2003 NY deer harvest

[doughboysigep]

Well, it's "official", the NY deer harvest is DOWN substantially (the capitol letters are for you NY Bowhunter ). My local paper had the following information:

nearly 50,000 less deer taken (however, the total of 253,000 was still above the 10 year average)

Broome Co. - down ~750
Chernango Co. - down 650
Tioga Co. - down 580
Cortland Co. - down ~400
Otsego Co. - down 1400!
Delaware Co. - down 2100!!
Steuben Co. - down 5500!!!

WOW - i guess there are no deer in NY or there are going to over run us next year ??

Our discussions before focused on the number of deer tags and how it will hurt hunting by harvesting too many deer. So how should we take this info - 1) it has not hurt the hunting because the deer take is down (more tags does not mean more deer taken) or 2) the increase in tags and subsequent deer take (308,000 in 2002) hurt last hyears harvest becuase less deer were around??? I think the guys who were in the discussion before know where I stand (the increased tags has not hurt the hunting).
Here's some more numbers to chew on -
2001 harvest was DOWN (280,000) from 2000 (295,000) and those years were before the extra tags
doe permits issued were down 90,000 last year - therefore less doe could be taken (the lower doe tags was a result of the high take the year before)
the total of 253,000 in 2003 is still above the 10 year average

well, let's see what kind of discussion we can get into over these numbers and try to decide what is happening with the population (i still think there are plenty of deer in NY)

for the entire article go to (also some info on rifle in the southern tier and blaze orange:

http://www.pressconnects.com/today/s...04s72007.shtml



Figures released Monday showed the 'calculated' 2003 deer harvest at 253,000 -- well above the previous 10-year average of 239,000. The total included more than 107,000 bucks and nearly 146,000 antlerless deer. The DEC anticipated a modest decline in the total deer take due to high kills in previous years and a drastic reduction in antlerless permits last season.

Nearly 308,000 deer were taken in 2002, including a record 128,000 bucks. But the high kill figures convinced biologists to reduce the number of antlerless permits by 90,000 last year, down to 684,000.

Figures in Broome County showed 4,877 deer (1,827 bucks), down from 5,614 in 2002 with 2,220 bucks. Chenango County showed a drop of more than 300 bucks and 650 deer overall while Delaware's kill of 8,933 in 2002 dropped to 5,700 last season. The Delaware buck kill dropped from 4,518 to 2,617 last year.

Tioga County's figures dropped by more than 580 deer, and 250 bucks while Cortland County dropped less than 400 deer and less than 100 bucks. Otsego figures showed a drop of 1,400 deer and about 700 bucks.

Steuben County had the highest deer take in 2003, with 17,768 deer, down from 23,200 in 2002.

The Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) which offers site-specific relief for farmers and others suffering from deer damage, accounted for 12,000 deer killed in 2003.

[Charlie P]

Will a smaller herd be a more healthy herd? I think so. Wonder what the winter kill was like in some area's this year?My son took a drive last week I was rteally surprised at some of the small deer I saw that had made it through. Granted this was in a urban setting where the deer have plenty of the yuppies shrubs to eat.
The article isn't showing up.

[model722]

I don't think this years winter kill was as bad as last years. We didn't seem to get as much snow, which makes it easier for them to get to the plants. Allthough it was cold I have allready seen more deer kicking around then I did last year at this time. Of course this is just up in my area other places may notice something different.

Doughboysigep;

Thanks for the post

[vtbuckrulrss]

here's my take on it: all over the east, harvest numbers are down. maine is down around 15-20% the last i knew, vt is looking at 14?%, new hampshire is in the same range, reading other posts, it looks like penn. is down, as is conn., mass. nothing to get excited about, bad winters from the past couple of years have hurt us all a little, but as you pointed out, you still are above your ten year average. many morons who don't look at that number here in vt are now being crybabies about it, they get used to having a good year, and forget what it is like to have a down one, so they are using this as an excuse to try a qdm plan. can't wait until they try that( would be the worse thing in the world for our herd) then listen to the crybabying! not seeing/getting a deer, can't undestand why, you just knocked off 10-20% of your deer population in the form of does, just so you can have your prescious large rack! G.D. fools!

[NY Bowhunter]

Tells me that people don't know how to use a phone to call in their harvest. Take those #'s and throw them in the fireplace. I will base my evaluation of the deer herd by what I see and have seen for the last 15years.

[doughboysigep]

oh no, here we go again!!

[NY Bowhunter]

LOL like a recuring nightmare aint it?

ps I don't see Cayuga County numbers on there.

[Rack-attack]

What was the weather like during the opener this year????

Lots of factors working

[doughboysigep]

NYB - my paper doesn't cover the Finger Lakes (but I heard it was up 62% in Cayuga Co. )

Rack - I can't honestly remember what it was like opening day (all a blur), I know the weather over the entire season seemed pretty good (we had snow for most if not all gun season)

[Charlie P]

Rack, Are trying to say that the downpour that lasted until about 11 am. might have kept some of the fair weather hunters home? Couldn't be.

I had a great year as far as seeing deer per hunt. Freezer full too.

Don't worry NYBH I'll show you were to find them when I come up turkey hunting lol.

If you had been were I told to be the morning I put the drive on from Vestal to Auburn you'de have shot Mongo no problem.