Interesting thread. Very similar to the PA threads. Being a hunter in MA, its hard for me to understand people complaining about only seeing 10-12 deer during the gun season. I hunt areas of low density and numbers like that would make my season a great one. Odd thing is, I fish in easternNY and see deer thereall the time. In fact, I see more deer in NY every year than all of New England combined, despite spending allot less time there. Just over the border from VT I can drive to areas of NY and see does regularly, often in or near public lands. I also stay at an Inn run by a bowhunter. He hunts DEC land and claims he sees deer almost every outing. Thats good hunting in my book. He claims that once the orange army shows up, the deer go to safe areas.A gun hunter could walk the woods and think all the deer had dissapeared. This is not in central or west NY, this is the northeatern end which is supposed to have "less" deer. So it seems there aresome deer around that section of the state.

Now I know it used to be better. But we all know that capacity on lands is limited to what it can support long term. I think deer mgt history has shown that have excess deer on land that cannot support them is detremental to the deerherd in the long run. As well as other species. Seeing 30 deer a day in the NE US is crazy.Your deer herd will be better off without such high densitiesas time goes on.

Is it possible that your area has been overharvested ?? Absolutly. The DEC dosn't have the data or manpower to micro-manage every tract of public land. It can only manage the best it can with the system they have. So it may be frustrating. But it also can be a time to check out new areas and get on with hunting.

Please do not attack me. I am just adding my two cent view from an outsiders perspective. I still think NY's hunting is way better than New England as far as numbers go. Consider yourselves lucky.