For Release: Tuesday, November 16, 2004
DEC Announces Southern Zone Deer Hunting Begins November 22
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Erin M. Crotty today announced that the 2004 regular deer hunting season opens at sunrise on Monday, November 22, 2004, in New York State's Southern Zone. The regular Southern Zone big game hunting season closes at sunset on Tuesday, December 14, 2004.
"Southern Zone big game hunters can look forward to a productive season of excellent prospects this year in New York," Commissioner Crotty said. "With an estimated population of just under one million white-tailed deer statewide, opportunities for success remain high. Deer hunting is a long standing tradition and an important part of New York's outdoor heritage. I wish all hunters a safe and enjoyable season."
The deer harvest of 253,000 in 2003 was a decline from recent high harvests, primarily because of loses that occurred during the harsh winter of 2002-03. Last winter saw a return to more typical winter weather in most areas of New York, and deer numbers have begun to recover.
New York's deer management program strives to maintain deer herds at levels compatible with people's use of the land, while minimizing negative impacts and providing high-quality hunting opportunities. To aid in determining deer population sizes, local Citizen Task Forces are convened by DEC to represent a broad range of public interests and are charged with developing a desired deer population level for the area in which they live.
Citizen's Task Forces consider many issues during the process, including habitat availability and the concerns of farmers, foresters, conservationists, the tourism industry, motorists, businesses and hunters. DEC uses regulated deer hunting to achieve the desired deer population level in most Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) across the State.
The Southern Zone includes most of upstate New York outside of the Northern Zone, except for Westchester County. In the Northern Zone, which generally includes the Adirondacks, the Tug Hill Plateau, the Eastern Lake Ontario Plain, and the Champlain and St. Lawrence valleys, the regular deer and bear hunting season opened October 23 and closes December 5, 2004.
In the Southern Zone, a five-day late archery season opens December 15 and closes at sunset on December 19, 2004. A seven-day late muzzleloading season in the Southern Zone also begins December 15 and concludes on December 21, 2004. Hunters taking part in either of the late seasons must possess either bowhunting or muzzleloading privileges and they may use their bowhunting/ muzzleloading tags. They may also use their deer management permits to take an antlerless deer and additionally they may also take a deer of either sex with an unused regular season big game tag.
"Deer hunters provide a valuable public service by keeping deer populations in check. By harvesting female deer, hunters help limit the growth of the deer population and reduce the impacts of the deer herd," Commissioner Crotty said. "Regulated hunting is the most effective and efficient tool to maintain deer populations at levels that are compatible with the needs of our residents. Successful hunters are reminded to make sure that they report their deer by calling the automated reporting system at 1-866-426-3778. Reporting your deer is the culmination of a successful hunt"
Hunters are also reminded that Southern Zone bear hunting seasons do not open at the same time as deer season. Black bear season opens November 27 in the Catskill region and on November 29, 2004, in the Allegany region in western New York. Specific descriptions of areas that are open for bear hunting are listed on page 24 in the 2004-05 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide and on the DEC website .
Although not included in the 2004-05 Hunting and Trapping Guide, changes in DEC regulations (effective November 24, 2004) will open several additional areas to bear hunting this year. These changes, which were subject to a 45-day public comment period, will allow bear hunting in WMUs 4O and 4P in the Catskill regions and in WMUs 9J, 9K, 9M, 9N, 9P, and 9W in the Allegany region. Firearm bear hunting in those regions begins on November 27 in the Catskill region and November 29, 2004, on the DEC website.
DEC has also proposed a number of changes to the Southern Zone deer hunting seasons for 2005. Included among these changes are an expansion of the special archery season by moving the opening date earlier, changing the opening day of the regular season to a Saturday instead of the traditional Monday and creating a new special antlerless-only muzzleloader season in mid-October for black powder enthusiasts. Based on numerous comments received during the last two years, DEC has proposed these changes to enhance hunter satisfaction, increase participation, especially for young hunters, and increase antlerless deer harvests where needed. A statewide outreach program regarding these proposals will occur in February 2005. Information regarding the proposed season restructuring can be found on the DEC website.
As a result of nationwide concern about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), DEC will continue a random sampling program during the 2004 season. CWD is a rare neurological disease that effects the brains of deer and elk, and has been documented in parts of the mid-west and several Canadian provinces. Since July of 2002, over 2,500 samples have been collected from deer in New York and CWD has not been detected. Extensive research elsewhere has been done and, to date, there is no scientific evidence that the disease can be transmitted to humans. Hunters can be confident that DEC will continue to monitor the deer herd for the presence of CWD through random testing and surveillance. The most up-to-date information on CWD and New York surveillance and prevention efforts can be found on the DEC website.
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