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 excellent. Deer numbers should be higher in all WMUs compared to last fall due to mild winters, good reproduction, and low antlerless harvests the past two years.

Unit Summary for the 2007 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 desired level as determined 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
2006 Buck Take = 0.7 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Total Deer Take = 1.2 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. Winter weather is the most important influence on the deer population in the unit, and harsh winters in 2000 and 2003 have kept the population from growing in recent years. The 2006 buck take was 0.7 per square mile, up slightly from the previous year. After the low snowfall and mild temperatures in the early part of the past winter, the 2007 harvest is expected to be slightly higher than last year. Antlerless harvest is restricted to archery and muzzleloading seasons. There will again be an early muzzleloading season (October 13-19, 2007) for deer of either sex in this unit. There is no late muzzleloading season this year. 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
2006 Buck Take = 0.5 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Total Deer Take = 0.6 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 2006 was 0.5 per square mile, up from 0.3 the previous year. The deer population is mainly controlled by winter weather in this unit. The past three winters have been milder than average in this unit, with lower than normal snow depths and average to above average temperatures. This is expected to have a positive impact on the deer population with increased survival of yearling deer, resulting in an increased buck take this fall. Antlerless harvest is restricted to archery and early muzzleloading seasons. The early muzzleloading season (October 13-19, 2007) will be for deer of either sex this fall. 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
2006 Buck Take = 0.4 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Total Deer Take = 0.6 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 1000 feet to over 5000 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 0.4 or 0.5 per square mile for the last ten years. The outlook for this fall is for a similar buck take. 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 13-19, 2007) 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
2006 Buck Take = 1.1 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Total Deer Take = 1.6 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 1.1 bucks per square mile in 2006. Milder than average winter conditions the past three years are expected to allow the deer population to increase somewhat, with a corresponding increase in the buck take during the 2007 season. Both the early muzzleloading season (October 13-19, 2007) and the late muzzleloading season (December 3-9, 2007) 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
2006 Buck Take = 0.7 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Total Deer Take = 0.9 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 0.7 bucks per square mile. Last winter was harsher in this unit than elsewhere in the Adirondacks, with some starvation losses to the deer herd, so the deer take is not expected to increase this fall. The early muzzleloading season (October 13-19, 2007) 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
2006 Buck Take = 1.4 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 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 has been increasing recently, from 0.8 bucks per square mile in 1992 to 1.7 bucks per square mile in 2002. Severe winter conditions throughout the unit in 2003 resulted in lower buck takes in 2004 through 2006, but milder than average winter conditions since that time led to an increase in the deer take last year to 1.4 bucks per square mile, and should mean slightly better hunting this fall. Both the early muzzleloading season (October 13-19, 2007) and the late muzzleloading season (December 3-9, 2007) 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
2006 Buck Take = 2.0 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Total Deer Take = 3.1 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 and new objective of 2.8 bucks per square mile was established. The buck harvest has been increasing over the past three seasons, up to 2.0 in 2006, and is expected to increase again this year. DMPs numbers have been low to allow the deer population to increase toward the new BTO. With the herd now increasing, DMP availability will be better this year, but hunters will still need preference points to receive a permit. There is limited public access in this unit.

WMU 5N

Area = 448 square miles
BTO = 3.5 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Buck Take = 2.9 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Total Deer Take = 4.8 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 harvest reached a high of 3.9 bucks per square mile in 2000, decreased to 2.3 in 2005 but rebounded to 2.9 in 2006. The buck harvest this fall is expected to continue to increase in response to decreased antlerless harvests and mild winters the past three years. DMP availability this year will 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.

WMU 5P

Area = 33 square miles
BTO = 3.4 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Buck Take = 3.1 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Total Deer Take = 5.9 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. Buck harvests decreased starting in 2003 after heavy antlerless harvests and severe winters in 2002 and 2003. The buck harvest rebounded to 3.1 bucks per square mile in 2006 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.

WMU 5R

Area = 373 square miles
BTO = 1.3 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Buck Take = 1.4 bucks harvested per square mile
2006 Total Deer Take = 2.4 deer harvested per square mile

This unit is comprised of small farms and suburban developments in southern Saratoga County. The harvest reached a high 1.9 bucks per square mile in 2002, but was reduced toward the objective by increased antlerless harvests and the harsh winter of 2003. The buck harvest was just over the objective of 1.3 in 2006, and is expected to remain close to the objective in 2007. DMPs will be available this year to NY resident hunters this year. There is limited public access in this unit, complicated by expanding residential development.