DEC Adopts New Rules For Deer Hunting In Certain Parts Of The State

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has put new hunting regulations in place for this fall in certain areas of the state to address problems of too many or too few deer.

“Deer are a keystone game species in New York, and responsible management requires periodic adjustment of hunting rules to ensure that deer populations are compatible with local socio-economic interests as well as maintaining a balanced ecosystem,” Acting Commissioner Marc Gertsman said. “DEC considered all public input in developing these regulations, and took into consideration the numerous negative impacts associated with the deer population, including impairments to forest habitat regeneration, increased deer-vehicle collisions and increased incidents of tick-borne diseases.”

In addition, the DEC has adopted several modifications to its Deer Management Assistance Program to “ease the application process for landowners while providing greater flexibility for DEC to administer the program.”

 

New deer hunting regulations:

The DEC has determined that its management objectives to control the growth of deer herds in certain parts of the state are not being met. Simply issuing more deer management permits (doe permits) for antlerless deer is not doing the trick.

Beginning this fall, deer hunters in 12 wildlife management units – 1C, 3M, 3S, 4J, 8A, 8C, 8F, 8G, 8H, 8N, 9A, and 9F – will not be allowed to harvest any bucks during the first 15 days of the early bow season (Oct. 1 -15) and all of the late bow and muzzleloading seasons (Dec. 14-22). Only antlerless deer (does, young bucks) can be taken during that time.

Those units include all or portions of Suffolk, Orange, Ulster, Sullivan, Westchester, Albany, Niagara, Erie, Wyoming, Orleans, Genesee, Monroe, Livingston, Steuben, Wayne, Ontario, Yates, Seneca, and Cayuga counties. For more, including a map on the areas where the new regulations apply, see the DEC website

Originally Shared At: http://www.syracuse.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2015/08/dec_adopts_new_rules_for_deer_hunting_in_certain_parts_of_the_state_1.html