Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Deer herd in NY

Hello to the group, I am an avid hunter here in central NY (Delaware County), and was just wondering on the most current estimates of the deer herd in the state?

I looked over the DEC website and did not come up with anything, or elsewhere on the internet thus far. Found a newspaper article about deer/car collisions dated May 2004 which estimated about a million animals statewide.
Any fellow New Yorkers-or anyone-have an idea of current numbers? Thanks to all and have a great turkey season, 3 more days!!

The state (DEC) doesn't try to estimate the wild herd. Their reasons are in the Deer Management Plan. http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7211.html

Closest thing to a report on the condition of the heard is the harvest reports. They have not posted the 2016 results yet but here is 15 for you
http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/2015deerrpt.pdf

I hunt in Delaware County (East Branch), we don't see as many deer as we used to.

The deer have all moved to the suburbs.

I see deer all the time at home. Can't remember the last time I saw one in the woods while hunting.


ETA: Looking at the 2015 numbers I see the WMU I hunt in had more deer taken than anywhere else in the state. I'm shocked. While a get a few of the same deer on my cameras, I literally haven't seen a deer while deer hunting in 3-4 years? You do hear the coyotes going nuts at night a couple times a week though, so maybe it's a localized thing.

ni think there are no more than 300,000 out there.

Plenty of deer here

^^^^This, and the older deer moved to Boca.

Same here...

Hunt the backyards..plenty of deer

I'm a county away from you and have literally seen deer each time I went into the woods this past season (bow & gun). The majority of them being bucks.

-Ken

Thanks for all the replies, I too see decent deer numbers here in Delaware Cty, as mentioned (and the same as of today) the 2016 NY deer take numbers are not yet posted. Hope everyone's turkey season is going well-

Not sure when it came out, but here it is for 2016:
New York WHITE-TAILED DEER HARVEST SUMMARY 2016

I'm interested in this because I compile the data for all states every year for one of the major magazines. It's a tough job because there are countless differences between the 44 states and provinces that hunt whitetails, every state reports differently, and on a different time table. Frustrating when you know the work you do is riddled with mistakes due to the inconsistencies from state to state.

Steve.

http://northcountrynow.com/news/st-lawrence-county-whitetail-harvest-12-2016-0199503 Every hunter I spoke to here in the north saw a major decline.

Heathen deer don't use the internet, otherwise we'd show them a thing or two..

Thanks Every day hunter. that says it all...........