Too many deer, not enough hunters

Josey1

Too many deer, not enough hunters To combat the problem, DEC officials consider bigger bag limits and longer seasons. Thursday, November 22, 2001By J. Michael Kelly http://www.syracuse.com/outdoors/syrnewspapers/index.ssf?/sportsstories/20011122_shunter.html Department of Environmental Conservation biologists expect hunters to kill about 300,000 white-tailed deer, an all-time record, before the season winds down in mid-December.Even that many may not be enough.New York has an expanding deer herd but a shrinking population of hunters.As a result of those diverging trends, the DEC is considering bigger bag limits, longer seasons and other changes in deer-hunting regulations.In 1996, DEC biologist J. Edward Kautz developed a computer model which predicted the number of licensed big-game hunters in the state between the ages of 16 and 64 would decline from 538,000 to 334,000 - a 38 percent reduction - by the year 2008.His forecast worried big-game managers, for hunting is the primary method of controlling deer herds throughout the United States.As it turns out, hunters are hanging in there a little tougher than Kautz predicted."The decline has not been quite as rapid as I thought it would be," he said last week. "Right now we have about 480,000 resident big-game hunters between the ages of 16 and 65. That's about 40,000 more than I had projected by this time."Nevertheless, veteran hunters are still getting out of the sport at a faster rate than neophytes are taking it up, he said.DEC biologists hope to compensate by enabling remaining hunters to kill more deer.The agency has encouraged a bigger doe kill by distributing ever-increasing numbers of deer-management permits in recent seasons. Such permits entitle the holder to kill an antlerless whitetail, in addition to the single buck that's allowed every big-game license-buyer.This fall, hunters went afield with a record 570,000 deer-management permits. A majority received two permits, and hunters in some Western New York wildlife management units wound up with three permits apiece.Three years ago, the DEC launched the Deer Management Assistance Program, which issues special hunting permits to land owners who are losing crops, forests or shrubbery to over-abundant whitetails. The recipients must hand out the permits to licensed hunters for use during the regular deer season only. Last year, hunters across the state used DMAP permits to kill 7,994 antlerless deer.More changes are under review, including:A new opening day: The bulk of New York's annual deer kill occurs during the Southern Zone regular firearms season, which for decades has opened on the first Monday after Nov. 15. The DEC is thinking of starting the hunt on a Saturday, instead."For many, many years we were opposed to that idea because we thought it would bring too many hunters out there at once," Henry said. "Now our best guess is it would bring the opening-day participation up to what it was in 1989, which is where we'd like to be."A Saturday opener would give more school-age hunters an opportunity to be afield, Henry said. It would probably increase the venison harvest, as well, since more than half of the deer killed in a typical New York season are slain on the opening day.A lower hunting age: Under current state law, kids 12 or older can hunt small-game animals with firearms and 14-year-olds can hunt deer with a bow and arrow if a properly licensed parent or guardian tags along; but the minimum age for hunting deer with firearms is 16. Governor George Pataki has proposed lowering the firearms deer-hunting age from 16 to 14."It's controversial in some circles, but New York is the only state in the union that doesn't already allow kids under 16 to hunt deer with firearms," Henry said.Modernized muzzleloaders: Thousands of hunters go afield annually during special black-powder rifle seasons held in both the Northern Zone and Southern Zone hunting areas.The main attraction of those hunts is the chance to use muzzleloading rifles similar to those used by Davy Crockett and other 19th century marksmen. However, Henry said muzzleloader fans could harvest deer more effectively if they were permitted to add modern scopes to vintage rifles."There are a lot of older hunters out there, especially, who could use that extra help," he said.A crossbow season: Crossbows, which date back at least to the 12th century, are short bows mounted on gun stocks. A crossbow is cocked into firing position, then loaded with a single, short arrow, called a bolt. Crossbows are aimed like rifles and trigger-fired.Ohio permits hunters to use crossbows during that state's regular archery season, but New York Bowhunters Inc. has determinedly blocked proposals for a crossbow season in the Empire State. The bowhunter organization argues that crossbows, once introduced, would inevitably lead to shorter bow seasons because they are easier to master and have a longer effective range than long bows."The crossbow is very controversial, but in states where it has been used, it has proven to be an effective way of harvesting more deer," Henry said. "Particularly in areas where the sound of gunfire makes people uneasy."These and other ideas for increasing deer-hunting opportunities will be aired at a series of public meetings in 2002, said Henry."Tentatively, we're planning to start late this winter or early in the spring," he said. "The working title is 'The State of the State's Deer Herd.' The meetings will be like reports to the stockholders, with plenty of opportunities for discussion."