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
A year of Earth-friendly journalism April 22, 2024 New York, Adirondack Explorer
... Warming temperatures are driving many animals and plants northward ... “I think the deer population will increase simply because the severity of the winter is lessened,” said Brian Underwood, a research wildlife biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey ...
Whitetails are moving into our yards. Could a change in state policy help keep them away? March 29, 2024 New York, Hornell Evening Tribune
... New York needs to amend its current ban on feeding deer supplements and allow conservationists to put food and minerals back in the woods so the deer stay there and not in the streets and backyards. Deer go where they can shop for the best groceries...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
New York Deer News and Information Archive by Topic: Population 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.
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 2021. A 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.”