bow27

Does any one here actually know how the DEC calculates the # of deer in the state? I've read the Outdoor News about them using deer harvests and traditional success rates. I don't think you can start handing out thousands of permits, permit use of regular license tags to shoot does and still use the tradional methods.

Bill Yox

No atlas, thats NOT what I think. As I have already stated, I feel that there SHOULD be less deer, and this is good. So, if theres still those out there, like yourself, that feel otherwise, then I offered self control asan option.

Bottom line, there were too many deer. The state issued many permits to kill many deer and reduce the herd. The hunters did just that, knowingly. Now theres less deer, obviously. Now, AFTER they get their freezer full, they complain theres no deer, and it has to be DECs fault. Like I said, we just disagree. Im as comfortable with my opinion as you are with yours.

I hope the numbers in your area rebound to where you like them soon.

atlasman

That's great.........but it's not reality so no use pretending. A couple hundred thousand random people and the answer is self control?? That is a dream world. The only way most guys aren't gonna fill a tag is if they don't have one. You can't HOPE they don't do something..........you have to MAKE them not do it by not giving out baskets of tags.


What proof do you have that this is true??


That is ABSOLUTELY false IMO.........they didn't think they were reducing the herd. They were told that they had to fill more tags just to keep up with the ever expanding herd because it was still growing at the levels we were killing.


If the DEC had been honest with hunters and told them that we are gonna give you guys extra tags BUT.........the herd is gonna take a beating and you can expect deer numbers to be way down in the coming years.........I doubt very many people would have agreed to that.

Phade

You aren't kidding Bill. My wife just hit one in Scottsville.

Bill Yox

Phade, I hear ya man. Theres no use arguing it here, guys dont wanna hear it. I know YOU know where Im coming from. Like I said, Im glad its not ME who has to do the DECs job!

thesource

And now, in many places, Atlasman is right - there are too few deer.

The state's OFFICIAL position is that across 2/3 of the state they want to increase the deer herd. And that was prior to this season.

Theres no use arguing with that, either.

LIAF

I agree that certain areas of the state the numbers are downdue to an overabundance of permits given out in prior years. I feel that each WMU or even parts of the WMU's vary in numbers of deer. I know one thing down here in 3R we have plenty of deer. This was one of the rare areas where non-residents stood a high chance of receiving first and second permits. Only problem is one of access to land(1/4 of this area is state and county parks)and out of the 5 townships in this WMU only one still lets you discharge a firearm whereas the others it is archery only. If I could hang a tree stand off my back deck I could easily tag out. Only problem, if I missed the arrow would bounce off the blacktop that the deer must cross so they can eat my landscaped bushes. I personally think that after opening of southern zone alot of deer become nocturnal. I hunted 6p last year and this year and after the opener stand hunting became very difficult. The guys I hunted with pushed bush,something I do not enjoy, but when in Rome do what the Romans do so i partcipated in these deer drives. I plan on going back up to 6P/6R to finish out my ML season. My friend and I have a piece of property(100 acres)that has yet to be hunted and I am assumming the deer will be unmolested those first 2 days we hunt it. Last year after each hunt in 6P we would shine the fields and every other field held 10-15 deer casually eating at app. 6PM.

stretchhunts

Took my 5 yr old and 9 yr old son`s out tonight. My 5 yr old fell asleep in our tower . I couldn`t believe he got that bored but not seeing deer is bad for the kids. I just enjoy being in the woods but it`s hard to get them into it.

stretchhunts

Here`s a link to a news report in the local paper.

http://www.syracuse.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-0/11179606926320.xml?syrnesreg


Here`s part of the report.

Statewide, more than 50,000 deer are struck by cars each year, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
In 2004, maintenance crews removed more than 2,400 deer carcasses from the Thruway. Insurance companies estimate nationwide deer-vehicle crashes cause more than $1.1 billion in damage annually.( I believe I said in a earlier post thatthis could be a reason for the DEC to ruin the herd, but was told insurance companys just charge you more.)

stickin8s

I have been reading through all of the post's about the lack of deer and the poaching problems, but the one thing I haven't seen mentioned yet, and maybe people don't realize, is nuiscance permits. The dec hands these out like you wouldn't believe. If a farmer calls them up and says he has crop damage the dec hands over nuiscance permits. The problem with this is onefarmer may get 15 permits,and one may get 2 or 3.Now I am not saying that they shouldn't get these permits, because some areas are really bad with crop damage,but if the farmer is a hunter thentry to solve some of the problem during deer season.When they go out and use all of the permits,and then they don't see any deer during deer season they blame the dec.If the farmers with crop damage would allow hunting from people other than themselves, then theymay be able to reduce the crop damage.But instead they post the land, don't allow anybody on, and they shoot deer all year on nuiscance permits.If you kill the deer before season how can you expect to see deer during season?
Another problem too is menonites. yes that's right, menonites. WhereI live there are alot of menonites,some of these guys arebigger poachers than any one around. They kill any deer that they see whether they have tags or not.It doesn't matter to them because they may tag one and anything theykill after that goes untagged. They don't hesitate to trespass across someones property either. Just try to get charges pressed against them.... good luck.
The dec has alot of issues to work out.