The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) manages deer populations through actions that encourage or limit harvest of female deer. This is accomplished by adjusting hunting seasons and/or the number of deer management permits (DMPs) available to hunters in each wildlife management unit (WMU). However, in some areas, hunters are not harvesting enough female deer to manage deer populations effectively. To identify potential mechanisms to increase harvest of female deer, DEC is working with Cornell University’s Center for Conservation Social Sciences to understand the factors that influence hunters’ willingness and ability to harvest antlerless deer. Focus group discussions with several hunter stakeholder groups earlier this year helped inform the topics and strategies that DEC is now exploring through a broader survey of hunters.
Beginning Oct. 11 the survey will be sent to 4,050 randomly selected New York deer hunters over the age of 18. Selected hunters will either receive a hard copy of the survey in the mail or an electronic version of the survey via email. A prenotification postcard from Cornell was sent to half of selected hunters Oct. 4, encouraging them to keep an eye out for the survey in their incoming mail/email. The success of the project depends on the generous participation of hunters, and DEC encourages hunters who receive the survey to complete and return it even if you do not hunt antlerless deer. Survey responses will be analyzed after the 2023-24 deer hunting season, and a summary report of the project will be available on the DEC website in 2024. DEC does not anticipate any potential changes to hunting regulations, if appropriate, to take effect until the fall of 2025.
Hunters play a critical role in helping keep deer populations in balance with available habitat and at levels that are socially acceptable. Help steward New York’s deer herd by harvesting at least one antlerless deer this hunting season and reporting all of your deer harvests.
