Region 1 Deer Forecast
Unit Summary for the 2009 Season
Included in the discussion of most Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) is a term called the Buck Take Objective (BTO). The BTO for a WMU is the desired number of antlered bucks expected to be harvested per square mile when the WMU's 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 it's relationship to the desired population level.
WMU 1C
Area = 903 square miles
Buck Take Objective = No objective set for this unit
2008 Buck Take = 0.9 bucks harvested per square mile
2008 Total Deer Take = 2.8 deer harvested per square mile
Deer take in Suffolk County during the 2008 hunting seasons totaled 2,528 deer of which 66% were taken during the archery season and 34% during the special firearms season. This was a 17% increase from the 2,159 deer harvested in 2007, and beats the old record of 2,456 deer taken in 2003. In 2008, all towns saw an increase in their deer take except for the town of Shelter Island, which had a slight 7% decrease in total take. The 2008-09 winter was tough on some of Long Island's deer. Combined with a very low and spotty acorn crop last fall and a cold and snowy winter, there was some winter kill in the central pine barrens region. Most of these animals were fawns but there were some adult deer mixed in as well.
Despite last winter's effect, hunters should still expect to see a good number of deer this season. Many does are being seen with multiple fawns, and the wet summer is providing plenty of lush growth for the animals to feed on. Also, this seems to be a good acorn year with many trees forming acorns already. Find the white oaks and you will find the deer.
The special January firearms season will run from January 4th through January 29th, 2010. By law, the January season cannot start until the Monday following the first Saturday in January and continue weekdays only through the last weekday in January. For this January season, there will be a total of 20 days of which you can hunt with a shotgun or muzzleloader. The January season will be managed in similar fashion to last year. Those who wish to hunt deer during the special January season on NYSDEC managed lands in Suffolk County must enter a drawing. This year the drawing will be held on December 1, 2009. All entries must be received by 4:45 PM on November 30, 2009 to be included in the drawing.
To enter the drawing, send a No. 10 legal size envelope to: NYSDEC-Deer Drawing, P. O. Box 659, Ridge, NY 11961-0659. This envelope must contain a self-addressed, stamped legal-sized envelope. You must write your back-tag number on the back of the enclosed envelope. Each hunter may only submit one entry. Within two weeks of the drawing date you will receive a drawing number in the mail. This number will indicate the day on which you are to make a reservation to hunt. The hunter or their representative must come to the Ridge Hunter Check Station to make the reservation. To learn more about hunting opportunities on Long Island, check out DEC's Long Island hunting opportunity webpage.
Deer Management Permits (DMP) for WMU 1C are guaranteed to all applicants. Hunters can apply for two DMPs during the initial application period which ends on October 1, 2009. On or around November 1, hunters can acquire two additional DMPs which are issued on a first-come first-serve basis. Bonus Permits will also be available to hunters who successfully harvest an antlerless deer on a 1C DMP only. During the archery and January firearm season, hunters in Suffolk County can use any regular or special season tag to harvest an antlerless deer, but DMPs used in Suffolk County must be for WMU 1C. For more information, please call the hunter check station in Ridge, NY at (631) 924-3156 during the open hunting seasons or our wildlife information line on Mondays and Thursdays at (631) 444-0310.
Mike Clark
Region 1 Deer Biologist
