New York sees drop in deer harvest
May 28—Hunters in New York harvested an estimated 211,269 deer during the 2021-22 hunting seasons, according to reports from the state Department of Environmental Conservation
The season's harvest was down 17% from the year before and data points to a few factors for a cause, including the resurgence of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease in certain regions of the state and fewer Deer Management Permits allocated.
Bright spots included a 36-percent jump in youth deer harvests and a late-season deer harvest increase, particularly among young hunters.
"DEC's committed efforts to create new and exciting opportunities for young and seasoned hunters alike continue to enhance New York's world-class hunting opportunities," Commissioner Basil Seggos said. "Our pilot program for youth hunters, early antlerless season, new Holiday Hunt, and longer daily hunting hours all enhanced opportunities for New York's hunters to safely and successfully advance the State's conservation management efforts and we look forward to continuing these important efforts to grow the next generation of ethical hunters."
The 2021 estimated deer take included 110,839 antlered bucks and 100,430 antlerless deer. Statewide, this represents a 5% decrease in antlered buck harvest and a 25% decrease in antlerless harvest from the last season. In part, the decline in antlerless harvest was due to reduced allocation of Deer Management Permits and a natural correction from 2020 when antlerless harvests increased substantially (30%) from 2019. In addition, hunting success appears to have declined in portions of the Hudson Valley, Long Island, and near the eastern shore of Lake Ontario most heavily impacted by Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in 2021.
Hunters still took advantage of several new opportunities afforded to them last year. First, DEC implemented a mid-September antlerless-only season in certain Wildlife Management Units where additional antlerless harvest was needed. This change, formally adopted just days before the season opened, resulting in hunters taking nearly 2,000 deer.
Also in 2021, State lawmakers established a pilot program allowing young hunters, aged 12-13, to hunt deer with a firearm in counties that passed a local law to participate. Fifty-two counties opted in, resulting in a 47-percent increase (17,346) in young hunters licensed to hunt during the special Youth Deer Hunt and a 36% jump in harvests.
As always, DEC continues to promote hunter safety when afield. The 2021 hunting seasons in New York were the safest ever, with the lowest number of hunting-related shooting incidents since record-keeping began.
Across the state, hunters continued to voluntarily pass up young bucks, and approximately 60% of the antlered bucks harvested were 2.5 years old or older. The goal of DEC's Let Young Bucks Go and Watch Them Grow campaign is to preserve hunter freedom of choice while advancing the age structure of harvested bucks, predominantly into the 2.5-year-old age class, and DEC is seeing that happen.
Notable numbers:
—47% — Portion of successful deer hunters that reported their harvest as required by law. This is down from 52 percent in 2019 but up slightly from 2020.
—13,343 — Number of hunter-harvested deer checked by DEC staff in 2020 to determine hunter reporting rate and collect biological data (e.g., age, sex, antler data).
—4% — Proportion of New York hunters who are non-residents, and the highest percentage on record
—2,713 — Deer tested for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in 2021-22; none tested positive. DEC tested 60,175 deer for CWD since 2002.
Deer harvest data are gathered from two main sources: harvest reports required of all successful hunters and DEC's examination of harvested deer at meat processors and check stations across the state. Harvest estimates are made by cross-referencing these two data sources and calculating the total harvest from the reporting rate for each zone and tag type.
