Phil from Maine

I hope the mild winter continues here too. And keep your fingers crossed
that the middle of March and April stays mild. (To much snow will take its
toll on the fawns.) Then some may start to rebound.

thesource

Not true. Why listen to hearsay when we can use numbers?

According to the harvest statistics, this area has generally followed the county and the state over the last 10 years.

When the state had a record harvest in 2002, so did Steuben County and so did the area WMU. Since then, this area has seen as large a drop in harvest numbers as anywhere in the state.

Steuben Conty buck harvest (which as Phade points out always leads the state) has dropped from 8200 in 2002 to 4540 in 2005...thats down 45%. Total harvest is down 63% over the same time frame (but the reduced DMP last year has something to do with that of course.) from 23,000 in '02 to 8600 in '05. Look again at those numbers. The BUCK harvest in 2002 was almost as high as the TOTAL harvest only 3 years later.

My hunting areas in 8Y, 8T, and 8W have seen similar drops. The buck harvest (a better number since we can ignore the variability of DMP) is down 45%, 42%, and 42%, respectively. Needless to say, all of these WMU are way below the target Buck Take Objectives.

relichuntermodel12

YES, YES INDEED THIS MILD NEW YORK WINTER WILL BRING IN MANY MANY MORE MOUNTAIN ELEPHANTS, COUGARS, WOLVES, WILDEBEAST, ELK, ANTELOPE, LEOPARDS...ECT...ECT...ECT...I GOT EM ALL BABY...RIGHT UP IN CONSTANTIA NEW YORK

Bill Yox

My friends, customers and fellow taxidermists have mentioned over the years that theyve seen a steady decline in numbers down that way, as well as the tax and crime trouble I mentioned, thats all. I never really gave it that much thought to compare it to DEC numbers I guess. Just a comment and observation, thats really all, and why I said so here. In fact, it seemed to loosely parallel the numbers you mentioned, if not for as long. Anyway, I guess Ive spoke enough. Guys, enjoy the topic, and Ill cruise around a bit for other topics to bounce back and forth. Again, I hope the numbers come back for you guys where they need to.

livbucks

I poked my head in here to see what you NY guys have to talk about. I began to think this thread was an AR/HR in PA discussion. You guys relate many of the same varying observations depending on location as us in PA. I have gotten into trouble on this topic before. Where I do most of my hunting, we have NO shortage of anything. The big bucks are there waiting to be hunted, does everywhere too. When guys from the big country hear this they go berzerk. When I tell them thatI have a camp in their area and have had good success there too, they really throw fits. I have said that deer cannot be spread over the landscape like pepperoni on a pizza. One guy might see a ton of deer on this mountain, the guy on the next one sees nothing. Just the nature of the beast. I will say that this sometimes leads to a banner year later. Guys will give up on an area and a few years later, the lucky person who wanders back in will have a season unlike any other in his lifetime. Life is all about cycles.

farm hunter

It was mild because we only had 9" of snow in January - and warm enough weather to melt most of it.

In Syracuse anyhow - we are stillpretty close to normal:





2005-2006 season through 13 Mar:
Snowfall
109.4"
First snow on
17 Nov
Last snow on
4 Mar


I agree that populations will be up. I've yet to see a sickened deer- or even the throngs of deer on the road edges. Yarding seems to be less as intense as past years - lots of groups of 10-15 deer. Its nice to see!

Mid March through Early April are the toughest months though, and Green protein food plots right now are being hit very hard (clover mostly).

FH

mlo3135127

100% true. This is a point that many can not grasp. In my area we have alot less deer, but we still have to many. Our winter brouse has been devasted and after hunting season that thought doesn't seem to cross anyones mind.

thesource

Here is a point that YOU seem not to grasp.

The DEC reports that the population is BELOW TARGET in 2/3 of the state.

Read it again.

They are actively trying to INCREASETHE HERDin these areas.

I think that those of you who still have too many deer should
a) Feel Blessed.
b) Empathize with those who have seen there hunting suffer.
c) Get to work and harvest your excess deer!

Even the state is saying we do not have enough deer .... I'm tired of you people telling me we have too many deer when the areas I hunt have been hammered out for 3 years.

wildpigs

I don't know about numbers increasing due to mild winter, but most wildlife of there will be much stronger since they have been feeding on uncovered vegetations thruoghout the entire winter.

Bill Yox

I know, I know, I shouldnt bother with this post, but...You know, its funny, first we criticize the DEC for "devasting" the deer herd, and say how they dont know what theyre talking about, yet we should then turn right around and not believe what we see in the field, because we should instead READ WHAT THE DEC STATED. Now which is it? Are they numbskulls that cant be trusted with our deer, or should we believe what they state, regardless of the obvious? Sorry guys, I said I was going to leave this post alone, but...