This has nothing to do with "this" year. This has been a trend for who knows how many years now. Deer numbers are WAY down from years past. Yet, all you hear out of the DEC is how their numbers are spiraling out of control and we need to kill more and more and more of them every year........less hunters and more deer blah blah blah. BS!!!! Anyone who has spent time in the woods of NY over the last couple decades knows that you don't see anywhere the numbers of deer that you used to. Back in the days of guys wearing the doe permit arm band and 5 guys to a permit there were deer all over the place..........now when you are lucky to see a couple deer together......every guy in the woods has a pocket full of permits. WTF?? It's backwards.

NYSDEC better wake up.........they are a big reason for declining hunting numbers. How in the hell can they expect anyone to get a kid interested in hunting when that kid goes out and sits in the freezing cold for days at a time and sees no deer??

My freezer is full...........always is. The big difference now is that we have to hunt rediculous amounts of days and hours to accomplish what we have done quite easily in the past. Most guys aren't willing or able to hunt as long or hard as we get to and that leaves a lot of guys with empty freezers........how long will that go on before those guys start saying "Screw this" and finding better ways to spend their vacation time and the $68 license fee??