I can't speak for all of NY, but I doalso agree that the deer pops in my areas of 6k & 7m are down. I knew heading into the season it was going to be a rough yr. Based on the low & no permits for these two areas, and my scouting efforts before the 9/27 archery opener. I took 20 days off from work, and hunted everyone of them plus my wknds off. I put in more hrs this year during archery then have in past. Not that its a bad thing, but I have zero deer in my freezer, 0! The Sat. opener in my 7m area, private surrounded by public, actually had more hunters then I expected with no permits for 7m. But no where's near the shooting. Sun. the woods was dead, and I've only seen 1 hunter around that area since, while out. Oh I saw 1 doe opening day. I began hunting this area in 7m in 1998, and we've noticed a significant decrease in the deer pop since then. The surrounding camps all are reporting the same to us in our conversations.
I too don't buy the harsh winter stuff. Our winters in NY are nothing like they used to be. When was the last time we got hit with a 4ft plus snowstorm, and stranded for couple days? Where's the 20plus below temps for wks on end I recall growing up.
The DEC issued too many yrs of double permits in 7M, and lowered the population significantly. 6k is still being issued permits this yr, by preference pt. But I know several that have them. Many were denied upon purchasing license's, only to recieve them in the mail at a later date. Last season the township in 6k I hunt had more bucks taken per square mile, than the township I hunt in 7m. This per DEC reports on their websight. So that explains their reasons for permits in 6k. But trust me the deer aren't here this year, and the permits in 6k should cease.
I also believe the DECALS system had alot to do with the population decrease. The first yr. I heard horror stories of machines kicking out numerous unaccountable numbers of permits to single persons. I know a guy who got 13 that year. I saw them! How could the DEC keep track of the population under those circumstances, when its own permit quotas were way off.
All in all I guess we just have to deal with it, and hope it gets turned back around. I'd like to see the DEC back off on permit numbers again across the state, and especially in 7m & 6k.
I do realize the 20-30 deer I used to see on the shotgun opener days, are in the past, and probably never be again. But I do think a happy medium above what it is now could be reached, and maintained. For now I guess some of us will have to get used to the fact of going deerless, and not seeing much in our efforts. I don't like it anymore then the next guy. But unfortunately were stuck with it for now. Trust me I'll be speaking out this offseason. For some reason the DEC is failing to realize what sells deer license's is big bucks, and lots of deer. NY has some nice bucks, but in all honesty we don't have alot of the 160's & up bucks you read about. Now we don't have the deer population in some areas either. I can walk around with a camera, and enjoy the woods for free. Why pay for it!!