New York Deer Population     An estimated 955,000 deer on average for 2022 based on hunting data.  An informal state estimate of 1.2 million deer pre-hunt in 2021 with about 950,000 post-hunt for an average of 1,075,000 deer.  Populations up in 2019, stable to slightly increasing in 2020 and 2021.  A mild 2015-16 winter increased populations into 2016 for an estimated 900,000 deer.  A population increase into 2017 as the herd recovers from the harsh 2014-15 winter.  The population was estimated to be over 1 million around 2001 with some estimates at 1.5 million, the highest estimated population.  The 2023-24 Dear Season Forecast.


New York Deer News

The Humble Acorns: A Feast for Wildlife  March 10, 2024 New York Almanack

... White-tailed deer are among the top acorn consumers, with acorns comprising up to 75 percent of their late fall and early winter diet. One deer may eat 300 acorns per day. In a big mast year (every two to five years), deer weigh more and are more likely to produce twin fawns...


The Humble Acorns: A Feast for Wildlife  March 10, 2024 New York Almanack

... White-tailed deer are among the top acorn consumers, with acorns comprising up to 75 percent of their late fall and early winter diet. One deer may eat 300 acorns per day. In a big mast year (every two to five years), deer weigh more and are more likely to produce twin fawns...


The return of the rare Piebald deer: First 2024 sighting in Jones Woods Park March 10, 2024 New York, Staten Island Advance

...  renowned for its distinctive coat pattern and fluffier appearance ... The last reported sighting of a Piebald Deer in Staten Island was in 2022 at Goodhue Park in New Brighton... 


Staten Island.  At last! Data shows Staten Island deer vasectomy program is paying off. Here’s how. February 17, 2024 New York, Staten Island Advance

... “Since this project began in 2016, there has been a 41% decrease in the total deer population, as well as a 94% reduction in the number of fawn births,” Katrina Toal, deputy director of the NYC Parks Wildlife Unit said. “This data shows that the sterilization study is making a substantial impact on the deer population on Staten Island.” ...


Deer With Container On Its Head Saved By Rescuers: 'We Never Gave Up' February 17, 2024 New York, NY Patch

... Frankie Floridia of Strong Island Animal Rescue worked tirelessly for the entire 10 days to save the deer, who was first spotted on Sound Breeze Trail/ Great Rock Drive in Wading River...


Trail cameras track 'critically low' New York bobcat population February 13, 2024 Phys.org

... thousands of strategically placed cameras ...White-tailed deer flourish, red fox and coyote populations remain abundant and stable, and eastern wild turkey and gray fox numbers remain low, according to research based on years of observation by Cornell  ..."Bobcats are an important predator in northeastern ecosystems, eating rodents, squirrels, snowshoe hare, rabbits and deer," ...


Study examines strategies to prevent fatal deer disease re-entering NY January 30, 2024 New York, Olean Times Herald

... Deer hunters were more likely to be swayed by social media messages about the potential risks of chronic wasting disease if they came from a source they believed aligned with their own views and values, according to a new study...


Save Our Deer continues anti-culling efforts January 24, 2024 New York, The Miscellany News

... Trepel said, “After several years the disease has finally abated, but killing deer that were already victims of a widespread disease illustrates Vassar’s cruel intent. Vassar’s website currently states that the flyover count last year was just 21 deer per square mile. That was one deer more than their already incorrect public ‘optimal’, but didn’t stop Vassar from killing deer this year.” ...


How whitetail bucks spend winter after surviving hunting season January 5, 2024 New York, Hornell Evening Tribune

... This past hunting season featured incredibly (if not record setting) mild early winter temperatures and scant amounts of snow, ergo poor hunting conditions.  Deer were also assisted this year in many areas with greater than usual abundant wild food sources, especially acorns..,


The Two Most Important Things New York Hunters Can Do to Improve Deer Management December 24, 2023 HamletHub

... they can directly improve deer management:  harvesting antlerless deer; and reporting all the deer they harvest...  84% of hunters didn’t harvest any antlerless deer, despite antlerless deer being the most abundant and commonly observed ...  to ensure deer populations remain in balance with available habitat ...


Sierra Club Statement on Governor Hochul Signing Birds and Bees Protection Act December 22, 2023 New York, Sierra Club

... The new law will eliminate 80-90 percent of the toxic class of pesticides called neonicotinoids, or neonics for short, from entering New York’s environment... Long connected to mass loss of the bees ... and birth defects in deer...


Deer decoy nabs 5 road hunters in Cattaraugus County December 21, 2023 New York, Olean Times Herald

... Officers set up a decoy whitetail buck with enticing-size antlers — typically, the decoy deer’s head features robotic movement — in view from the road and officers lie in wait nearby...


Upstate NY man ticketed for shooting decoy deer December 13, 2023 New York, syracuse.com

... a deer decoy in the town of Lake Luzerne, hoping to catch hunters illegally shooting from the road...  truck’s passenger loaded his rifle, got out of the truck, and shot the decoy...


Governor signs bill allowing Syracuse’s deer culling program to target more animals December 11, 2023 New York, Syracuse.com 

... State Sen. Rachel May and state Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter ushered through a bill that reduces the distance from an occupied building that deer management sharpshooters could fire from 500 feet to 250 feet. Anything inside that perimeter needs written permission of 100% of the affected property owners...


Men Caught On Video Poaching a Deer In New York – Do You Recognize Them? November 27, 2023 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio

... "On Nov. 22, Officers responded to a home in the Town of Lexington in search of a deer taken illegally in the front yard of another residence. Fortunately, no one was home at the time of the shooting, but the poaching incident was captured on a doorbell camera." - NYDEC


Whitetails once disappeared from So. Tier November 18, 2023 New York, Olean Times Herald

... As settlers pushed into Western New York, they found herds of whitetails. But as habitat for deer was cleared for farming and industrial-level timbering, coupled with intense overhunting, deer were all but eliminated in most of New York. According to Olean Times Herald archives, the last recorded deer sightings in the western Southern Tier was in 1881 near Independence, Allegany County..,


The Great White-tail Count November 16, 2023 New York, All Otsego

... There was a marked decline of the New York deer population through most of the 19th century, to a low between 1880 and 1890... Throughout the 20th century the deer population returned sporadically, only to decrease again, due both to starvation, during the severe winters of 1925-26, 1930-31, and 1947-48, and to the then-illegal killing of antlerless deer..,


DEC encourages hunters to take more antlerless deer when big game season opens this weekend in NY November 16, 2023 New York, syracuse.com

...A recent string of mild winters has also contributed to rising deer populations, particularly in the Adirondack and Catskill regions, says Quirion... “so we’re increasing the availability of deer management permits for hunters" [DEC big game biologist, Brendan Quirion] ...


To help eagles, NYS deer hunters can choose non-toxic ammo November 15, 2023 New York, Cornell Chronicle - Cornell University

... Lead rifle bullets shatter on impact into tens or hundreds of fragments ... That can potentially pepper game meat and carcasses with toxic particles, creating a hazard for humans and wild scavengers, including bald eagles. Consuming a lead fragment as small as a grain of rice can be lethal to an eagle...


Syracuse to start annual deer culling soon, hoping to target twice as many animals November 10, 2023 New York, syracuse.com

...  a fifth season of deer culling ... After USDA-trained sharpshooters killed 159 animals in the first year, totals were below 100 each of the next three years... “What we see is continued significant overpopulation,” Greg Loh, the city’s chief policy officer ...


Another problem with daylight saving time: The time change raises your risk of hitting deer on the road November 5, 2023 New York, The Conversation

... The risk of hitting a deer varies by time of day, day of the week, the monthly lunar cycle and seasons of the year...  in fall, when deer-vehicle accidents are at an annual high because of deer rut, the earlier sunrise and sunset cause a significant increase in deer-vehicle accidents...


The Two Most Important Things New York Hunters Can Do to Improve Deer Management October 24, 2023 New York DEC News

... In 2022, only 12% of deer hunters harvested one antlerless deer, and only 4% of hunters harvested 2 or more antlerless deer. Whether by choice or circumstance, 84% of hunters didn’t harvest any antlerless deer, despite antlerless deer being the most abundant and commonly observed portion of the deer population. Further, in 2022, only 46% of hunters reported the deer that they harvested, the second lowest reporting rate DEC has documented over the previous 5 years...


New York Experiencing a Record Year for Deer-Related Car Crashes October 17, 2023 WIBX 950

... Roughly 40,000 crashes caused by deer happen every year in the Empire State ... 


Rare Footage of Hudson Valley 'Zombie Deer' Shows Deformity Cause October 16, 2023 New York, 101.5 WPDH

... what appears to be its eye with a large tumor on it, hanging out of the socket ... it appears that the tumor wasn't on the deer's eye, but a growth on her eyelid, causing it to droop over the eye...  looked completely unaffected by the deformity ...


DEC survey seeks hunter views on taking antlerless deer October 10, 2023 New York, Olean Times Herald

... The DEC noted that it manages deer populations through actions that encourage or limit harvest of female deer, depending on herd numbers.  “This is accomplished by adjusting hunting seasons and/or the number of deer management permits (DMPs) available to hunters in each wildlife management unit (WMU),” the DEC stated. “However, in some areas, hunters are not harvesting enough female deer to manage deer populations effectively.” ...


AI comes to the deer woods October 9, 2023 New York, The Wellsville Sun

...  the last [deer] here in Western New York was extirpated in 1881 in the Town of Independence. Deer didn’t reappear here until the 1930’s, slowly migrating up from North-central Pa... Artificial Intelligence…the simulation of human intelligence in a predatory manner is coming to your mobile phone soon ..,


Deer, driving and ecosystem diversity October 6, 2023 New York, Auburn Citizen

... The white-tailed deer population in New York is estimated at 1.2 million... Humans in the 19th century reduced deer population by 95%, so in the first half of the 20th century people focused on supporting the return of healthy populations of deer...


Tick prevention and deer populations: Unraveling the Lyme Disease conundrum September 28, 2023 New York, CNY Central

... Quirion said deer culling is an effective strategy for limiting the population of deer. However, according to Royal Scuderi, the Executive Director of the CNY Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease Alliance, deer culling won't decrease the amount of ticks in an area.  "In an area like this where they (deer) are roaming freely and breeding freely, you're never going to be able to cull them down to a manageable amount that has any kind of impact," said Scuderi.


Deer With Dog Toy Stuck In Her Mouth Saved By Caring Community September 27, 2023 New York, Patch

...A Facebook plea appeared first, alerting residents in Springs that there was a female deer in the neighborhood who had a Kong toy stuck over her lower jaw... George Miller said he and some others were able to corner the deer and trap her with a net...


Ellicott Must Be Ready To Enforce A Wildlife Feeding Ban Before Passing A Ban September 20, 2023 New York, Post Journal

... Feeding deer in New York state is illegal ... Except in cases of blatant wildlife feeding we can’t imagine a way the ordinance is actually enforceable without neighbors documenting wildlife feeding with photos and video. People do have a right of privacy on their properties ...


Another problem with daylight saving time: The time change raises your risk of hitting deer on the road September 20, 2023 New York, Times Union

... In spring, when deer-vehicle accidents are at an annual low, the start of daylight saving time means a later sunrise and sunset. It results in a small decrease in deer-vehicle accidents. However, in fall, when deer-vehicle accidents are at an annual high because of deer rut, the earlier sunrise and sunset cause a significant increase in deer-vehicle accidents...


Deer Found In Dog Crate After Home Explosion In Upstate New York September 15, 2023 New York, Hudson Valley Post

... After a stolen car crashed into a home, causing that home to explode ...  officers discovered a six-point, white-tailed deer being kept inside a dog crate...


Geneva City Council shoots down deer-harvesting proposal September 9, 2023 New York, Finger Lakes Times

... City Manager Amie Hendrix ... said such deer kills need state Department of Environmental Conservation approval and must be backed up with data.  “We would have to prove that there is an actual nuisance — the amount of deer in the area and the damage they are doing,” ...


Deer Making a Comeback August 25, 2023 New York, The Highlands Current

... The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) said recently that its monitoring indicates the population in Putnam, Dutchess and other Hudson Valley counties is recovering from epizootic hemorrhagic disease, which is transmitted by bites from midges and kills deer within days ..,


Latest report from the Shelter Island Deer & Tick Committee August 19, 2023 New York, Times Review

... A “skyrocketing” increase in ticks isn’t manifesting itself in people developing tick-borne diseases ... the State Department of Environmental Conservation banned the use of 4-poster units in 2019 ... the Deer & Tick Committee has had to concentrate its efforts on culling the herd ...


