I have not attached the tables. Please let me know if you would like a
paper copy mailed to you.
Steve
For Release: IMMEDIATE Contact: Michael Fraser
Monday, March 1, 2004 (518) 402-8000
DEC RELEASES STATISTICS FROM 2003 DEER HARVEST
Hunters Enjoy Productive Season, Management Efforts Successful
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Commissioner Erin M. Crotty today announced harvest results of the 2003
deer hunting seasons. The total deer take in the 2003 season was
slightly more than 253,000, and includes more than 107,000 bucks and
nearly 146,000 antlerless deer. As anticipated, modest declines in
total deer take were recorded in all of the major hunting zones, except
for Long Island where a slight increase was noted.
"New York's deer hunters took more than 94,000 adult females in
2003, about 90 percent of the female take objective," Commissioner
Crotty said. "Achieving this objective is an important component of
DEC's management program to maintain deer populations at desired levels
in New York. The role deer hunters play is crucial to our management
program's success and we sincerely appreciate their participation."
The 2003 total deer take of 253,000 deer is well above the
previous 10-year average total take of 239,000. The 2003 buck take
reflects a reduction over the 2002 total of 128,000 and was anticipated
after several years of increased harvests. The winter of 2002-2003 saw
a return to some of the harsh winter conditions that can occur in New
York, especially in the Northern Zone and in portions of the Catskill
Region and the Lake Plains. Winter mortality was documented in many
areas and the reductions in deer takes in some areas were expected. DEC
estimates the total deer population in New York State to be more than 1
million, prior to big game season.
DEC-initiated law changes enacted in 2002 were intended to
increase hunter participation and antlerless harvest, and the resulting
record deer take of 2002 has also served to lower deer numbers and bring
populations closer to desired levels in many areas, especially portions
of western New York.
As a result of winter mortality in 2002-03 and lower deer
numbers in many Wildlife Management Units (WMUs), DEC issued fewer deer
management permits (DMPs) during the 2003 season. The final total of
684,000 DMPs was about 90,000 less than were issued for the 2002 season.
DMPs are valid only for the taking of antlerless deer and serve as the
cornerstone for statewide deer management efforts.
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In New York State, Steuben County had the highest deer take in
2003, with 17,768 deer, including 6,242 bucks, harvested. Cattaraugus
County was second, with 15,606 deer, including 5,283 bucks, followed by
Allegany County, 14,680 deer, including 5,262 bucks. Chautauqua County
(10,628 total, 3,925 bucks) and St. Lawrence County (9,070 total, 4,516
bucks) rounded out the top five counties in the State.
A key part of the overall deer program is the Deer Management
Assistance Program (DMAP) which offers site-specific relief for farmers
and others suffering from deer damage. The DMAP program has been in
existence since 1999 and after five years of growth, the program has
begun to stabilize with more than 12,000 deer taken again by hunters
from approximately 2,200 problem areas during the past season.
Deer populations vary considerably throughout New York, and
approximately one-quarter of the current WMUs have deer populations that
are within 10 percent of desired levels. About one-third of the units
have populations above desired levels, and the remainder of the areas,
about 40 percent, have lower than desired populations. The goal of
DEC's deer management program is to maintain deer numbers at levels that
meet local interests and habitat conditions, while also providing
quality hunting opportunities for New York's 650,000 deer hunters who go
afield each fall in New York in pursuit of the white-tailed deer.
Opportunities to participate in deer hunting activities are many and
include a multiple seasons, spanning several months duration. Complete
information about New York's deer management program and hunting
opportunities is available on DEC's website at:
http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/deer/ For more than a decade, DEC has utilized local citizen task
forces to establish deer population objectives for most WMUs. The task
forces represent a broad range of public interests and consider concerns
of farmers, foresters, conservationists, landowners and hunters. Each
WMU's desired deer population level is expressed as a Buck Take
Objective (BTO) and reflects the approximate buck take per square mile
that would be taken when the deer population is close to the desired
level.
Weather conditions this winter will be carefully assessed by DEC
because consecutive years of winter kill can have longer reaching
effects on deer numbers, especially in some of the more critical areas
in the Adirondacks and the Catskills. Deer populations have been more
closely aligned with desired levels in other areas, and the reduced deer
take in the 2003 season reflects well on the continued success of New
York's deer hunters as the most effective tool for managing deer numbers
on a landscape scale. Opening day in the Southern Zone will be Monday,
November 22, 2004.
The accompanying charts and tables provide details on New
York's 2003 deer harvest.
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