NY Harvest Numbers are out

[Doc]

Check this out:

http://www.empirenewswire.com/release/downloads/decrelease.pdf

Any surprises???

Doc

[ohiobuckhunter]

Re: NY Harvest Numbers are out

Those look like some pretty good numbers hopefully they keep on yhe rise.

[RangerClay]

Re: NY Harvest Numbers are out

Thanks for sharing Doc! Yeah I was surprised with the results of 6C. The guy who calculated that DMU must have been smoking something because our deer numbers are at an all time low.

[Adjam5]

Re: NY Harvest Numbers are out

Thanks for the #'s there Doc. Important info.

The next few years are critical...especially with the pending commisioner .

How about that...302 deer killed in my WHOLE county 3R.

Talk about how we have a deer problem here, the #'s say it all. With severe hunter access it is no wonder they cannot establish a Buck Take Objective for the area.

I am putting together a presentation to the town supervisor about putting together a group of hunters with permission to access remote town properties to bow hunt. They pay people now to have dogs run around the town parks to scare deer and geese away so the kids could play. My town also pays to have

goose eggs addled so they don't hatch.

We need animal control that don't cost the town.

[NYBUCK]

Re: NY Harvest Numbers are out

Thanks Doc

[JDAWG]

Re: NY Harvest Numbers are out

Thanks Doc for the info...

[Doc]

Re: NY Harvest Numbers are out

So, how do these numbers align with what you saw this year? Do you believe them? I'm curious as to how well their system of assumptions, factors and suppositions are working out in your hunting area.

Doc

[Guest gowandasuper]

Re: NY Harvest Numbers are out

Thanks Doc for that link. I think the #'s add up to what I saw here in Erie Co. Overall I thought it was a relatively good season. I passed on a lot of yearling bucks, before I decided to lose the string.

[beagleboy]

Re: NY Harvest Numbers are out

Those numbers were unreal. 80% of the people I spoke to said it was one of their worst years seeing deer, never mind harvesting a buck. There was also an 8% harvest increase. I had a descent year taking a 4ptr with the bow and a 4ptr with the gun but that was all I saw. It was the worst year as far as seeing the number of deer.

[Adjam5]

Re: NY Harvest Numbers are out

I received a passed on email from a friend concerning info on this matter. I don't know if anyone has seen this info yet. It comes from a DEC game biologist, Jeremy Hurst

Dear NY Big Game subscribers,

The impressive lake effect snows recently in several towns east of Lake Ontario have generated numerous inquiries as to the potential impact on the local deer herd. While we cannot yet gauge the impact of this storm on the deer herd, what we know about deer biology and behavior can help us understand how deer cope with severe winter conditions.

Undoubtably, the rapid build up of snow from recent storms was unusual. However, lake effect snows in these areas are the norm, and deer commonly face deep snows elsewhere in New York and throughout northern North America. In areas of New York where deep winter snow is typical, such as the Tug Hill, Adirondack and Catskill Mountains, deer annually migrate to winter ranges that provide greater shelter. These "winter yards" are usually within dense conifer forests of low elevation, and deer may move several miles to reach these areas. The conifer forest provides the deer several advantages: (1) snow depths on the forest floor are usually much shallower than in nearby hardwood forests, (2) the snow consolidates quicker in conifer forests making travel easier, (3) wind speed is dramatically less in confer forests than in open hardwood forests, and (4) temperature fluctuations are moderated. The compromise is that winter yards usually provide very poor food resources, and so deer are forced to survive on their stored fat reserves.

In areas of New York where deep snows are less common or less persistent, deer may move to temporary winter yards during only the most severe winters. However, the distances moved are usually much less, and the deer may occupy the winter yards only for short periods of time. These winter yards may simply be south-facing slopes, sheltered valleys or small patches of conifer cover.

Movement of deer to the winter yards is typically triggered by increasing snow depth and may occur over several days or very rapidly. In fact, using radio telemetry equipment, I have witnessed deer move more than 10 miles in a single night to reach their winter yard when the snow started falling heavily.

Because food is limited in the winter yards, deer do better when they don't have to spend as much time there. The late start to winter in many areas of the State this year gave deer additional time to store fat in preparation for winter. This is especially beneficial for fawns that are still growing and unable to put on as much fat as adults and for adult bucks recovering from the rut. During a typical winter, most deer that migrate in New York tend to do so by mid-late December. This year, despite the relatively light snowfall in early winter, most deer likely moved toward the vicinity of their winter yards by mid-January and so were probably well poised to receive the storms in February.

Occasionally, deer will not migrate to winter yards, even in the Tug Hill and Central Adirondacks, if they have moderate cover available and a good food resource (timber harvest with lots of tree tops on the ground or ornamental plants and birdfeeders in a residential setting). If any deer in the hardest hit bands of lake effect had not moved to winter yards and were caught in a poor cover situation, they would be very vulnerable. However, as I mentioned previously, deer can move to winter grounds rapidly.

With the recent storms in New York, initial snow accumulations were dramatic, but rapid settling of fluffy lake effect snow quickly reduces actual snow depths. It is certainly a tough go for deer right now, but duration of deep snows will be the critical factor for deer survival. We've often considered >40 days of snow depth exceeding 20", or >60 days exceeding 15" to be the point at which loss starts to mount. If strong winter conditions persist through March, we can expect some significant loss in the areas hardest hit. However, if the duration of deep snow is relatively short due to warming or settling, deer in good shape from the mild early conditions should be able to lay low and work off of fat reserves. By early April, if snow depths allow, many deer will start to move toward summer range and once again have decent food available.

It is a bit early to judge what impact recent storms and this winter overall will have on deer survival. At this point, we just need to see how the rest of the season plays out.

In the meantime, enjoy the snow.

Jeremy Hurst

Big Game Biologist

NYSDEC