How deer hunting practices have changed over the years as bow season draws near August 18, 2023 New York, Yahoo! Sports

... According to the NYSDEC historical records, in 1971, 48,000 deer were harvested statewide. By 1978 that number grew to 85,000 deer legally harvested. In 1990, 190,000 whitetails were harvested in New York state, and by 2013, 245,000 deer were taken. Last year (2022) the number of deer harvested according to the DEC was 232,000..,


Upstate New York deer poacher gets jail time for unpaid fines on multiple violations August 4, 2023 Upstate New York

... killed an eight-point buck despite losing his hunting privileges in 2021 for multiple hunting violations and the unlawful harvest of numerous white-tailed deer...


2023 Deer Management Permit Availability August 1, 2023 New York DEC News

...  The primary tool used by DEC to facilitate the harvest of antlerless deer is the Deer Management Permit or DMP. DMPs provide hunters additional opportunities to harvest antlerless deer in particular wildlife management units (WMU) to meet desired deer population objectives... For 2023, DEC has increased the availability of DMPs across the majority of the state, largely in response to continued mild winters and the recovery of deer populations affected by outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease in 2021 ..,


New York DEC offers incentives to deer hunters who partake in study of non-lead ammo July 25, 2023 Outdoor News

... The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is hoping hunters will participate in a multi-year study of non-lead ammunition and its potential effects on New York’s eagle conservation efforts...


Experimental evaluation of four protocols for assessing white-tailed deer browse intensity. 2023 New York,  Ecological Indicators, 2023

... we used a network of large (2 ha) long-term deer exclosures in New York State to assess utility and reliability of AVID (Assessing Vegetation Impacts of Deer), the Ten-Tallest, and Twig-Age protocols to capture changes in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) browse intensity. We also assessed whether three herbaceous species: blue-stemmed goldenrod (Solidago caesia), white wood aster (Eurybia divaricata), and zigzag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis) could expand upon a red oak (Quercus rubra) Sentinel protocol ... Sentinel met nearly all criteria required to function as a reliable deer browse indicator....


DEC to offer rebates on non-lead ammunition in bid to help eagle July 12, 2023 New York,  WENY News

... When scavenging deer remains following dressings, bald eagles can ingest lead bullet fragments. Research has shown this has stunted eagle population growth in New York State ...


What whitetail fawn studies tell us about deer predation, paternity July 7, 2023 New York, Hornell Evening Tribune

... From these fawn birthing studies (especially with blood samples and new DNA research), it has been determined that there is a much higher percentage of multiple paternity in twins and triplet fawns than previously thought...  One case that was cited produced triplets by three different sires, each of which was different age class bucks! ...


12-year-old Long Island boy saves baby deer that fell into backyard pool June 13, 2023 New York, CBS News

... Millions are watching a 12-year-old Long Island boy rescue a newborn fawn after she fell in his backyard pool... Dad started recording the tiny fawn never dreaming she'd fall in the pool...


Antler Growth In Yearlings June 6, 2023 DEC News, New York

... only two of those factors can be readily influenced by deer managers and hunters: age and nutrition. Since does do not have antlers (most of the time) its impossible to manage or influence the genetic contribution a doe has to a bucks’ antler characteristics without genetic testing... DEC’s “Let Young Bucks Go and Watch Them Grow” educational campaign promotes individual choice and voluntary restraint to shift the age composition of bucks harvested by hunters in New York State towards older age classes ...


Nature Center Rescues Fawn Found at Construction Site June 3, 2023 New York, Country Herald

... The young deer was mistakenly taken home by a concerned worker who believed she had been abandoned ...  if a fawn is curled up, motionless, and occasionally calls out for its mother, intervention is unnecessary. Mother deer can leave their young for up to 12 hours while they feed ...


'Mystery Predator' Caught Feasting on 100-Pound Deer in New York May 25, 2023 New York, Newsweek

... "The deer was a young female, approximately 80 to 100 lbs, there aren't many predators in the Adirondacks big enough to take down prey that size." ... the DEC revealed that the predator was actually a bobcat...


Please Report Moose Sightings to DEC May 8, 2023 New York DEC News

     If you are planning a trip to the Adirondacks, there is a chance that you could see a moose. DEC requests that if you observe a moose to report it through the Moose Sighting Report Form. DEC uses this information to monitor New York’s moose population and identify areas where additional population studies may be needed...


Hunters see success in all categories during 2022 deer season May 4, 2023 New York, The Daily News

... Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) affected areas of the Hudson Valley and eastern shores of Lake Ontario in 2020 and 2021, resulting in reduced deer hunting success in these areas. Increases in buck harvest — which DEC tracks as an index of deer population abundance — during the 2022-23 seasons indicate that deer populations in affected areas are recovering ..,


DEC Announces 2022 Deer Harvest Estimates May 2, 2023 New York, DEC News

... Hunters in New York harvested an estimated 231,961 deer during the 2022 hunting seasons, a 10-percent increase from last year ... The 2022-23 estimated deer take included 116,425 antlered bucks and 115,536 antlerless deer. Statewide, this represents a five-percent increase in antlered buck harvest and a 15-percent increase in antlerless deer harvest from last season. Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) affected areas of the Hudson Valley and eastern shores of Lake Ontario in 2020 and 2021, resulting in reduced deer hunting success in these areas..,


Deer Shed Their Winter Coats April 25, 2023 New York, DEC News

... This process, and the resulting patchiness in a deer’s coat, can be mistaken by observers as a sign of illness or injury, but is a natural process that helps deer thermoregulate throughout the seasons. [example below] ...

Deer becoming a national park nemesis April 13, 2023 New York, Times Union

... an overabundance of deer, invasive plant species and climate change are challenging the National Park Service’s mission of maintaining the park so visitors can experience how the cultural landscape felt during the two Battles of Saratoga [these battles were in 1777 during the great smallpox epidemic, should some smallpox be re-introduced for realism?] ...


Jamestown, Tensions Rise As City Officials Debate Deer Problem April 12, 2023 New York, Post Journal

... A year and a half after the City Council voted against a proposal for a controlled deer hunt in Jamestown to address the increase in the city’s deer population, community members are still pressing city officials for a plan of action...


Oneonta, Council committee discusses deer management ... March 28, 2023 New York, Yahoo News

... DEC Region 4 Young Forest Initiative Biologist Selinda Brandon and DEC Region 4 Wildlife Biologist Michael Clark said culling the herd should be the last step the task force recommends after other mitigation measures have been tried...  nothing had been implemented yet as the plan was still in the draft phase ...


A warm winter is not all good for wildlife March 17, 2023 New York,  Hornell Evening Tribune

... The effects of a warm winter on the whitetail deer should be overall pretty positive as they can keep their weight, instead of tumbling toward near malnutrition and starvation which has been chronicled here in late spring ... when farmers harvest early … fawns, nestled down in the thick meadows, are at a much greater risk than those born in cooler Spring-times..,


DEC settles case of illegally poached Seneca White Deer March 15 2023 New York,  RochesterFirst

... According to the DEC, the case started in November 2022 when a hunter reported seeing a white deer cape and antlers at an Oswego taxidermy shop, recognizing it was one of the Seneca White Deer...


Ongoing study tracks 19 additional moose using GPS collars February 19, 2023 New York, Times Union

... State and university researchers are entering the second year of tracking young moose in the Adirondacks to try to figure out why the reclusive woodland giants are reducing in number...


Mule Deer Head Found In LI Business' Freezer February 16, 2023 New York, Patch

... the mule deer had been harvested in Montana, a state with increased cases of chronic wasting disease, the DEC said...


Deer Culling To Begin At Floyd Estate, Fire Island National Seashore February 15, 2023 New York, Patch on MSN.com

... The plan, approved in April 2016, contains an integrated management strategy to achieve a density goal of 20 to 25 deer per square mile ... Additional information about deer management efforts, including outreach and education, frequently asked questions, and research articles can be found by clicking here ...


Deer may be reservoir for SARS-Cov-2 variants, study suggests  February 6, 2023 New York, Veterinary Practice News

... The study, “White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) May Serve as a Wildlife Reservoir for Nearly Extinct SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern,” ... focused on the deer population in New York.  “One of the most striking findings of this study was the detection of co-circulation of three variants of concern–alpha, gamma and delta–in this wild animal population,” ,,, when they were found in deer, neither variant had been detected in humans in New York for four to six months...


The Moose Is Back January 31, 2023 New York Department of Environmental Conservation

... Moose have been present in the northern tier of New York since the Pleistocene. However, by as early as the 1860’s overexploitation and habitat degradation had extirpated moose from New York. In response, a handful of small-scale moose restoration efforts were undertaken between 1870 and 1902, but none proved successful... there were approximately 700 moose (as of 2019) located within the Adirondack Park ...


Car crashes, Lyme disease, carcasses: What data says about the current state of deer on Staten Island January 21, 2023 New York, Staten Island Advance

... official numbers show New York City’s controversial vasectomy program has had its intended effect ... the Department of Parks and Recreation published a population estimate in August putting the deer count at 1,452 — a nearly 30% drop from the project’s start in the middle of 2016 ...


If You Hit A Deer With Your Vehicle In New York, Can You Keep It? January 4, 2023 WNBF

... you must first obtain a 'carcass tag' from New York State ... An average of 60,000 to 70,000 vehicle-deer collisions occur each year in New York State... 


Vasectomy strategy cuts Staten Island’s deer population by 30%; encouraging data on multiple fronts December 25, 2022 New York, Staten Island Advance

...  the deer population reduction, coupled with a nearly 90% reduction in fawn births, gives him optimism that the program is headed in its intended direction... 


DEC: Hunter’s Facebook post leads police to illegal deer December 22, 2022 New York, WTEN

... The officers interviewed the subject and he admitted to shooting the deer on December 6, after the season had closed, according to police...


Syracuse, Sharpshooters will begin deer culling in city of Syracuse next week  December 7, 2022 New York, syracuse.com

... The deer management program has removed 316 deer from city neighborhoods over the past three years at a cost of $104,000, the city’s chief policy officer, Greg Loh, said earlier this year...


LI Wildlife Rescue Where Deer Was Shot Urges Hochul To OK Hunting Ban December 6, 2022 New York, Patch

...  Months after a deer was shot just feet from the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center in Hampton Bays, lawmakers signed a bill in June that would ban hunting on that parcel  in the future... "I'm concerned about the safety of our staff ...


 to know this hunting season in NY: Deer abundance, CWD, will you see a wolf?  November 11, 2022 New York, YAHOO!News

... DEC is currently looking to reduce deer densities in a handful of areas throughout the state, mostly in the Hudson Valley, on Long Island and across a swath of Central New York. Management objectives for most of the state aim to hold the deer populations stable. DEC objectives are based on the ecological impacts of deer and public preferences..,


Jamestown, Local Resident Suggests City Council Bring In Deer Doctor October 20, 2022 New York, Post Journal

... Wigren suggested the City Council bring in Sandy Baker, the “deer doctor,” to assess the situation and offer guidance ... She teaches about deer behavior, how to select plants wisely, choosing effective repellants and deterrents, finding out what fencing works and why, and she can help develop a customized plan for this area ...


Seasonal Molt in White-Tailed Deer September 27, 2022 New York DEC News

     Typically, this time of year we hear from people who are concerned because they are seeing white-tailed deer with rough coat conditions ... Hair loss occurs in patches which gives the deer a scruffy appearance...


DNA test confirms wolf killed in upstate New York September 26, 2022  NEWS10 ABC

... Recent tests confirmed that an animal killed during a coyote hunt in upstate New York last year was a wolf ...  it is only the third wolf identified in the wild statewide in 25 years. Wolves are protected in New York as an endangered species...


Bluetongue disease: DEC asks people to report sick or dying deer September 24, 2022 New York, The Daily News Online

...  State residents are asked to report sick or dying deer sightings after the detection of bluetongue disease on Long Island...  symptoms in deer, including fever, difficulty breathing, dehydration,

swelling of the head, neck and tongue, attraction to water and rapid death...


DEC Reports First Detection of Bluetongue Virus in New York Deer September 20, 2021 DEC News

...  three deer in Southampton, Suffolk County, tested positive for bluetongue, which is closely related to the Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) virus and is transmitted in the same way. This is the first time the bluetongue (BT) virus was detected in New York deer. It was detected in several other mid-Atlantic coast states this year...


Finding A Solution To Region's Municipal Deer Issues Shouldn't Be This Difficult September 14, 2022 New York, Post Journal

... The last time the Jamestown City Council broached the topic, the plan for a controlled hunt within the city limits was opposed by many residents and voted down by the City Council... “The hate mail was incredible ...


