Author Topic: DEC's Deer management  (Read 3302 times)

Offline Bobman

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DEC's Deer management
« on: Jan 31, 2005, 11:05:06 AM »
Very quiet on this board, everyone must be on the ice! Let's see if this gets anyone talking.

For the last few weeks, there has been an ongoing debate in the Buffalo News (from reader's letters) regarding the state of the deer herds in NY.  Most people that have been writing in have been claiming that there are far fewer deer than the have been in the past and that a big reason may be how liberal the DEC has been with doe permits.  The few people who disagree seem to be people that hunt private land with limited access that have tried to implement some form of QDM.  I'm just wondering what everyone else thinks and what has been your experience with NY deer hunting in the last several years.

I personally agree with the assessment that the DEC has been doing a poor job on deer management.  When I started deer hunting 20 years ago there were a lot more deer in the areas that I hunt than there are now.  I also remember that when I started hunting the does permits were "party permits" where 2,3 or sometimes 4 hunters shared a permit and could take one extra deer (either sex) between the party members.  My first morning of deer hunting I saw 21 deer that morning alone, these days hunting the same areas I'm lucky to see half that many deer for an entire season.  I've been talking to more and more people that have hunted for years and they are all saying the same thing, less deer and many of these hunters are in camps that year after year always have good deer harvests.  I know that there have been other changes in the area that I hunt that have affected the deer hunting, like less farmers actually farming and a lot less people out hunting, but the game trails and other sign just aren't around like they used to be. 

What's everyone else's experience?
Their comin' right for us!

Offline DeerHunterTommer

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Re: DEC's Deer management
« Reply #1 on: Feb 01, 2005, 11:23:28 AM »
I haven't had the greatest luck the past few years deer hunting. At first I thought it was just me because with going to college I have less time to scout and hunt than I did before but everyone that I hunt with and other people that I have talkted to has had about the same luck, they hunt harder with less luck. This past year we made out good however the past 3 years hanven't been very good. We used to have no problem filling our buck tags on the first day. We rarely shoot does. However I have noticed there are a lot more people hunting the areas that we always did. I dont know if this has anything to do with it. If it wasnt for everyone else having a hard time all over the state i would blame it on the increased hunting pressure in our area. I have seen fewer deer throughout the year the past few years and an icreased number of coyotes, I mean a lot more coyotes. I have also seen fewer turkeys also and more bobcats, we never used to have bobcats until the state released a few in hopes of lowering coyote numbers (yeah that was a good decision-sarcasm). 3 weeks ago I was sitting at the kitchen table talking to my grandfather when 4 bobcats walked across the lawn. i'm blaming the coyotes for the deer along with poor management by the DEC and the bobcats on the low turkey numbers. 3 years of a wildlife management degree at Paul Smiths College has taught me enough to know that something isn't right.

Offline archbishop

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Re: DEC's Deer management
« Reply #2 on: Mar 30, 2005, 07:10:31 PM »
i have the key to success PUSH PAST THE LAZY SLOBS i found that since most state land does not allow atv's and most people on state land dont scout or know the area they just wander in 1/2 mile at the most and push all the deer to the back of the property or on to the next ask anyone who owns property bordering state land how the deer population is thell say great and then everyone thinks they need to get land owners permision to hunt there land instead of walking a little further ive seen some bigguns on state land you just gotta walk uphill off the main path through the prickers to that clearing no one knows about because theyre too lazy to walk off the path or up the steep part ive found apple orchards and oak stands in the middle of no where that probably only a few dedicated old timers know of you ever notice how many deer you see just out of bow range during bow season they dont go over to pa if you dont own your own land dont discount state land just walk a little further they are their

Offline bird dog

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Re: DEC's Deer management
« Reply #3 on: Apr 23, 2005, 06:10:46 AM »
There is by no means a shortage of deer in N.Y., in fact we have one of the largest herds. We are way over the carrying capacity of the natural forage base that we have in our state. Take a look in some of the big hardwoods, how far can you see? In most cases 100 - 150 yards or better, you should not be able to do that. The deer have desimated the lower browse in our woods. There are too many deer. I believe N.Y. is around the 35-40 deer per square mile range. That is far too many for the average habitat in N.Y. Add to that the decrease in hunters and huntable land and you get a surplus of deer. Now toss in the belief of not shooting does, and the numbers grow faster. There is a need for some management changes but they will not be met with alot of approval by many of the hunters. Look at Pa. they were the worst managed state and it has only taken 3 yrs to get them started in the right direction. There needs to be more buck management, bottom line. Coyotes are not a threat to our herd nor are the bobcats, we are!!!

Offline BuckShotJon

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Re: DEC's Deer management
« Reply #4 on: Aug 17, 2005, 01:43:44 PM »
Gotta agree with what Birddog has posted.

I have had no problems at all with deer hunting. In fact I have never had a season where I have not shot a deer. Last year I harvested 7 deer ( I hunt bow, gun and muzzeloader) and the year before that 6 deer.

Its all a matter of time, patterning and hunting hard.

QDM also helps alot. Its benefits seem to be endless. Controlling and managing the Does and Bucks seems to make the hunting better all the way around.

Just my 2 cents.

Jon

Offline tucker

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Re: DEC's Deer management
« Reply #5 on: Aug 17, 2005, 04:33:49 PM »
I got 3 deer last year, bow, shotgun and muzzleloader.  I don't think there is a shortage of deer, I think there is a shortage of deer hunting land.  I know of several properties where there are tons and tons of deer, but the people won't let you hunt them.  They like looking at them or some crap like that.  That is where many of the deer are going.

 


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