Personally - I'd like to see antler restrictions - and double, maybe triple the doe harvest.

I know guys like atlasman will scream foul, but all's I can tell you is you are not hunting the right places. The public lands that were farmlands 30-50 years ago are now young, open hardwoods, that support very little deer per acre. These areas - however large- are the "has been" deer hunting hotspots of old (Chenengo County). Look around, so many areas are now HOT secondary growth areas with large deer populations - often too large.

I will agree with the decrease in deer sightings for 2003 - and for the most part I'll attribute it to nearly 200" of snow in 2002-2003. I expect the same for next year in Madison county - and I feel it is good overall to have the lower deer populations here - if hunters cannot do the job - Mother nature will (in the short run).

Look - If you've never managed 40+ deer/ square mile (35+ being does or fawns) then you will not be able to relate. The DEC is on the right track with concern for deer populations in the state as a whole. We are lucky in NY that the management areas are small, and that qualified DEC personel are making qualified decisions for each area - Not all states are so lucky. (PA).