First 2022 Case of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Confirmed in Dutchess County September 12, 2022 New York DEC News

... DEC recently confirmed that a white-tailed deer in the town of Dover Plains, Dutchess County, died recently after contracting Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). This detection marks the first EHD confirmation in New York for 2022. DEC is investigating reports of several other dead deer from Dutchess County...


Jamestown Residents Pressure City To Address Deer Problem September 2, 2022 New York, Post Journal

...  a special committee .. recommended that certain archery hunters should engage in a controlled deer hunt to significantly reduce the city’s deer population; however, the City Council voted against the committee’s recommendation due to safety concerns and several changes that were made at the last minute...


A model-based estimate of winter distribution and abundance of white-tailed deer in the Adirondack Park  PLOS ONE, 2022

...  We used density surface modeling (DSM) under a conventional distance sampling framework, tied to a winter aerial survey, to create a spatially explicit estimate of white-tailed deer abundance and density across a vast, northern forest region. We estimated 16,352 white-tailed deer (95% CI 11,762–22,734) throughout the Adirondack Park with local density ranging between 0.00–5.73 deer/km2. Most of the Adirondack Park (91.2%) supported white-tailed deer densities of ≤2 individuals/km2. White-tailed deer density increased with increasing proximity to anthropogenic land cover such as timber cuts, roads, and agriculture and decreased in areas with increasing elevation and days with snow cover...


DEC: First EHD case of 2022 found in Dutchess County August 17, 2022 New York, WTEN 

... a white-tailed deer in the town of Dover Plains died recently after contracting Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). This detection marks the first EHD confirmation in New York for 2022..,


Deer diseases EHD, CWD: What to know about protecting against fatal illness August 17, 2022 New York, YAHOO!News

... EHD first appeared in New York in October 2007 in Albany and Niagara counties. In August 2011, EHD killed 100 deer in Rockland County. And after an eight-year hiatus, in the fall of 2020, another large outbreak occurred in the lower Hudson Valley and killed an estimated 1,500 deer. Then in July 2021, the disease struck yet again, killing an estimated 2,000 whitetails in 15 counties..,


Clifton Park residents debate proposed hunting law August 6, 2022 New York, The Daily Gazette

... A recurring theme among speakers who were opposed to the legislation, was safety. Several speakers who lived near the parks were concerned about the potential of bow coming onto their property, accidentally hitting someone or something not intended to be hit. There were also concerns about where a hit deer may run to after it is hit ...


The hunt is on: Rochester's first deer archery hunt starts in September August 4, 2022 New York, StarTribune

... Over 200 deer-related vehicle accidents were reported in Rochester in 2021 ... DNR officials expect to keep local deer population about the same over the next decade, as hunters largely thought there were too few deer and landowners thought there were too many.  As their natural environment dwindles, deer have adapted to rural and urban areas...


Committee: Higher number of deer, but optimism reigns July 18, 2022 Shelter Island Reporter

...In 2020, the number was estimated at 947 deer or 80 animals per square mile. In 2021, the deer population was estimated at 750 deer or 63 deer per square mile.  This year, Committee members were aiming to see no more than 50 deer per square mile, so the 53 reported was not dramatically different from the goal ...


West Seneca tackles deer problem, starting with educating humans July 11, 2022 New York, Buffalo News

... the number of car-deer collisions jumped to 195 in 2019, up from 170 the previous year... last year, there were 167 collisions ...Education ... would be one of the first parts of the plan to be implemented over the next 18 months... might allow higher fences ...


DEC Seeking Reports of Moose Sightings June 22, 2022 New York, DEC News

... DEC asks the public to report moose sightings via an online form as part of ongoing efforts to monitor moose distribution across New York...


Sharpshooters killed 92 deer in Syracuse last winter, but they're still a problem in the city June 10, 2022 New York, WRVO

... the deer culling program, undertaken in with the cooperation of the USDA has removed 316 deer from the city since 2019 ...


After Deer Shot Near Wildlife Rescue, New Law Bans Hunting On Parcel June 8, 2022 Patch

... When the shots were fired, one slug went through a cage and came close to workers at the wildlife rescue ...the hunter was later charged ...  the bill ... only applies to one 200-acre parcel in the entire state ...


Wandering deer causes George Washington Bridge traffic shutdown Saturday night May 29, 2022 New York, YAHOO!News

... It took police about 15 minutes to capture the deer ... Police took the deer to nearby Fort Lee Historic Park where they released it...


DEC announces 2021-22 deer harvest estimate May 26, 2022 New York, DEC News

...  Hunters in New York harvested an estimated 211,269 deer during the 2021-22 hunting seasons. The season's harvest was down 17 percent from last year and data points to a few factors for a cause, including the resurgence of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease in certain regions of the state and fewer Deer Management Permits allocated.., [see the full report]


Stay Vigilant to Keep CWD out of New York May 26, 2022 New York, DEC News

... DEC tested 2,713 harvested deer across New York and found no evidence of CWD in the herd. DEC partners with cooperating meat processors and taxidermists to obtain samples for testing each year..,


Shelter Island, Flyover reveals spike in Island deer numbers April 27, 2022 New York, Suffolk Times

...For the past two seasons, the Town has been banned by the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) from using 4-poster units — feeding stands that brush deer with a tickicide, permethrin — to kill ticks nested on the bodies of deer. But  the DEC ruled that feeding deer was not a successful means of dealing with the problem...


'Robo-Bambi' deer decoys are great at duping poachers who are road hunting April 25 2022 New York, Yahoo

... hunter(s) drives slowly along rural roadways looking for deer. Most often their un-cased gun is carried ... One of the best law enforcement tools for combating this type of violation involves the use of a "decoy" deer which is usually a Styrofoam-filled full-sized, life-like "mounted" deer...


Report: Habitat Loss Causing Significant Impact on Game Species April 1, 2022 New York, Public News Service

... New York's game species are literally losing ground, as human development and climate change is restricting their native habitats.  A new report from the National Wildlife Federation found ... Mule deer have lost more than 7.3 million acres of habitat ...


Enhance Deer Habitat March 15, 2022 New York, DEC News

... now is a great time for habitat management projects that involve cutting trees to provide new food and cover for deer and other wildlife... learn to identify preferred winter deer foods and consult a forester or biologist for guidance...


Federal officials to cull up to 180 deer on NY’s Long Island February 23, 2022 New York, Associated Press

... Culling has been practiced for about 20 years on Long Island. Forty-nine deer were culled there in 2021...


Are deer catching the coronavirus from us? February 22, 2022 New York, Times Union

... Ostfeld says there is compelling evidence that deer are contracting the virus from humans, but it’s unclear how exactly the virus is getting to them. He explains that deer are testing positive for new variants of the virus shortly after those variants become prevalent in people...


Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B. 1.1. 529) infection of white-tailed deer  2022.  bioRxiv

... SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid was detected in nasal

swabs from seven of 68 (10.29%; 95% CI: 0.0–0.20) of the sampled deer, and whole-genome sequencing identified the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron VoC (B.1.1.529) is circulating amongst the white-tailed deer on Staten Island...


State Rules Townships Cannot Set Their Own Deer Bow Hunting Rules February 11, 2022 New York, Patch

... The lawsuit challenged Smithtown's ordinance against bow hunting 150 feet from any dwelling, school, park, beach, playground or outdoor recreational area. According to Courthouse News, the state regulation is only 50 feet...


Coronavirus: Study finds deer infected with omicron variant in New York February 8, 2022 New York, Fox 23

... The study, which has not yet been published, found that 19 of the 131 deer sampled on Staten Island between Dec. 12, 2021, and Jan. 31, 2022, were positive for the omicron variant...


Vassar, Deer culling stirs up controversy Febraury 2, 2022 New York,  The Miscellany News

... Over winter break, the College conducted a mass killing, or culling, of deer on the Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve (VFEP) ... The first one was carried out in 2010, with subsequent cullings in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2020... a team of professional sharpshooters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to perform them ...


Suffolk police rescue baby deer from icy water off Long Island January 24, 2022 New York, WPIX New York City

... One of the officers got onto an ice sled as two other officers tended the line ... 


Village of Hastings, Fence aims to keep deer from part of woods January 21, 2022 New York, rivertownsenterprise

...  an experimental deer exclosure ... will encompass about 4.5 acres ...


Two Arrested In Erie County After Posting Deer Photos January 20, 2022 New York,  WYRK

...information that two individuals had taken large bucks in the closed area of Erie County in the Town of Tonawanda. The suspects had posted videos of their hunts and photos of the deer on Facebook...


DEC launches moose research project in the Adirondacks January 19, 2022 New York, My Champlain Valley

... This winter, 14 moose were fitted with GPS collars ...  also deployed trail cameras in fall 2021 to determine range overlap between deer and moose and monitor hair loss on moose infested with winter ticks...


Bullet Holes, Damage Seen At Wildlife Center After Deer Shot: DEC January 6, 2022 New York, Patch

... a complaint from workers at the Evelyn Alexander Animal Wildlife Rescue Center in Hampton Bays about a hunter who shot a deer on their property...


Top NY court could uphold local restrictions on bow hunting January 4, 2022 Courthouse News Service

... For most of the judges on the panel, however, the conflict appeared to be nonexistent or minimal, with some judges arguing the state merely set a baseline 150-foot restriction for hunters that towns could then increase...


One-fifth of Deer in New York May Have COVID, First Case Found in Canada Lynx December 27, 2021  WIBX 950

... Nearly one-fifth of white-tailed deer samples collected by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation were found to have antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 – i.e. the virus that causes COVID-19...


Effects of Antler Point Restrictions on Deer Harvest in New York 2021, Wildlife Society Bulletin

...  The proportion of yearlings in the harvest was initially 51% and 58% in the 2005 and 2012 APR areas, respectively, and declined to 13% and 19% respectively after 5 years. Antler point restrictions did not affect the harvest of antlerless deer or DMP success. Although APRs successfully reduced the proportion of yearlings in the antlered harvest, we also observed a smaller decline (from 62% to 45%) over the same time period in the proportion of yearlings in the harvest in areas adjacent to the 2005 APR ...


Syracuse brings back deer management program  December 6, 2021 New York,  WSYR

... Specially-trained USDA wildlife managers will conduct the work only at night, between the hours of dusk to dawn. All sites are closed to public access when work is conducted...


What to know about second deer hunting season in New York December 1, 2021 Yahoo! Sports

... I continue to see signs that this year’s deer harvest may fall short of last season. As I’ve noted in earlier columns, you may have to hunt longer and harder to fill your tags...


First deer known to survive EHD disease found in Greene County November 24, 2021 New York, NEWS10 ABC

... a buck with deformities on its hooves ... The DEC said this is the first deer in New York to be confirmed as an EHD survivor...


Hunters this season: Younger, brighter, earlier  November 21, 2021 New York, niagara-gazette.com

... “We anticipate this hunting season will be similar to last year,” said DEC Wildlife Biologist Jeremy Hurst during an informational Facebook Live event earlier this fall. “We expect roughly 1.2 million deer exist in the state, and as the hunting season goes, hunters will take probably 250,000 of those — roughly a quarter of the deer population will be removed during hunting season.” ...


Deer Wars and Death Threats November 8, 2021 New York,  The New Yorker

... Allen Rutberg, a research associate professor at Tufts’ Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine ... told me that the first question most people ask him is what the “right” number of deer is—as if there were a “natural” world to which we could return, as if nature were ever static to begin with, as if we hadn’t transformed it into something new... “Deer are a convenient focus for our concerns about what we’re doing to the environment. But removing them won’t fix what we’ve done.” ...


Northumberland man accused of shooting car while trying to illegally harvest deer November 8, 2021 New York, WRGB

... trying to illegally harvest a deer when he fired north across the two-lane highway from his position on the shoulder, striking an occupied vehicle that was traveling westbound and causing non-life-threatening injuries ...


The price of meat is soaring October 28, 2021 New York, lohub.com

... New York State is home to an estimated one million whitetail deer. According to the Department of Environmental Conservation 2020 Fall Hunting Season Harvest Report, an estimated 253,990 whitetails deer were harvested in New York during the 2020-2021 season ..,


DEC expecting hunters to harvest 1/4 of NYS deer this season October 22, 2021 New York, WIVB-TV

... Leaders with the DEC say there’s more than a million deer in New York State right now... recent mild winters have helped the growth of the deer population ..,


Deer hunting: More bigger bucks in New York thanks to DEC’s voluntary approach October 20, 2021 New York, syracuse.com

... “It used to be that 60 percent of our harvest was yearling deer. Now, we’re taking 40 percent. That means that 60 percent of our buck harvest is two years or older. In fact, for the past two years hunters are taking more two-year-olds than one-year-olds.” ...


