GR8RALLY

WOW, what a heated and passionate topic. I'm a new landowner in Southern Tier for about three years now and just started hunting this year. I have no data or past experience on how hunting was 5 years ago, but I do have experience in seeing how local hunters in my area hunt. They strongly believe in the "Brown its Down Mentality". The local farmer/butcher I was introduced to keeps a few tags in the barn just in case DEC shows up, but locals bring him deer to butcher, no tag and just pick up the meat the next day. I think this happens more so then alot of you might want to admit. I don't know how DEC knows how many tags to give out, but I think it has to do with the fact how many honest hunters call there harvest in. If theres hunters out there killing deer and not reporting it, I assume the data DEC gets will be skrewed, no? I'm new to this, so forgive me, but the same local hunters that tell me to my face that they only harvest big bucks turn around and shoot small does and button bucks. What gives? Lets not even talk about the spot light hunting that takes place and the off the side of the road hunting that takes place out of season. Its amazing, and this is why I think deer population is down more so than too many tags or harsh winters. JIMO.

Bill Yox

GR8RALLY, now you see why the land in the southern tier is still so easy to buy for hunting! Theres way too much of that crap going on. Ever count the foot prints in the snow on your property from during the week when you are at work? You know, if everyone played by the rules, hunters would be better off, and THEN, maybe, folks could point accusing fingers at the DEC and others.

GR8RALLY

I agree Bill. I know there are good Sportsman out there that do play by the rules and want to do right by the land and wildlife. Hunting for me is not all about the kill. Its time with family and friends and stories about the "Almost" got him. For others its just about the kill or its about filling the freezer. To each his own, but for those that are about the kill, how can you complain theres no deer. I know the next response will be, wellDEC gave me 3 doe permits, so i'm going to fill'em. Ok, but if you are on this forum or others that I view, its seems to be the same issue all over about low deer count, so don't shoot em, we seem to all agree the level is low so we need to step back and not kill so many. But then again, alot has to do with the poachers, not honest hunters trying to do the right thing. Its a vicious circle that i don't think theres an answer for. I try to keep off my land, but I can't be there 24-7. Hopefully as time passes, we can build a mutual respect for each other and they will stay off the land, hunt there own or go to public areas. But then theres reality, we as humans have a canning ability just to screw each other over and then blame me because I'm the new land owner of property they have hunted for years as if they didn't have the opportunity to buy it before me. O well, won't be an issue if theres no deer, right.

mlo3135127

In my area there are not to many that play by the rules. No tags,shooting at night, shooting after hours,Taking more than they have tags for,not calling their used tags in,shooting from the road,shooting out the window and the list goes on. These guys make me sick!

amayerican

Southern Zone Harvest Down 9 Percent: DEC

Albany — New York State’s 2005 Southern Zone deer harvest was down by about 9 percent, according to preliminary estimates from the DEC.
While complete figures won’t be available until next spring, early numbers are showing a near double-digit decline in the whitetail take. That, however, was anticipated on the heels of a cutback in Deer Management Permits by about 40 percent this season.

“That’s not unexpected,” said DEC Director Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources Gerald Barnhart. “We cut DMPs in an effort to let populations rebound in areas of the state that were below our population objectives. We’re not a long ways from where we want to be.”

Source... http://www.nyoutdoornews.com/articles/2006/01/03/news/news1.txt

AndesNY2

Be interesting to see the finally results but after hearing of all the false reporting, I don't have much confidence in DEC's numbers. We can only hope that they some how adjust for this but I don't see how they can factor in those erronous reports.

farm hunter

9% reduction is optimistic in my mind. in 7M - with NO Gun Doe permits - it must be down like 25 or 30%. Our buck harvest was down on our property too.We saw similar numbers of bucks, but they were generally smaller - (little racks and bodies) we let several pass, and ate tags.

I saw enough does - especially in the late season to make me optimistic that 2007 the herd numbers will encrease enough to allow doe permits again. but - thats just my little section of 7M.

I drive through sections every day where I used to see a bunch of deer - and still only see the occaisional deer. Some "yard areas" have big groups of 30+ deer out in the fields - but not as many as just a few years ago.

What ever the reason - the population is down, though I think - from what I seee - its on the way back UP. Let see what next year brings - htis January Thaw in CNY - will help ALOT.

FH

doughboysigep

Along with lower DMPs also remember that lisence sales were down quite a bit. I think 9% is not bad at all considering the two factors. I still like the idea of having figures like I posted before(% of deer -buck- taken for the number of licenses sold and number of doe per DMP issued). That could generate numbers like this: 50,000 bow lisences sold - 15,000 deer taken (30% success); 600,000 buck tags issued - 280,000 bucks taken (46% success), 400,000 DMPs - 200,000 does (50%). These numbers are not "real" but they wouldn't be hard to crunch out by the DEC. This would give a better represenation of hunters success in a given year and would be "consistent" from year to year even when lisence and DMPs fluctuate. Saying the take was down 9% (or even up 9%) can be misleading because of many variables from year to year.

atlasman

Gee...........I wonder why that is??



Any number or statement that the DEC puts out is misleading. They give these figures to the public as if they are somehow backed up by facts......when the truth is they are nothing better then a poorly educated guess. The margin for error in EVERYTHING the DEC does is so huge it renders the information useless. Just look at this thread.......it is a TINY sample of NY hunters and yet we see things like not calling in tags......poaching........calling in tags that weren't filled etc.........imagine what this becomes when you factor in the whole state. The DEC really has no idea how many deer are out there.......if they did they wouldn't be trying to dig themselves out of this hole right now. I wish they would just come clean and tell everyone the truth.......that they really don't have the manpower or resources to accomplish a proper assessment of the NY herd and any and all information they are giving out is really just estimates and guessing..............stop pretending they know exactly what is going on and are in full control and they will not look so stupid every time it hits the fan and they go to the well with the "harsh winter" crap.

chickenfarter

the food supply is geting wiped out.wipe them out this year if you don't care about eating in the future