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Deer and hunting index home
Faced with a growing deer population and a declining number of hunters, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) held a series of meetings throughout the state in 2000 asking for input from hunters and other interested individuals on how to control the white-tailed deer population.
"Growing deer populations in many areas of the state, coupled with declining deer hunter numbers, have given rise to growing concerns about meeting future deer management needs," a summary of the meetings stated:
"Between May and August, 15 regional meetings (two in each upstate region and one on Long Island) and several smaller meetings with groups such as Country Sportsmen Federations were held. A total of 1075 people registered at the regional meetings and about 600 heard the presentation at other meetings…
"Most hunters recognized and/or accepted that changes will need to be made to control a growing deer herd with projected fewer numbers of hunters. They also recognized that more effort must be directed toward antlerless harvest to accomplish this. Hundreds of sometimes conflicting ideas were offered to revise or expand hunting opportunities or deal with related subjects."
Here's a summary of the suggestions: (emphases added)
More public land should be open to hunting, there should be better
access facilities on public lands, DEC should have a program to link
hunters and landowners, DEC should have a program to promote
and pursue access on private land, liability laws need to be im-
proved , there should be an incentive (I.e. tax break) for landowners
allowing access.
Antlerless harvest opportunities
Easier access to (i.e. over the counter issuance of) deer manage-
ment permits (DMPs), allow use of DMPs during the entire bow
season , allow use of DMPs over broader areas, issue more DMPs
and expand the use of bonus permits, create doe only hunting
opportunities (i.e. early doe seasons).
Increase bag limits (many variations), limit buck take to one, require
an antlerless deer be taken before a buck can be taken.
Increase the number of courses and get hunter education informa
tion into the schools.
Hunting implements. Techniques
Allow crossbow use, allow use of scopes on muzzleloaders, allow
use of rifles in shotgun areas.
Information and Education
DEC should do a better job getting information out on the needs
and benefits of deer management and the traditions and values of
hunting.
Need more officers, set tougher laws and penalties.
Allow sharing of licenses and or DMPs (deer management permits),
allow archers to use special second permits in the bow season, al
low hunters to stay afield after filling tags, issue distinct licenses
for each zone.
Either sex licenses, providing two tags with a license, provide li-
cense/tag for each implement.
Establish parity, stabilize or reduce non resident fees.
Lengthen seasons, standardize opening day, Monday opener, Satur
day opener, create system which allows season extensions when
needed.
Need easier and/or free process for venison donation.
Reduce hunting age, create young hunter monitoring program, free
or reduced rate licenses for young or first time hunters, ease take
restrictions on young hunters, create special youth hunts.
Women's Opportunities
Promote, expand opportunity
QDM Promote, explore and/or implement Quality Deer Management
DMAP (Deer Management Assistance Program)
Expand/liberalize program END of DEC pamphlet presentation
Anyone wishing to comment may address submissions to
Deer Management Initiative
50 Wolf Road
Albany NY 12233
or go to http://www..dec.state.ny.us where a letter form can be found.
See record deer kill in NY state, autumn 2000
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CIVITAS Response to
"The Future of Deer Hunting in New York State"
First of all, compliments on attractive brochure summarizing the meetings on deer population. The presentation was clear and done on what appeared to be ordinary office paper, which I hope was recycled, as opposed to more expensive alternatives.
Access
I am opposed to opening additional public land to hunting because the 95% of citizens who do not hunt deserve some consideration for their outdoor recreational needs. The number of hikers, cross country skiers, bicyclists and ordinary walkers is growing as more people are becoming concerned with fitness, Other special interests groups, such as farmers, woodcutters, bird watchers, archeologists, historians, and botanists are also demanding their share of the outdoor pie, much of which is denied them during hunting seasons because they fear for their safety. Hunters already have access to special public hunting grounds, game management areas and state forest land to say nothing of some state parks. Hunting in state and county parks is particularly unfair to the non-hunting public and should be abolished. City people need a place they can go to get in touch with the natural world. The sound of gunfire and the site of dead and wounded animals destroys the peace, detracts from their pleasure, and is very upsetting to some individuals.
Hunting on private land is another matter. Landowners who want to allow hunting should be able to do so, receiving hunters as guests or clients as long as they don't infringe on neighboring properties. I am opposed to owners getting a tax break for being open to hunting, however, because such a scheme, being hard to monitor, would invite tax
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evasion at the expense of all the other state taxpayers for the benefit of a small minority group. It could logically lead to farmers who allow hik
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