New York Deer History  September 30, 2021  AllOtsego.com

... decline of the New York deer population through most of the 19th century, to a low between 1880 and 1890. By 1885 deer were in danger of extermination throughout the State except for ... the central Adirondacks ... the deer population returned sporadically, only to decrease again, due both to starvation, during the severe winters of 1925-26, 1930-31 and 1947-48, and to the illegal killing of antlerless deer...


Jamestown,  Council Rejects Controlled Deer Hunt September 28, 2021 New York,  The Post-Journal

... “There are so many questions about liability,” Ecklund said. “We have no oversight built into this (committee’s plan).”... Marie Carrubba, Ward 4 councilwoman, said less than 1% of the reported vehicle accidents that occur in the city involve deer...


Jamestown, Council Hears Proposed Controlled Deer Hunt Plan September 22, 2021 New York, The Post-Journal

... Kim Ecklund, At-Large councilwoman, and Marie Carrubba, Ward 4 councilwoman, both said they have been contacted by more people against a controlled hunt in the city than those in favor of the proposal. “People don’t want hunting in their backyard,” ...


Hurricanes blew tiny deer-killing bugs into Hudson Valley, expert suspects September 17, 2021 New York,  Times Union

... Traditionally found in Southern states, EHD is relatively new to New York ... Deer are infected with EHD by biting midges, and the miniscule insects were most likely blown into the Northeast by hurricanes or other large storms, Schiavone said...


EHD, Diseased Deer Dying Of In Suffolk September 16, 2021 New York, Patch 

... Deer have also died of the EHD virus in Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Nassau, Oswego, and Ulster counties...  the DEC has received reports of 700 dead deer statewide.  The EHD virus was first confirmed in New York deer in 2007 ..,


Alarming Number of Deer Found Dead Near Water in Hudson Valley September 10, 2021 New York, Hudson Valley Post

... The Hudson City Police Department confirmed five dead deer were located on Thursday at Oakdale Lake. DEC pathologists believe the deer contracted Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) ..,


New York big game hunting seasons approaching with new regulations September 9, 2021 NNY360

... Last year’s summer opening day for 2020-21 big game hunting license sales brought in more than $920,000, compared to about $340,000 in 2019, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Just two weeks in, 2020 license sales were at $6.2 million. This year’s preliminary figures have yet to be released...


New York 2021-22 Deer Forecast August 18, 2021 DEC News

... Statewide, deer populations benefited from a relatively mild winter and favorable weather conditions during fawning season and early summer. The deer food supply across the state is generally in good condition, though some portions of New York have been dry and gypsy moth caterpillars have taken a toll on forests in portions of the eastern Adirondacks and Finger Lakes, which will impact mast production in those areas.Statewide, we anticipate the antlered buck harvest this fall will be similar to 2020..,


Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) Confirmed in Ulster County August 18, 2021 New York, DEC News

    DEC has confirmed that three white-tailed deer in the town of Esopus, Ulster County, died after contracting Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). DEC is following up on reports of dead deer in Dutchess, Ulster, and Westchester counties... Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) Confirmed in Ulster County

DEC has confirmed that three white-tailed deer in the town of Esopus, Ulster County, died after contracting Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). DEC is following up on reports of dead deer in Dutchess, Ulster, and Westchester counties...


Deadly Deer Disease Returns to Hudson Valley August 13, 2021 New York, Highlands Current

...It’s only the fourth time that EHD has been seen in the Hudson Valley. Previous outbreaks occurred in 2007 in Albany, Rensselaer and Niagara counties, in 2011 in Rockland County and last year in Orange, Dutchess and Putnam...

     Shocking Number of Deer Are Dying in Hudson Valley August 9, 2021 New York, Hudson Valley Post

... two white-tailed deer in the town of Esopus died after contracting Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD)... an estimated 1,500 deer mortalities ..,


How John Jeanneney of Clinton Corners changed hunting for the better throughout New York July 21, 2021 New York, Poughkeepsie Journal

... Jeanneney was the foremost authority on using leashed tracking dogs in the U.S... it’s virtually impossible to read, or even talk about using dogs to track and recover big game any place in the country without his name surfacing. ...


Caring for the Wildlife That Stray Into the Suburbs  July 20, 2021 New York, 

New York Times

...  While its mother is away, the fawn hides ...  sometimes the doe does not return — hit by a car, perhaps. If the fawn is left alone for too long, its ears curl up, a sign of dehydration, and flies may cloud around its uncleaned body, drawing attention...


Diagnostic evaluation of unknown white-tailed deer morbidity and mortality in New York State: 2011–2017 Wildlife Biology, 2021

... The most common findings were bacterial infections, trauma not evident at time of collection, and nutritional issues, primarily starvation...  adults were less likely to have died from nutritional and parasitic causes, males were less likely to have died from other causes, and risk of death from nutritional reasons decreased from season to season, with lowest risk in winter...


Getting ahead of Chronic Wasting Disease's return July 3, 2021 New York, Niagara Gazette

... Back in 2005 a very dangerous and deadly disease was found in a private captive deer herd in Oneida. The deer were all destroyed and, in the surrounding area, a lot of wild deer were shot for testing over the next six years. None were found to be afflicted but Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) put a big scare into wildlife managers across the state..,


DEC Releases Final Deer Management Plan and Seeks Comments on Proposed Regulations June 24, 2021 NYDEC

... The “Management Plan for White-tailed Deer in New York State, 2021-2030” ... outlines strategies to manage deer-related impacts and deer populations of different sizes... To view the proposed regulations and provide comment, visit the Fish and Wildlife Proposed Regulations page. DEC will accept written comments through August 8, 2021...


 Animals with chronic wasting disease found near NY border June 18, 2021, New York, The Journal News

... Several years ago this disease was found in Oneida County. Several infected deer escaped from a fenced-in pen. But the Department of Environmental Conservation jumped on this problem, got full cooperation from many area hunters, and stopped the problem in short order by killing a lot of deer..,


DEC Releases Final Deer Management Plan June 9, 2021 New York, DEC News

... The plan, available at DEC's website, outlines strategies to manage deer populations across a range of abundance levels and diverse deer-related impacts, in rural, urban, and suburban areas. The plan enhances DEC programs that provide relief to landowners and the public experiencing deer damage and conflicts, seeks to protect New York's deer from the devastating potential of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) particularly in light of the recent announcement (leaves DEC's website) about a confirmed detection in bordering Warren County, Pennsylvania ...


Chronic wasting disease found in deer five miles from New York State border May 28, 2021 New York, Hudson Valley One

... The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Wednesday announced a confirmed positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a white-tailed deer on a Warren County hunting preserve, just five miles from the New York State border..,


Cornell warns of deer-killing disease's potential arrival in area May 28, 2021 New York, The Ithaca Voice

... recently found in a deer in northwestern Pennsylvania near the border between New York and Pennsylvania ... “New York state is the only state to have eliminated CWD after it was detected in the wild in 2005 and has taken pre-emptive risk minimization actions to prevent the introduction of the disease in recent years, including banning importation of live captive deer and intact deer carcasses.” ..,


White deer tours at former Seneca Army Depot continue despite some hard feelings and the pandemic May 21, 2021 New York, newyorkupstate.com

... It’s been nearly 1 ½ years since the volunteer, non-profit Seneca White Deer group ceased its involvement in the tours due to financial problems ... the Seneca County businessman who owns the fenced-in property ... continuing to offer paid tours to visitors...


Report of Deer Sighting in Morningside Heights May 17, 2021 New York, I Love the Upper West Side

... a January 2020 study by NYC Parks showed that the deer population in Staten Island had declined by 24% since January 2017, which was the direct result of a deer population management program in which male deer were sterilized...


Hunters in New York Harvested More than 253,000 Deer in 2020-2021 May 12, 2021 New York, DEC news

... Increased antlerless harvests may have been due, at least in part, to additional hunters and renewed motivation to harvest venison during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the number of licensed big game hunters increased to just over 588,000, approximately seven percent more than 2019. The number of bowhunters increased 10 percent ..,


Deer are not the only mammals to blame for Lyme disease May 11, 2021 New York, Times Union

... “There are some scientists who think that the abundance of deer is the most important factor determining the abundance of ticks later on,” said Ostfeld. “We don't find that in our studies. Over 30 years, in the Hudson Valley, we do not find a signal from the deer population, but we do find a strong signal from the mouse population,” ...


Clock is ticking for Upstate NY counties to ‘opt-in’ for lowering deer hunting age with firearms April 30, 2021 New York, syracuse.com

... The new regulation, which was approved in the recent state budget, requires each county to pass a resolution approving the change for it to be allowed within its boundaries ...


Deer hunters worried EHD virus would ruin the 2020 season in NY. Here's what happened. April 28, 2021 New York, Poughkeepsie Journal

... September ...  biologists had confirmed the presence of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, or EHD, in several white-tailed deer in Putnam and Orange counties... There is also at least what could be a partial explanation for the high harvest this year. The pandemic provided many hunters with additional time afield ...


DEC: Hunters harvested 13% more deer in 2020 than 2019 April 26, 2021 New York, Informnny.com

...a 7% increase in licensed deer hunters, a 30% increase in antlerless harvest ... a 3% decrease in buck harvest ..,


Just how many deer are on Shelter Island? New flyover data provides an answer April 14, 2021 New York, Shelter Island Reporter

... a total of 635 deer on the Island. The data is based on information released from a Jan. 24 flyover, using infrared video techniques from 1,600 feet...  “the most accurate number we have had.” ...


Reaction mixed over allowing 12 year olds to hunt deer April 13, 2021 New York, WWNY

... If the provision is passed through state and local governments, 12 year olds will be able to legally hunt with crossbows and firearms, but they must have adult supervision...


Forestport man accused of purposely hitting deer with pickup truck in Old Forge April 5, 2021 New York, WKTV

... The deer was standing in the road ... sped up and intentionally hit the deer, dragging the animal before it was thrown off the roadway... euthanized...


DEC deer management draft now up for public review March 25, 2021 New York, NEWS10 ABC

... what the public wants to change, and the second is what the forests can support... the consensus is that the deer population should remain the same across the state, but in a few key areas, DEC says there’s a need to reduce numbers...


Staten Island, Mayor says vasectomy program is 'best approach we have' to solving borough's deer problem March 6, 2021 New York, silive.com

... “This is the single best approach, and it will have more impact over time, and we will keep funding it. We have to; we have to keep that continuity,” ... a controlled cull ... would have had “unintended consequences” and “a lot of problems,” the mayor said...


City releases new report on controversial Staten Island deer vasectomy program; is it working? March 4, 2021 New York, silive.com

... According to the city’s report, the total deer population went from an estimated 2,053 in project year one (from 2016 to 2017) to an estimated 1,555 in project year 4 (from 2019 to 2020) ...


Deer disease EHD may have caused lower hunter harvest for season locally February 17, 2021 Poughkeepsie Journal

... Early estimates for the 2020 harvest suggest there could be a 10% reduction in harvest statewide, Region 3, including the mid-Hudson Valley, will likely bear the brunt of it due to the EHD die-off..,


Virtual tool teaches kids about Staten Island deer February 17, 2021 New York, SILive

... New York City Parks Department ... recently launched its new “Deer Awareness Presentation,” a digital StoryMap on the WildlifeNYC website designed for fourth- to sixth-grade students...


Fayetteville, Sharpshooters in midst of culling deer in Fayetteville area February 10, 2021 New York, Syracuse.com 

... Last year, USDA sharpshooters killed 88 deer this year, compared with 34 the prior year... Fayetteville has been working to reduce the deer population in the area this way since 2015...


Deer trapped on the frozen Genesee River euthanized  February 5, 2021 New York, Democrat and Chronicle

... at least one person tried to go into the water to save it ...  due to an increased threat to public safety, DEC and local officials decided to humanely euthanize the animal following appropriate protocols.” ...

'My wife was sobbing.' What happened to the deer trapped on the frozen Genesee River?  February 4, 2021 New York, Democrat and Chronicle 

... staff called to the scene determined the deer was not viable, “meaning the deer was older. If it stayed out there it would most likely freeze. But if we tried to rescue it, the stress would kill it most certainly.” ...


Deer management program to begin in Syracuse Monday February 5, 2021 New York, LocalSYR

... The city’s participation resulted in the 2019-2020 season resulted in 159 deer being removed ... Syracuse is one of five municipalities in Onondaga County participating in the deer management program this winter...


