More NY. deer hunting B.S

[buckshot]

Read this in the paper today.

BY MARK JOHNSON

Associated Press

Thieves are a hassle for anyone who sells food for a living -- they cost Frank and Ellen Wiles of Owego between $10,000 and $15,000 a year.

But for the Wiles, prosecution is difficult. You see, the thieves are deer. With nearly 100 acres of land under cultivation for strawberries, blueberries, corn, cauliflower, broccoli and other vegetables, the Wileses are at wit's end trying to find a way to save their livelihood.

They're not alone. Across the country, the rising white-tailed deer population is wreaking havoc on farms, changing the ecology of forests and causing ever more motor vehicle accidents and fatalities.

"They bite into the sweet corn, and of course we've had to fence off the berries," Ellen Wiles said. But that hasn't been enough.

Deer damage to agriculture in New York was between $58 million and $60 million in 2003, said Paul Curtis, an associate professor and extension wildlife specialist at Cornell University.

New York's Department of Environmental Conservation estimates there are now 1 million deer living in the state. Nationally, the white-tailed deer population has increased from about 500,000 in the early 1900s to 25 to 30 million today, according to various researchers.

In pre-European settlement times, deer population density was 10 to 15 deer per square mile. In the 19th century, numbers dwindled as land was cleared for agriculture and commercial hunting became widespread.

In the early 20th century, states limited hunting, preserved open space and imported the animals.

Now, in places like southern New York and northern Pennsylvania, there are 30 to 35 deer per square mile, Curtis said.

While they still have some predators in the Northeast, mostly coyotes or bobcats, their main animal predators, wolves, are gone. And the conversion of woodlands into suburbs has created a favorable habitat with year-round food sources.

Man is now a deer's most feared predator, but the number of hunters is declining, especially among teenagers who today have more options to fill their time.

In 2003, the total deer harvest in New York was more than 253,000, an 18 percent drop from 2002.

The number of big game hunting licenses sold in the state dropped to 592,930 in 2003, from 684,462 in 1999, a decline of 13 percent. Meanwhile, the number of deer management permits, given to farmers and others to control deer numbers, rose to 685,696 in 2003 from 489,191 in 1999.

The Wileses have such permits, and have hired hunters to protect the crop for three or four years. As far as Ellen Wiles knows, each hunter walks away with as much venison as the permits allow. They even hang inflatable deterrents to scare deer away.

"But I doubt if they do an awful lot of good," she said.

Deer also are reducing the number of trees and seedlings and affecting which species will survive, forestry experts say.

In the 14,000-acre Letchworth State Park in western New York, a 1,200-acre "safety area" for recreation where hunting is forbidden has seen vast damage from overbrowsing by deer.

"There are no saplings, no underbrush for ground nesting birds," said Richard Parker, regional director of the Genesee State Park Region. "There will be no regeneration of the forest. In 40 to 50 years, as the current forest dies, there will be nothing to replace it."

Humans, too, face increased dangers. There were 1.5 million deer and vehicle crashes in 2003, injuring 13,713 people and causing $1.1 billion in vehicle damage, according to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released in November.

Control programs vary, with some towns and cities hiring sharpshooters to cull the herd, some states expanding their hunting seasons, and many encouraging the hunting of female deer. Those programs have had mixed results.

Fencing deer off from suburban areas, using repellents and planting undesirable vegetation can mitigate some of the problems.

"Hunting certainly doesn't provide a long-term solution," said Laura Simon, field director of the urban wildlife and sanctuaries program for the Humane Society of the United States. "Deer compensate by showing more productivity in reproduction. You just can't hunt out enough deer and people living in suburban areas don't want hunting. It's not a safe or socially acceptable

[VermontHunter]

Re: More NY. deer hunting B.S

Seems to me these whinners should go talk to the people responsible....HEY..PETA !!!! you listening ????

[fisherguy]

Re: More NY. deer hunting B.S

i find it hard to believe that they can't find more people willing to shoot deer off their land. Some of you NY guys should call tehm up and volunteer your services for next fall!

[Doc]

Re: More NY. deer hunting B.S

This article, and others like it are popping up all over the state, in newspapers TV and radio. I don't think it is any coincidence that this is happening on the eve of discussions relative to some significant hunting season proposals. I also don't think it is any coincidence that these articles are showing up right after one of the most miserable NY deer harvests in decades. The DEC knows that they are going to have some tall explanations to come up with, and to be able to continue with their slash and burn deer management policies, they have a huge sales job on their hands. This is only the beginning. It's rather transparent, but they know that they really don't have to sell the hunters on anything. The real political power lies with the general public, so that is where they will be peddaling their sob-stories and pushing their P.R. efforts. Expect more.

Doc

[bulldawg]

Re: More NY. deer hunting B.S

I read that in the local paper here in Wisc. too. You made the national news... .

[RangerClay]

Re: More NY. deer hunting B.S

When I first moved to the north country the first thing I did was go to the DEC and ask for the names of farmers who complained about crop damage. Now I have some of the best hunting in my area and several places to hunt.

Ranger