Controlling the deer population

Posted 8/21/12

According a 2013 article in the Times Union (Albany) titled “Save state forestland from deer,” “Today, deer overpopulation poses a greater threat to New York’s forests than anything except …

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Controlling the deer population

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According a 2013 article in the Times Union (Albany) titled “Save state forestland from deer,” “Today, deer overpopulation poses a greater threat to New York’s forests than anything except bulldozers. There are more than 1 million deer in New York, an average of more than 30 deer per square mile of forest. In some areas, particularly in the southeast including Long Island, the Lower Hudson Valley and the southern Catskills, you can find more than twice that density. Yet, studies tell us that forest damage is evident above 20 deer per square mile.”

I represent a hunting club near Roscoe. NY and attend many of the Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs of Sullivan County meetings. I have written several articles about deer hunting and hunting season changes. I tried to change some info regarding deer numbers in my last letter, but I did not get the info in before the printing.

I can tell you that there are more deer per square mile closer to farms and towns where fruit and nut trees, bird feeders and grazing is more available than in the state land or private property old woods. Another problem is people cutting down (to burn as fuel) hardwoods such as cherry, apple and oak, thus making it even more difficult for deer to find food sources in the old woods; therefore they over-browse and eat up all the small saplings.

What needs to be done is planting of hard woods that produce fruit or mast (nuts) and protecting these small fruit and nut trees in the woods after logging, and planting of food sources for grazing and browse along logging roads, so we can sustain our beautiful forest and the wildlife.

Lastly, New York needs a DEC-enforced one-buck limit for all the hunting seasons: bow, crossbow, rifle and muzzleloader, and to add a doe season and liberal doe permits, since there are way too may does to bucks in our area.

John JP Pasquale

Livingston Manor, NY

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