Cuomo’s proposed budget lowers firearm deer hunting age to 12, expands crossbow use January 21, 2020 New York, syracuse.com

... the governor would lower the minimum hunting age for big game (deer, bear) with a firearm from 14 to 12, and expand the use of crossbows “in all big game seasons,” ...


Deer Squad Goes Global on Nickelodeon Channels January 13, 2021 New York, BusinessWire

... Nickelodeon will premiere CG-animated series Deer Squad in the U.S. following a successful run overseas... The adventure-rescue show follows four, lovable, enthusiastic and heroic deer friends—Kai, Lola, Bobbi and Rammy—who protect the animals of Central Forest and the humans who inhabit Platinum City ...


EHD affecting deer in parts of New York January 9, 2021 New York, Finger Lakes Times

... DEC confirmed recently that several white-tailed deer in the Putnam County towns of Nelsonville and Cold Spring, and near Goshen in Orange County, died after contracting EHD... EHD first showed up in New York in 2007 in Albany, Rensselaer, and Niagara counties, and in Rockland County in 2011..,


  The legend of Bella the Deer lives on with her iron statue in downtown Pulaski December 30, 2020 New York, syracuse.com

... The 42-inch iron statue and granite base, dedicated to the village’s celebrated, tame white-tailed deer that captured the hearts of many ... It’s been more than three years since Bella’s disappearance. Up until that point, she fearlessly walked the village streets ...


DEC Releases Draft Statewide Deer Management Plan November 27, 2020 New York, DEC News

... New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the release of a draft Deer Management Plan for New York State for public review and comment. The plan builds upon the progress made by DEC's first deer management plan, released in 2011, and will guide DEC's deer management actions to balance natural resource protection, public safety, and recreational and economic interests for the next 10 years. The draft plan is available on DEC's website and public comments will be accepted through Dec. 28, 2020...


Deer season starts, DEC urges hunters to stay local November 24, 2020 New York, Utica Observer Dispatch

... The DEC predicts this season to have about the same or slightly more deer population across the state, because a mild winter meant more deer survived..,


 Video shows deer rescued from Long Island Sound November 21, 2020 New York

WPIX

... Animal advocates on Long Island were able to rescue a full grown doe with a paint can on her head in Long Island Sound on Saturday...


Smithtown bow hunting case will go before NY's top court  November 19, 2020 New York, Newsday

... The state Court of Appeals announced Thursday it has granted the town’s request to appeal a lower court ruling striking down a local ordinance that some say effectively bans bow hunting in most of Smithtown...


Jamestown, City Council Reluctant to Permit Limited Bow Hunting in City to Help Control Deer Population November 18, 2020, WRFA Jamestown

... . Councilman Jeff Russell (at Large), a retired city police officer, said he didn’t think the reasons supporting the proposal outweigh the concern for public safety. He pointed out that there have been very few car-deer accidents in the city over the years and also said the concern over someone’s shrubbery shouldn’t outweigh the concern for someone being possibly harmed by a bow hunter....


Opening Day of deer season is going to be exciting, but different November 16, 2020 New York, Hornell Evening Tribune

... New York state has sold three times the number of hunting licenses, due, according to the experts, mainly to the pandemic. Nearly $6.2 million was spent on deer licenses in the first two weeks when they were available this year in 2020 in August, compared to $3.5 million during the same time frame in 2019...


Head of the Harbor village,  Hunters kill tagged deer used in study, researcher says November 16, 2020 New York, Newsday

... "Killing tagged deer is very harmful to the research, since each one provides us with information on how long the contraceptive vaccine lasts and helps us understand how deer move around the village," Tufts University researcher Allen Rutberg ...


EHD, Deer disease taking toll on Hudson Valley, tougher hunt expected November 13, 2020 New York, The Journal News

... more than 1,450 whitetail deer carcasses have been found in Region 3 and there are likely many more ... Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease is taking a toll on the herd here in the Hudson Valley...


DEC is asking bowhunters to report deer affected by EHD disease November 8, 2020 New York, LocalSYR

... the current outbreak seems to be concentrated in the lower Hudson Valley, EHD may have spread elsewhere... Symptoms in deer include fever, hemorrhage in muscles or organs and swelling of the head, neck, tongue and lips. A deer that is infected may also look lame or dehydrated...


CWD, Nearly $200K in funding announced to combat fatal disease impacting New York wildlife populations October 26, 2020 New York, WWTI - InformNNY.com

... will help to protect New York’s wildlife and deer from Chronic Wasting Disease... 


Wildlife facing food shortage for coming winter October 21, 2020 New York, MPNnow.com

... near total lack of acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts and many fruits such as apples and pears this fall...  The combination of snow and bitter cold temperatures in April and May ... Everything from deer to field mice will suffer ... many of the fawns will not make it through the coming winter. They simply will not survive the lack of food ..,


Deer, and the Island's attempts to control them October 21, 2020 New York, Shelter Island Reporter

... White-tailed deer are native to Shelter Island ... European settlers cleared large parts of Long Island for farming, the kind of human activity that increases the deer population ... When Francis “Borax King” Smith ...created an estate on Shelter Island in the late 1890s, one of the amenities was a private deer park, which he populated with 40 western black-tailed mule deer ...


Shelter Island, Lack of 4-posters and closed hunting sites pose deer problem October 18, 2020 New York, Shelter Island Reporter

... With the units gone and the flyover canceled Dr. Bevilacqua and Animal Control Officer Beau Payne told their committee colleagues it is impossible to measure culling efforts without a reliable estimate of the deer population...


EHD, Deadly deer virus hits New York hard October 15, 2020 New York, The West Milford Messenger

... As of mid-October, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) had received 1,195 reports of sick or dead deer in seven counties... This is New York’s third outbreak ... epizootic hemorrhagic disease ... New York’s first EHD outbreak was in 2007 in Albany, Rensselaer, and Niagara counties, and the next cycle hit Rockland County in 2011..,


DeWitt, Funding for deer culling program cut October 13, 2020 New York, Eagle News Online

... The town has been notified that there will be no funding from Onondaga County for its deer control program, which costs about $35,000... “There’s an active group that tries to … disrupt the effectiveness of the deer control,” ...


Irondequoit, Deer management program underway in Irondequoit October 5, 2020 New York, Monroe County Post

... The town of Irondequoit’s annual deer management bow hunt program is underway ... Since the late 1990s ... Irondequoit Police Department administers the program ...


DEC Asks Bowhunters to Report Deer That May Have Died From EHD October 1, 2020 New York, DEC News

... DEC wildlife biologists have been receiving reports of dead and sick deer this fall and collected carcasses for testing at DEC’s Wildlife Health Unit in Delmar, Albany County. Tissue samples have been sent to the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University to confirm the presence of EHD..,


Police chase loose deer through Brooklyn for two hours September 30, 2020 New York, UPI.com

... Police said the animal had likely swam to Brooklyn from Staten Island ... The deer was taken to a forest preserve on Staten Island and released...


Majestic elk once called New York home September 26, 2020 New York, Finger Lakes Times

... everyone is familiar with the white-tailed deer. New York’s three other native deer species — elk, moose and caribou — all were killed off in the 1800s  ... New York’s white-tailed deer population was reduced to a fraction of its historical number. Moose were eliminated from New York but managed to repopulate the Adirondacks naturally, starting in the 1980s ...Caribou were probably never common in New York ..,


Upstate NY man gets jail time, $5500 in fines for illegally shooting a moose September 25, 2020 New York, newyorkupstate.com

... The moose, a protected mammal in New York State, is the largest member of the deer family and the largest land mammal in New York... Vaughan was charged with four misdemeanors: taking of a moose ... 


EHD, Deer Are Dying in Hudson Valley at Alarming Rates September 24, 2020 New York, Hudson Valley Post

... Nearly 500 deer in the Hudson Valley have recently died from ... Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD)... The EHD virus was first confirmed in New York in 2007 in Albany, Rensselaer, and Niagara counties ..,


Virus killing deer in Orange, Putnam counties; DEC says may also be in Ulster, Dutchess September 21, 2020 New York, Times Herald-Record

... White-tailed deer are dying in Purgatory Swamp near Goshen. They're dying in Putnam County ... As of earlier this week, the DEC had tallied 321 total suspected EHD deer deaths. A total of 138 were east of the Hudson River and 183 were west of the Hudson ..,

     Updates made to the DEC on hemorrhagic disease to deer September 19, 2020 New York, Poughkeepsie Journal

...a deer that was drooling or foaming at the mouth and seemed very unconcerned about its surroundings ... ...Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD)  ...

     EHD, State IDs Fatal Deer Virus September 11, 2020 New York, Highlands Current

... dozens of dead white-tailed deer... the result of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease ... The disease first appeared in New York State in 2007 in Albany, Rensselaer and Niagara counties. Another outbreak occurred in Rockland County in 2011... The lack of previous exposure to the disease makes New York state deer especially vulnerable..,


DEC proposes “Holiday Deer Hunt” during post-Christmas week, public comment sought  September 10, 2020 New York, syracuse.com

... This new opportunity is consistent with the department’s efforts to recruit, retain, and reactivate New York hunters ... the proposal is not being considered in the Northern Zone, as “deer may already be moving to wintering areas by late December...


DEC Confirms Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease in Putnam and Orange County Deer September 8, 2020 New York, HamletHub

... several white-tailed deer in the towns of Nelsonville and Cold Spring in Putnam County and near Goshen in Orange County died after contracting Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD)..,


Alarming Number of Deer Are Dying in the Hudson Valley September 4, 2020 New York, Hudson Valley Post

... several white-tailed deer in the towns of Nelsonville and Cold Spring in Putnam County and near Goshen in Orange County died after contracting Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD)... The EHD virus was first confirmed in New York in 2007 in Albany, Rensselaer, and Niagara counties ..,


New York Deer Season Forecasts August 17, 2020 DEC News

... We are now using the survey results, in combination with data on deer impacts on forest regeneration, to guide whether deer populations should increase, decrease, or stay the same in each Wildlife Management Unit Aggregate. Because deer can have profound and long-lasting negative impacts on forest ecosystems and personal property, keeping these impacts at a sustainable level is a top priority of our deer program.  The new target deer population trajectories are illustrated in the map to the below and are listed with each WMU in the regional unit-by-unit forecasts ...

Village seeks to regulate installation of deer fences July 21, 2020 New York, Newsday

... “People are obviously erecting deer fences now without asking anybody for permission,” ... Residents are divided on whether to allow hunting, and a Tufts University/Humane Society of the United States study of deer contraception that some hope will control the population is still at an early stage...


Deer Management Assistance Program Applications Due August 1 July 21, 2020 New York, DEC News

... DEC’s Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) helps qualifying landowners and resource managers implement site-specific deer management on their lands to address crop damage and forest regeneration problems and to conduct custom deer management. It also helps protect areas of sensitive and rare plants and enhances municipal deer harvest...


Batavia, City seeking public input on deer management plan July 13, 2020 New York, The Daily News Online

... The proposal for a Batavia Deer Management Program, put together by the city Deer Management Committee over eight months, would allow hunters to harvest [kill] 60 deer per year...


New York, De Blasio to restore funding for deer vasectomies after pressed on how city would curb Island’s deer population July 8, 2020 New York, SILive

... Asked by Advance/SILive.com on Wednesday how he planned to continue curbing and maintaining the Island’s deer population when the program was still on hold, de Blasio was unable to articulate a plan for how the city would do so in lieu of the vasectomy program...

   NYC halts Staten Island deer vasectomy program amid budget cuts July 7, 2020 New York, New York Post

... We have temporarily placed our successful deer sterilization contract on hold for FY2 ... As of April, the city said 93 percent of Staten Island’s antlered deer had been sterilized ...  the price tag ballooned by nearly $1 million after the contractor said it found more deer than it had expected, with more than 2,000 counted...


  Baby deer rescue showcased in laugh-out-loud West Seneca Police Twitter thread July 3, 2020 New York, Buffalo News

... A frightened baby deer had fallen into a building window ... the animal, described as over-caffeinated, didn't appreciate the police officer's help ... repeatedly slide through his hands back into the well...


White deer tours set to begin for new owners at former Seneca Army Depot June 22, 2020 New York, WHAM 

...The new owners of Deer Haven Park, the site near Seneca Lake where white deer roam, are getting set to open the park to drive-thru auto tours...


