Pilot Antler Restriction Program
New York's pilot antler restriction program began in 2005 in two WMUs located primarily in Ulster County, and was expanded in 2006 to include two WMUs primarily in Sullivan County. The antler restriction stipulates that bucks taken in these areas have at least one antler with three points at least one inch in length to be legal. This standard is intended to reduce harvest of yearling bucks, allowing them to survive to older ages.
Buck take in each of these units dropped significantly during the first year of the program because many yearling bucks were not legal for harvest. As expected, buck take then increased in most units during the second year. However, buck takes in the Ulster County WMUs in 2007, the third year of the pilot restriction, were similar to 2006 takes. All of the pilot units are still below objectives.
The pilot program has demonstrated success in reducing harvest of yearling bucks and shifting the composition of harvest toward slightly older bucks. With data from all four units combined, harvest before the change was 57 percent yearlings, 29 percent 2.5 year olds, and 14 percent 3.5+ year olds. After the antler restriction, the take in these four units was 33 percent yearlings, 43 percent 2.5 year olds, and 24 percent 3.5+ year old bucks.
I only rifle hunted an area of Sullivan County on a property of about 500 acres. I only saw a small 3pt, but the week before two of my dads friends took a 130" buck and a 140" buck on the same property we hunted. I'm hoping that they add more counties to the list of AR areas.
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I do a lot of bowhunting in one of the Ulster county units in the pilot program.The unit I hunt just concluded year three I believe.Last year I saw the most 2.5 year old bucks I have ever seen before and killed either a 2.5 year old or 3.5 year old eight pointer in the archery season..This year in my spots sightings were way down in the archery season,I attribute that to the archery season being very warm so movement was suppressed and the fact that I left earlier than usual to go out to Idaho to hunt because of Thanksgiving falling early this year.
I really believe that the pilot program has been beneficial.Unfortunately our buck take per square mile is very poor,I believe in the one pilot unit it is less than one buck taken per square mile.
trust me, i cant tell you first hand the pilot rule is working, its just a little insane in one area i hunt, they give me no doe tag, and i couldent shoot about 15 of the bucks i had in bow shooting range this year... its getting way over populated.Dident see a buck over 60" the whole year during the day time.
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Mathews DXT 27" 70#
G5 Optix LE 5 pin .19 Sight
QAD Pro HD Fall Away Rest
Carbon Express Maxima Hunter Mathews Edition Arrows
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Deluxe Series Little Goose Release
FUSE Axium 6"stabilizer
Mathew Quiver
The politics of the State of New York and you want to know what that you don't already know? If the state thinks it's a good idea it's only because they are using younger deer to carry some kind of contraband.
The state in order to control deer sends out sharp shooters and dumps the deer in the land fill. Another state I have no desire to hunt.
That jump innumbers seems right in an AR implementation. Actually I am very shocked at the harvest being comprised 14% 3.5+ deer before AR's. And now that its 24%, that must be some pretty good hunting. I wonder what the breakdown here in PA is, even with our AR's I'd be suprised to see 3.5+ make up any more than 12-15% of the total harvest.
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Just a regular guy who likes to hunt
NY AR pilot
