populations in the area.
WMU 5R
Area = 373 square miles
BTO = 1.3 bucks harvested per square mile
2008 Buck Take = 1.6 bucks harvested per square mile
2008 Total Deer Take = 3.7 deer harvested per square mile
This unit is comprised of small farms and suburban developments in southern Saratoga County. A Citizen Task Force was convened this spring and recommended that the deer population remain stable, so the objective of 1.3 bucks per square mile will remain in place. The buck harvest stayed at 1.6 per square mile in 2008, but high antlerless harvests the past few years should begin to decrease the buck take toward the objective in 2009. Fewer DMPs will be available this year, only to NY resident hunters. There is limited public access in this unit, complicated by expanding residential development.
WMU 5S
Area = 422 square miles
BTO = 3.3 bucks harvested per square mile
2008 Buck Take = 3.1 bucks harvested per square mile (calculated for the revised unit area)
2008 Total Deer Take = 5.4 deer harvested per square mile (calculated for the revised unit area)
In 2009 WMUs 5K, 5N, and 5P were reconfigured into two units (5S and 5T) to better reflect the differences in deer habitat and populations in the area. This new 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 eastern portion of the unit near Vermont. A Citizen Task Force was convened this spring and recommended a small deer population increase, and an objective of 3.3 bucks per square mile was established. The buck harvest was 3.1 per square mile in 2008, and the buck harvest this fall is expected to increase in response to relatively low antlerless harvests and mild winters the past several years. DMP availability this year will be limited to hunters with preference points to allow the herd in increase. There is limited public access in this unit, with some state forest land in the eastern part of the unit and one wildlife management area.
WMU 5T
Area = 223 square miles
BTO = 2.8 bucks harvested per square mile
2008 Buck Take = 2.2 bucks harvested per square mile (calculated for the revised unit area)
2008 Total Deer Take = 3.4 deer harvested per square mile (calculated for the revised unit area)
In 2009 WMUs 5K, 5N, and 5P were reconfigured into two units (5S and 5T) to better reflect the differences in deer habitat and populations in the area. This newly formed unit is made up of the Hudson River valley on the eastern side of the river in northwestern Washington County, plus some areas in northeastern Washington County that were previously in WMU 5N. The topography is all farm country with interspersed woodlots on small rolling hills. A Citizen Task Force was convened this spring and recommended a deer population increase, and an objective of 2.8 bucks per square mile was established. The buck harvest in 2008 was 2.2 bucks per square mile, and should increase this fall. DMPs numbers will be relatively low this year to allow the herd to grow, so hunters will need preference points to receive a permit. There is limited public access in this unit.
Ed Reed
Region 5 Deer Biologist