DEC is Seeking Reports of Moose Sightings June 10, 2020 New York, DEC

... DEC is asking the public to report moose sightings as part of ongoing efforts to monitor moose distribution in New York. Most of New York’s moose live in the Adirondacks, but we also have moose in portions of eastern New York along the border with Vermont and Massachusetts..,


Fayetteville, Sharpshooters kill double the number of deer in Fayetteville, Manlius culling program June 3, 2020 New York, syracuse.com

... The program started in Fayettevlle in 2015... The town of Manlius joined Fayetteville in its deer management effort in 2018... 


Syracuse deer management program: Sharpshooters killed 159 deer in the city this winter May 28, 2020 New York, syracuse.com

... the program is not a one-and-done situation. He said the city expects to continue the program for “multiple years” to get closer to the optimum numbers of deer in a suburban/urban area (about 10 per square mile)... [disagreement on this number]


Staten Island, Deer population down 24% in Staten Island  May 27, 2020 New York, abc7NY

... The study also found an 84% decrease in births since the program began, which is connected to the number of deer sterilized in a bid to drive down the population...

     City touts another drop in Island’s deer population and has no plans yet to cut vasectomy program’s $2.5M budget during coronavirus May 27, 2020 New York, 

SILive

... As of April, the city said 93% of the antlered males on Staten Island had been sterilized... The program saw the biggest population decrease of 10.4% from 2019 to 2020 when the borough’s herd dropped from 1,737 in 2019 to 1,555 in 2020...

2019 DEC deer harvest report: More older bucks taken across New York April 10, 2020 New York, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

... Of the total harvest statewide, 103,787 were antlerless deer and 120,403 were antlered. That represents a 9% decrease for antlerless and a 6% increase for bucks. But within that buck spectrum, 37% were yearlings (1.5 years old) and 41% were bucks older than 2.5 years. The yearling level is the lowest on record ...

No Chronic Wasting Disease detected in 2019 hunting season April 8, 2020 New York, Adirondack Almanack 

... The Department of Environmental Conservation tested 2,658 harvested deer across New York State for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in the animals harvested by hunters in the 2019 season. No evidence of CWD was found...


Deer harvest in NY on par with last year, DEC estimates April 2, 2020 New York, recordonline.com

... In keeping with recent trends, hunters continued to pass up young bucks in favor of mature deer. Only 37% of the adult buck harvest were 1.5-year olds. DEC noted that for the first time, the 2.5-year-old buck harvest exceeded that of the 1.5-year olds... no Chronic Wasting Disease — CWD — detections in the 2,658 deer tested ...


St. Lawrence County deer harvest went up in 2019-20 March 31, 2020 New York,  North Country Now

... The proportion of bucks – defined as males at least a year and a half old – was more than half of the deer taken. Of the 5,806 deer taken in the county in 2019, 4,465 were bucks...


DEC releases 2019-20 deer harvest report March 30, 2020 New York, Auburn Citizen

...  hunters in New York harvested 224,190 deer this past season. The estimate includes 103,787 antlerless deer and 120,403 antlered bucks. This represents a 9% decrease in antlerless harvest and 6% increase for bucks...  Full Report


Fire Island National Seashore: 230 deer shot to reduce overpopulation March 22, 2020 New York, Newsday

... About 130 of the deer slain because park officials said their overgrazing was destroying the landscape lived on the actual island ... The hunters, hired through a contractor, were focused on the Wilderness Area though they also targeted deer in other locations that had grown accustomed to people, partly through hand-feeding...


Some have lost patience with number of deer in village March 12, 2020 New York, Newsday

... Now in year two of six, the study is intended to test delivery methods and technologies for a long-lasting form of the immunocontraceptive PZP, which costs about $500 per deer to administer, plus $100 for dart-delivered annual boosters...


Hunters are thinning Fire Island's deer population this month March 7, 2020 New York, Newsday

...This appears to be the first recent hunt the National Park Service has allowed on Fire Island, a 32-mile-long barrier island that sits off Suffolk’s southern coast... the park was created in 1964, says 54 deer were hunted from 1988 to 1989; then from 1993 to 2009, immunocontraception roughly halved the number of deer ...


Possible mountain lion sighted in the Hudson Valley February 21, 2020 New York, Hudson Valley One

... Mountain lions have not had a native, self-sustaining population in the New York State since the late 1800s ... The name “cougar” means “false deer” in Tupi, the language of an Amazonian people ... They kill about a deer a week ...


Vassar, Lawyer takes aim at Vassar College deer slaughter February 10, 2020 New York, Mid-Hudson News

... Vassar claims that it kills to preserve “biodiversity” at the Farm, due to “deer overpopulation”... The deer carcasses from Vassar’s own kills have shown that the local deer are perfectly healthy. As to “’biodiversity”, Vassar cannot identify even one species presently impacted by deer...


West Point’s first deer season under antler point restriction program February 5, 2020 New York, DVIDSHub

... hunters were interested in implementing an Antler Point Restriction (APR) with the goal of increasing the number of bucks that reach the 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 age group... Hunter success rate stayed the same with 82.7% of the harvest at six points or better up from 55% the year before ...


Appeals court upholds plan to cull white-tailed deer population on Fire Island  February 3, 2020 New York, Newsday

... Connecticut and New York-based Friends of Animals filed a lawsuit in U.S. Eastern District Court in 2016 claiming officials at Fire Island National Seashore and the National Park Service did not adhere to the National Environmental Policy Act ...  plan calls for the quick eradication of 80% of the deer population ...


Mayor, Rep. Rose clash over how to cut deer population; both say other’s policy puts Islanders at risk January 28, 2020 New York, SILive

... “I’ve had this conversation with the NYPD and I would urge the congressman to talk to the NYPD,” de Blasio continued. “They are very much opposed to hunting taking place in a borough with half a million people in close proximity to each other, in close proximity to the wooded areas, it’s as simple as this.” ...


  Nassau County police rescue 2 deer stuck in fence in Muttontown January 7, 2020 New York, ABC 7 New York

... One of the officers used a car jack to loosen the gate and set the two deer free, unharmed...


DEC investigating moose sighting in Floyd January 6, 2020 New York, Rome Sentinel

... there are about 400 to 500 moose in New York State and that it is not uncommon to see such animals in the winter... Bulls weigh from 600 to 1,200 pounds and stand up to 6 feet tall at the shoulder ..,


CNY village of Pulaski erecting statue of Bella, its beloved deer January 2, 2020 New York, newyorkupstate.com

... A group of community-minded residents and business officials are working on keeping the memory of a Bella, a beloved white-tailed deer that disappeared back in 2017, alive for generations to come.  The group, P.R.O.P. (Preservation and Revitalization of Pulaski), has raised more than $3,500 in donations and grant money to build a bronze statue of Bella ...


City resumes year four of deer vasectomies to cut population December 31, 2019 New York, SILive

... After the first phase of the $4.1 million three-year program ended, the city decided to award White Buffalo another $2.5 million contract for five more years of vasectomies...


State announces new deer and moose feeding regulations December 27, 2019 New York, Buffalo News

... new measures Friday to curb unnecessary feeding of wild deer and moose but allow for the use of tick-control devices designed to treat deer...  the new regulations ...  Regulatory Impact Statement ...


Seneca White Deer declines $50,000 offer from county December 23, 2019 New York, Finger Lakes Times

... Earl Martin, the owner of the 3,000-acre conservation area where the white deer and other elements of the tour are located, charges the group $8,400 a month in rent, and tour revenues are not enough to meet that obligation...

     Seneca white deer tours will return, Earl Martin says December 17, 2019 New York, Finger Lakes Times

... Owner Earl Martin said Monday that final scheduled tour won’t be the last one, though he said, “Seneca White Deer will no longer be providing that service.  There will likely be tours again soon, managed by a different team,” ...

     Former Seneca Army Depot owner promises to keep protecting white deer herd December 16, 2019 New York, syracuse.com

...  the former Seneca Army Depot said he plans to continue protecting and preserving the depot’s celebrated white deer herd, despite news that guided tours by the not-for-profit Seneca White Deer group are ending later this month...

     Seneca, Last chance to see rare white deer at the former Seneca Army Depot December 13, 2019 New York, WROC-TV

... The board says revenue and donations weren’t enough to cover the cost of operations...


Binghamton University Nature Preserve to be closed for another controlled deer hunt  December 13, 2019 New York, pressconnects.com

... This is the second year university officials have allowed bowhunters on the grounds to thin the herd. The number of deer taken last year has not been released...


As state mulls controlled deer cull on Island, it’s still unclear whether city will throw its support behind effort December 6, 2019 New York, SILive

... the city expressed concern over jurisdiction disputes and decided to move forward with the Island’s controversial deer vasectomy program -- an effort that extended to a total of eight years and ballooned to $6.6 million.  Though the city has touted a 15 percent drop in the Island’s deer herd since the vasectomy program launched in 2016 ...


Feds to begin culling deer this week in Syracuse December 2, 2019 New York, Syracuse.com

... The Common Council authorized the shooters and approved $55,000 to pay them in October... professionals from the United States Department of Agriculture will establish bait traps for deer. After several weeks, sharpshooters will be deployed to take out deer feeding at those traps...


Controlled deer hunt scheduled at Binghamton University Nature Preserve December 27, 2019 New York, pressconnects.com 

... In December 2011, BU was only a few days away from a deer  ...cull during its winter break that would have killed 90 percent of the campus’ deer ... Objections and contentious public meetings ensued. A lawsuit ... this is the second year university officials have allowed bowhunters on the grounds ...


  DEC Officers Help Deer With Plastic Halloween Pumpkin November 27, 2019 New York, Patch on MSN.com

... Two environmental conservation officers helped a yearling deer knock a plastic Halloween pumpkin bucket off its head...


DEC regulations to protect NY deer, moose from CWD November 17, 2019 New York, Hornell Evening Tribune

... hunters are now prohibited from returning to New York State with whole carcasses of deer, elk, moose, or caribou harvested outside of New York... [also increased] the ease with which DEC’s Environmental Conservation Police Officers can enforce DAM regulations to ensure compliance by owners of captive cervids ...


Tradition keeps deer hunters coming back on 'opening day' November 15, 2019 New York, WIVB.com - News 4

... The number of licensed hunters in New York State has dropped about 30% over the last 30 years, but ‘opening day’ of gun season deer hunting on Saturday is still a big deal in Western New York ...


Deer season brings dangers for drivers  October 19, 2019 New York, Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

... the bucks start checking out the does for mating season, and this too often puts deer where you normally may not see them. Later in November when the gun season opens, the deer are really getting pushed around ... estimated that there are about 65,000 deer-vehicle collisions annually in New York state...


How many deer has DeWitt killed in 2 years? Not nearly enough, feds say October 16, 2019 New York, Syracuse.com (blog)

... Perhaps most controversial is the proposal to trap live deer and kill them. “In areas where deer densities are high and shooting is not a feasible option under the current regulations, (Wildlife Service) recommends live trapping deer,” [non-lethal control] ... 


Chronic Wasting Disease poses threat to deer in New York October 16, 2019 New York, Buffalo News

... CWD was identified in the Empire State in two captive deer facilities in 2005 and in two wild deer nearby, all in Central New York. Since that time, no additional cases have been found. New York is now the only state not to detect CWD after the initial outbreak..,


DeWitt, USDA recommends live deer trapping for DeWitt, Supervisor says 'no' October 15, 2019 New York, WSYR

... the USDA has recommended DeWitt do live deer trapping this coming winter... “There is a bill in front of the Governor now that we hope he signs that will actually expand the range in the numbers of locations we will be able to cull,” Michalenko said...


Lansing, Crossbows Allowed in Village Deer Control Program October 11, 2019 New York, The Lansing Star Online

... Village of Lansing trustees voted 4-0 Monday to permit the use of crossbows ... The program was launched in 2007 ... "I like to watch deer, but I don't like to watch cars kill them.  That's the equation we have to deal with." ...


Syracuse plans to start culling deer in December October 7, 2019 New York, syracuse.com

...  council today unanimously approved contracts with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a local butcher. Councilors said they voted in favor of using sharp shooters because the deer pose health risks such as Lyme disease [deer and risk of Lyme disease]... 


Syracuse Common council finalizes deer culling plan October 2, 2019 New York, The Daily Orange

... the group proposed an official “trap and kill” method as the most efficient way to reduce the overwhelming amount of deer in residential areas...  estimated that there are 50 deer per square mile in the city’s Eastside ...


  Rescue Workers Free Deer From Lacrosse Net On Long Island September 22, 2019 New York, CBS Boston 

... its neck was tilted back in the net ... The frightened animal kicked and flailed, but Floridia [Strong Island Animal Rescue]  was able to cut him loose ...


Crossbows to be Allowed for Village Deer Population Management September 20, 2019 New York, Lansing Star

... "We have a group of hunters who are becoming more aged," Hartill said. "A 75 pound pull on a compound bow might be a little difficult... the program began 13 years ago ... 


Staten Island,  City will spend another $2.5M to resume deer vasectomies for five more years September 16, 2019 MIchigan, SILive.com

... As of May 2019, the Parks Department said 98 percent of the Island’s male antlered deer were sterilized and that since the program launched in 2016, the population of the borough’s herd has dropped by 15 percent. The Parks Department also said fawn births have decreased by 77 percent...


Sick buck deer in Le Roy had brain abscess August 30, 2019 New York, The Daily News Online

...  “In white-tailed bucks, brain abscess can form when bacteria enter wounds in the velvet of a buck’s antler, a broken antler, or the base of a recently shed or damaged antler,” ...

   DEC kills 10-point buck that was walking in circles for hours August 21, 2019 New York, The Daily News Online

...The deer was sent to Cornell Wildlife Health Lab for a full necropsy and examination for brain injuries or infection, including testing for chronic wasting disease...


DEC Plans Changes to Deer, Moose Policies   August 11, 2019 New York, adirondackalmanack.com

... Proposed changes include:  Expanding the prohibition on the importation of carcasses and carcass parts of CWD-susceptible animals to include all jurisdictions outside of New York;  Clarifying that the only parts of CWD-susceptible animals that may be imported into New York are deboned meat, cleaned skull cap, antlers with no flesh ... see the proposed rules and procedure for public comment by October 7, 2019


2019 New York State Forecast August 2019 New York, DEC News

... For the 2019-20 deer hunting season, we expect the statewide buck harvest to be similar to 2018 and the antlerless harvest to increase slightly... The 2018-19 winter was mild across nearly all of the state, resulting in strong overwinter survival. Then, deer had ample forage through spring and early summer this year as the generally wet conditions led to a quick green-up of native forbs and abundant soft masts. This is in stark contrast to the dry conditions across most of the state during the early growing season last summer...


Olean, Deer control options mulled in Olean as officials take population growth complaints August 6, 2019 New York, Olean Times Herald

...  create a formal deer cull for the late winter months with DEC permits issued to hunters. A more costly option would be to hire sharpshooters or task city police with the job of culling deer in a similar fashion.  The most expensive option ... would be to sterilize the deer through surgical or chemical contraceptive means ...


DEC seeks public comment on feeding and hunting proposals July 18, 2019 New York, LeaderHerald

...  this rulemaking proposes to define the application procedures and conditions for issuance of a permit for the use of a 4-Poster Tickicide, including the requirement that automated feeding devices used with a 4-Poster be used only in the context of a comprehensive management approach that also addresses local deer abundance...    Here are the proposed regulations ... Comment by September 1, 2019 by email to wildliferegs@dec.ny.gov or by mail to Game Management Section, NYSDEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754. Comments will be accepted through Sept. 1


Expert testifies on deadly deer disease to House committee July 2, 2019 New York, Cornell Chronicle

... “Chronic wasting disease is the most serious threat facing wild deer and elk populations in North America today,” said Schuler, who has been studying the disease since 2002. In that time, she has seen it spread to 26 states, four Canadian provinces and four countries outside of North America: Finland, Norway, South Korea and Sweden...


Staten Island, State pays for insecticide-laced deer feeding stations on Island after city says devices are too expensive, might not work June 27, 2019 New York, Staten Island Advance

... Devices installed on the stations, known as posters, are laced with insecticide, so when deer are lured into the stations with bait, the tick repellent is applied to the deer and kill any ticks found on the animals... the city has chosen to focus on fighting ticks on the Island’s mice by setting up bait boxes around the borough ...


Staten Island, Would You Support A Proposed Staten Island Deer Bow Hunt? June 21, 2019 New York, CBS New York

... [at last check the poll was at 92 percent "NO"] “New Yorkers really revere their wildlife and do not want their communities turned into killing fields,” said Edita Birnkrant, the executive director of animal rights organization NYCLASS...


Staten Island, A controlled bow hunt to reduce Staten Island’s deer population? The state is open to the idea, Oddo says June 19, 2019 New York,  Staten Island Advance

... We are encouraged by the results of our sterilization work. We will continue our ongoing dialogue with Borough President Oddo and state DEC as we pursue innovative ways to reduce the impact of deer in Staten Island,” said Parks Department spokeswoman Crystal Howard...


Syracuse, Common Council approves using sharpshooters to kill deer in Syracuse June 17, 2019 CNYcentral.com

... The Syracuse Tick and Deer Management Advisory Group recommended the plan that was approved Monday... using USDA sharpshooters...


City looks to resume deer vasectomies by winter as it searches for $2.5M-program contractor June 12, 2019 New York, SILive.com

... A detailed cost breakdown of the three-year program obtained by the Advance showed that just 7.6 percent of the $4.1 million program went toward supplies to sterilize the borough’s bucks and bait to lure them.  The rest of the $3.7 million in funding for the program was used to pay senior scientists, wildlife biologists and technicians ...  city’s search for a new deer vasectomy contractor ...


Winter was easy on New York state’s white-tailed deer population this year June 7, 2019 Lake Placid News

... several thaws and warmer-than-average temperatures may have helped deer get through the winter... Portions of New York experienced mild drought, which lessened production and nutrition of grasses, forbs, and soft mast (berries, cherries, apples). Then, hard mast (acorns, beechnuts) production was lower than average as well ..,


Southold considers plan to save plants, keep deer out June 5, 2019 New York, Newsday

... The proposal calls for creating three 1-plus acre deer exclosures around Southold's town preserves to keep deer away and protect some of the native plants there that are often eaten by deer...


Staten Island’s deer population down 15% since 2017, city says June 1, 2019 Staten Island Advance

... down 15 percent, or 316 deer, from the first population count, which found approximately 2,053 here in January 2017... a 77% decrease in fawn births ... 98% of the antlered males on Staten Island had been sterilized ... our humane strategy to confront the large deer population is working,” Mayor Bill de Blasio  ...


A 'Cinderella' Moment: Marine Saves Newborn Deer, Helps Unite Fawn With New Mother May 31, 2019 New York, CBS New York

...  a pregnant doe darted into traffic was struck by a passing vehicle.  ... delivered the fragile baby from its dying mother, performed CPR, and helped it find a home...


Where have all the hunters gone? Numbers in WNY shrink rapidly May 31, 2019 New York, The Buffalo News

...  The loss of habitat is driving wild game like deer out of the woods and into the suburbs, said Jeff Jondle, president of the Erie County Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs.  "The number one taker of the deer is the Buick," ... The number of hunting license holders in Western New York has fallen by more than 20% over the past decade...


This winter was easy on deer May 16, 2019 New York, Adirondack Daily Enterprise

... “Portions of New York experienced mild drought, which lessened production and nutrition of grasses, forbs, and soft mast (berries, cherries, apples). Then, hard mast (acorns, beechnuts) production was lower than average as well, so many deer went into winter with reduced fat reserve,” the DEC explained in its Hunting and Trapping newsletter. “November’s snowfall was double its average. Deep, heavy snow blanketed much of NY, hampering deer movements to late season food sources. Bucks burned more energy searching for does during the rut as well.”..,


Port Jefferson, Locals protest against killing deer in Port Jefferson May 15, 2019 New York, TBR News Media

... The mayor said that no decisions have yet been made on the issue of deer population, and at the meeting left it open to any forms of suggestions, saying for the moment, the code restricting hunting remains on the books...

     Activists To Protest Village Considering Hunters To Reduce Deer May 6, 2019 New York, Patch.com

... Port Jefferson could and should should use non-palatable plants, deterrent tools, and immunocontraception to humanely manage deer," the group said on Facebook...


Syracuse to develop solutions to rising deer population April 28, 2019 New York, Daily Orange

... The largest concern ... survey found that 47% of residents were concerned about the spread of Lyme disease from tick bites [culls not generally effective against Lyme] ... “Deer population have been moving north at a pretty good clip since the 70s from downstate areas, like the Catskills, and even Pennsylvania,” ...


Port Jefferson plans deer cull, as deer population is estimated at up to 500 April 23, 2019 New York, Newsday

... officials are considering hiring hunters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to kill deer after the summer tourism season, Garant said. The USDA charges about $50,000 a year for three years of the service ...


After deer killed at park, more culls planned on Fire Island April 14, 2019 New York, Newsday

... 25 deer were shot and killed in the 1-square-mile Mastic Beach park ... Fire Islanders, many of whom opposed the hunts in public comments on the Seashore’s plan, say the deer are exceptionally tame, and accustomed to eating hand-fed treats...


Deer harvest report up for hunters in 2018 April 10, 2019 New York, Poughkeepsie Journal

... The increase in antlerless harvest is a welcome change from the lower-than-desired antlerless harvest in 2017... 58.8 percent: Percentage of all adult bucks harvested that was 2.5 years or older. That's the highest in New York history, the DEC said, and up from 40 percent a decade ago...


New York 2018 Deer Harvest Report April, 2019 DEC

... Report contains annual data back to 1954 and details on the 2018-19 season..,


Southold deer harvest reaches record numbers once again April 9, 2019 New York, Suffolk Times

... For the second consecutive year, Southold Town saw record high numbers in its deer management program for the 2018 hunting season, which ran from October to the end of January.  The total harvest for the regular and nuisance season was 339 ...


Staten Island, City spending $600000 to fight ticks, Lyme April 7, 2019 New York, SILive.com

... funding is going after the Island’s mice, rather than deer, which experts have said has played a significant role in the spread of Lyme in the borough... will buy $25 bait boxes that will trap mice ... [four poster] stations are too expensive to maintain and that only some studies have shown the stations can reduce tick populations...


Legislation seeks coyote management plan from DEC March 28, 2019 New York, Legislative Gazette

... researchers at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry estimated that there are about 14,500 breeding pairs of coyotes in New York during the summer months..,


Suffolk private nature sanctuary to pay for deer management study March 27, 2019 New York, Newsday

... The $248,290 grant from Avalon Park and Preserve will fund a six-year study by The Humane Society of the United States and scientists from Tufts University... will test tools for using PZP, an immunocontraceptive vaccine, on female deer in the sanctuary and other parts of the village...


Owner of unleashed dog that attacked deer at golf course could face charges March 26, 2019 New York, The Buffalo News

... seriously injured a deer, which was then put down by Town of Tonawanda police, is under investigation by the state Department of Environmental Conservation...


Deer culling at William Floyd Estate can go forward, judge rules February 26, 2019 New York, Newsday

... One of the plaintiffs, Animal Welfare Institute, expressed disappointment in the judge's decision ... " ... the National Park Service has protected these deer, but now the agency wants to implement a cruel plan based on dubious claims that deer damage estate plants," ...


Nearly four dozen deer shot and killed in LI state parks, officials say February 24, 2019 New York, Newsday

... Critics also say parks officials have failed to keep up with the latest methods for limiting herds.  In January, for example, researchers in Head of the Harbor began testing facial recognition software, drone-mounted infrared cameras and dart-delivered contraceptives to track, count and contain the deer population...


In 2005, about 200 people ate 'zombie' deer meat. Here's what happened February 21, 2019 New York, USA TODAY

... On March 13, 2005, a fire company in Oneida County, New York, fed the meat of a deer that tested positive for chronic wasting disease to 200 to 250 people... , observed conditions, including vision loss, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, weight changes, hypertension and arthritis, were credited to old age...


Latest Suffolk deer culling hits legal snag February 20, 2019 New York, News 12 Long Island 

... The hunt was scheduled to begin Wednesday, but three out-of-state animal rights groups filed lawsuits. On Tuesday, a federal judge granted one of the groups a temporary restraining order...

     National Park Service Sued to Stop Deer Kill on Fire Island February 18, 2019 New York, Animal Welfare Institute

... filed for a temporary restraining order ... against ... the National Park Service (NPS) to halt a planned deer kill this month, which violates an existing agreement between the wildlife conservation groups and park officials... failing to take a “hard look” at reasonable alternatives ...


City seeks to extend deer vasectomy program for 5 years at cost of $2.5M February 7, 2019 New York, SILive.com

... “We are on track to meet our goal of sterilizing 98% of bucks. In order to preserve the high percentage of sterilized males, Parks is soliciting Expressions of Interest from vendors for a five-year contract to continue the population control study,” ...


Coyotes common in New York, regardless of Sullivan County hunt January 31, 2018 Poughkeepsie Journal

... According to many wildlife experts, coyotes started appearing in New York in the 1920s... Current estimates put the population at 30,000 to 40,000 animals. State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry coyote surveys have estimated that there are approximately 14,500 breeding pairs here in the state...


New York Moose Study January 30, 2019 New York, DEC News

... As part of a multi-year collaborative research project to better understand New York’s moose population (NY Moose Study), DEC wildlife staff recently completed the fifth annual aerial survey of moose in the Adirondack Park... Data from these surveys will refine our estimate the moose population ...


East Hampton, Heartbreaking Deer Tale, Man's Message: 'All Life Is Precious" January 29, 2019 New York, USA Patch

  ... a deer was being chased down by four "unleashed and unattended dogs" who "viciously attacked" the yearling buck... Although its neck was injured, it was lifting its head up and down normally and drinking water... got a call that the deer had tripped at another spot, falling over a pile of deer fencing, and landing on its head, breaking its neck...


DEC uses DNA tests to ticket son, mother for illegal deer hunting January 23, 2019 New York, NewYorkUpstate.com

... a deer had been shot at 1:30 a.m ... DNA results confirmed a match between the blood gathered in the field and the evidence taken from the carcass ...


Head of the Harbor to test new tech to help manage deer population  January 22, 2019 New York, Newsday

... facial recognition software, drone-mounted infrared cameras and a dart-delivered contraceptive to track, count and contain a white-tailed deer population ... Allen Rutberg ... at Tufts University... could improve the cost-effectiveness and practicality of the immunocontraceptive vaccine PZP...


Early antler drop points back to early rut peak January 21, 2019 January 21, 2019 Wellsville Daily Reporter

... Whitetail bucks undergo a type of osteoporosis in the summer months as they grow their antlers...  the necessary minerals and elements can’t be found in the woods and processed quickly enough ...


34 amazing Upstate New York moose photos January 11, 2019 New York, NewYorkUpstate.com

... How many moose are there in New York and where exactly can they be found? ... Several agencies ... are working together on a multi-year research project to figure that all out... The DEC would like to hear from you and has a "Moose Sighting Report Form" on its website ..,


  Nature up close: White deer January 10, 2019 New York, CBS News

... part of the largest known population of white deer in the world, which is centered at the old Seneca Munitions Depot in Seneca County, New York,] ... White deer can result from two primary genetic mutations, leucism and albinism...


   Have you see this ‘exotic’ deer? DEC wants this invader shot January 10, 2019 New York, Upstate New York

... discovered pictures of the sika stag on his trail camera in November on private land in the town of Granby in Oswego County ... native to Japan and Eastern Asia ...


Deer-vehicle collisions continue on upward trend in 2018 January 3, 2019 New York, Staten Island Advance 

... In April, the city announced the Island’s deer population dropped by 8 percent from 2,053 in 2017 to 1,884 in 2018...  the Island’s deer population stands somewhere between 1,793 and 1,975 and that the city contractor performing the vasectomies needs to sterilize just 74 to 125 more deer to reach its goal of sterilizing 98 percent of Island bucks by the end of the three-year program...


Teens, neighbors work together to save drowning deer January 2, 2019 New York, WKRN-TV 

... chipping of the ice scared the deer farther into the center of the pond... I put my drone up in the air ...  scare it that direction toward the shoreline...

New York Deer News and Information Archive by TopicPopulation and Management, Deer in the News, Disease, Suburban, Transportation, Deer Resistant Plants

New York data:  A mild early 2023-24 winter with abundant acorns followed mild winters into 2022-23 supported deer survival so the state increased 2023 deer hunting permits.  An estimated average of the pre-hunt and post-hunt population for 2022 is 955,000 based on hunting data as described in this spreadsheet and illustrated in the graph below.  Blue dots are estimates from the state or reported to the press.  The population decline in 2022 from 2021 represents a decline in the buck kill from the hunt and reduced hunting licenses.


Data and Sources for Chart Below

In 2022 the DEC planned to hold the population stable in most of the state based on ecological and public preferences.  An informal state estimate of 1.2 million deer pre-hunt in 2021 with about 950,000 expected post-hunt gives an average of 1,075,000 for the period. . This number appears in the chart above as a large blue dot indicating a population estimate from a reliable source which is combined with hunting data to create the population estimates for years 2000 through 2021.  


For 2023 the Department of Environmental Conservation increased the number of deer management permits across the majority of the state, largely in response to continued mild winters and the recovery of deer populations affected by outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease in 2021A press report in 2023 of 1.2 million deer.  In 2023 the DEC asked hunters to kill more antlerless deer to control the population as 84% of hunters did not take any although they are the most abundant and commonly observed.  The 2023-24 Deer Seson Forecast notes that "Winter-related stress and mortality were minimal for deer during the winter of 2022-2023, which was the eighth mild winter in a row across the state."


In 2022 the DEC planned to hold the population stable in most of the state based on ecological and public preferences.  An informal state estimate of 1.2 million deer pre-hunt in 2021 with about 950,000 expected post-hunt gives an average of 1,075,000 for the period. . This number appears in the chart below as a large blue dot indicating a population estimate from a reliable source which is combined with hunting data to create the population estimates for years 2000 through 2021.  

The DEC expected a buck harvest in 2021 similar to 2020 given a relatively mild winder and good conditions during fawning season and early summer, but the buck harvest fell by 5 percent.  A stable to slightly increased population in 2020 from a relatively mild winter with about one million deer pre-hunt.   The 13% increase in the deer kill for 2020 is partly attributable to a 7% increase in hunters.  The buck kill fell by 3% while the doe kill increased by 30%.  Populations are up after a few mild winters into 2019.  A 2018 population estimate of 950,000.


A mild 2015-16 winter increased deer populations into 2016, about 900,000.  Drought in 2016 for western New York.  The 2016-17 hunting data indicates a modest increase into 2017.  The herd continues to recover after significant declines in 2014 and 2015 from harsh winters in 2011-14.  About 680,000 deer in 2015 post-hunt, 880,000 pre-hunt.  Antlerless permits, reduced by  20 to 30 percent in parts of the state to grow the herd.  The 2015 deer harvest fell by 15 percent reflecting a harsh 2014-15 winter.  


An estimated deer population of  940,000 in 2015.  About 750,000 deer in 2014 post-hunt, 1,000,000 pre-hunt. The 2014 harvest fell by about 2 percent.  Estimated post-hunt population of 800,000 deer in the state in 2013, pre-hunt 1,050,000.  A little over a million deer in 2004.  Increasing coyote predation.  Relatively stable population with some good forest managment, logging, and habitat projects.  Population density is mixed with some areas down such as the Adirondacks due to mature forests and in some areas due to coyote predation. 


In 2015, the DEC curtailed the harvest of antlerless deer in portions of Jefferson, St. Lawrence, and Franklin counties to increase the population, and increase the harvest of antlerless deer in  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 to reduce the population.  A total of 626,389 permits were issue in 2015, down 45,393 from 2014.  


Two harsh winters in 2013-14 and 2014-15 reduced deer populations in the north and central regions.  From the 2016 deer report:  "Statewide, we are anticipating deer harvests to be slightly lower in 2015 than in 2014, largely due to some deer mortality this past winter and resulting reductions in antlerless permits in parts of the state."  In 2015, the harvest fell by about 15 percent; 47 percent of the bucks were yearlings.


In 2014 deer populations were above goals in 35 percent of the state so the DEC encouraged hunters to take does in central and western New York.  In much of the state, deer are below target populations.  A mild 2011 - 2012 winter resulted in a greater survival rate for fawns and an abundance of apples and nuts in 2013 provided food for many types of wildlife. 


From 550,00 to 500,000 hunters took about 220,000 deer per year, about 25 percent on opening day. The state has increased antlerless harvests to reduce the population, but the harvest still favors bucks over does so a population increase is not unexpected. 


In 2014, bucks accounted for 45.5% of the harvest.  In 2014, 52 percent of the bucks in areas without antler restrictions were 1.5 years old compared to 48 percent statewide.  In 2013, 48 percent of the herd was 2.5 years or older, up from 28 percent in 2000.  48 percent of the bucks killed in 2013 were 2.5 years or older, up from about 28 percent in the 1990's.  


Antler restrictions have been imposed in some areas, Quality Deer Management and other factors have influenced hunter decisions to help normalize herd demographics. About $35 million in license sales and federal excise taxes on guns and ammunition.  


A population estimate of 780,000 in 2009.  A 2005 population estimate of 960,000.  An estimate from Cornell puts the number at over 1 million around 2001 with other wildlife experts estimating 1.5 million.  The population "hit one million" between 2000 and 2002 as reported by Outdoor Life.  The deer kill from the hunt peaked at 308,216 in 2002 [see the historical data from DEC in the sheet labeled NY Hunting Data...].  A 1990 population estimated at 800,000.


Peak conception day was found to be November 14 from a study in 2007-09 with the peak range from Nov. 9 through Nov. 20.


Chronic wasting disease was first and last reported in the state in 2005.  It was apparently brought to New York after a taxidermist disposed of infected tissue from a trophy head brought from out of state.  Quick response from the state apparently prevented the disease from spreading.  It continues to move closer to New York from Pennsylvania, just 5 miles away in 2021.  No CWD positive deer found in 2022 testing.


Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). The disease first appeared in New York State in 2007 in Albany, Rensselaer and Niagara counties. Another outbreak occurred in Rockland County in 2011 and the third in 2020.  An outbreak in the Hudson Valley in 2021.  EHD detected in Dutchess county in 2022.  An outbreak of bluetongue, closely related to EHD) in Southhampton in 2022.


History

Graph and data from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation

Deer were abundant  abundant in New York during the 1600's.  "Henry Hudson found deer in the valley which now bears his name, and Champlain likewise found them in the Mohawk lowlands. Edson and Merrill (1894: 40) quoted from letters written in 1687 by Baron LaHouton about that part of Chautauqua County between the highlands and Lake Erie: "I cannot express what quantities of deer and turkeys are to be found in these woods ..."  From History of White-tailed Deer in New York, p. 134, which describes the distribution and abundance of deer in New York in pre-Colonial times and from the Colonial Period through the mid-1950s.  


"When European settlers arrived in New York ... Relatively high densities of deer lived in open areas maintained by Native Americans primarily through periodic burning." From 2021 Deer Management Plan, p. 11.  The first hunting license in America was instituted by New York in 1864.


Deer were nearly exterminated from New York by 1890 also see.  The last recorded deer sightings in the western Southern Tier region was in 1881 near Independence, Allegheny County.  The deer population in the state fell to about 20,000 by the early 1900s.  The deer population rose to an estimated 450,000 by 1978 and 800,000 in 1988.  Severe winters of 1925-26, 1930-31 and 1947-48, 1948-49 and 1983-84 killed a large percentage of the deer herd, reportedly 80 percent in some areas.  The winter of 1978-79 was also severe.  Deer population estimate 2009-2014, page 62.


Suburbs provide ideal deer habitat where deer thrive and have caused conflicts in areas such as Long Island and Cayuga Heights where deer management strategies are a matter of public controversy.  Although deer were native to Staten Island, they were hunted to extinction by the early 1900's.  The press often makes an issue of the population growth, citing percentage increases from the very low numbers in recent history. 


Moose  About 400 to 500 moose in 2019.  An estimated 400 moose in 2018 in the Adirondacks, where the majority of the animals are found.   About 800 in 2010  near the Adirondacks.  Native to New York, moose disappeared from the state in the 1860's largely due to habitat change and unregulated hunting.  Returned in 1980, moving in from neighboring states. A 2023 update.


Elk  No elk in New York.  The last elk in New York was killed in 1847.  Unsuccessful attempts were made to restore elk from 1900 to 1940 in the Adirondacks.


Bears  About 2,500 brown bears


Cougar  Eastern cougars were in New York until around 1900, but are now considered extinct.  In the 1880's dozens were shot by  bounty hunters, mostly in the Adirondacks.  A cougar sighted in 2010 came from South Dakota and was killed by a car in Connecticut. 


Coyote  An estimated 14,500 breeding pairs of coyotes in 2017, 30,000 to 40,00 coyotes.


Bobcats, a deer predator, are at very low levels in New York according to a 2024 Cornell study.


Report Sick Deer:  The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is asking the public to report any instances of deer appearing sick or acting abnormally. Report sightings to its office in Ray Brook by calling 518-897-1200. Or report it to your nearest DEC regional wildlife office 


Other useful links:

 - Help in recovering wounded deer:  585-935-5220

- CayugaDeer,org information about deer management in the city of Cayuga Heights.

- Senecawhitedeer.org proposes a tourist facility at the former Depot that would feature not only the white deer, but the fascinating military history of the site and the other wildlife “beyond the fence.”      

Animal Defenders of Westchester