NEW
YORK WHITETAIL DEER
HUNTING FORECAST
WMU 1C
Buck Take Objective = none
Area = 903 square miles
The 2004 deer season in Suffolk County showed
a noticeable decline in the number of deer harvested
from the record harvest in 2003. The 2,014 deer
harvested this past hunting season is 442 less
than the record of 2,456 set a year ago, or an
8% decrease in the number of deer taken. Deer
checked by staff at the Regional Check Stations
showed that the average weight of deer in the
11⁄2 yr old class in the 2004 season was
approximately 2 pounds lighter than deer of the
same age class in the 2003 season. This reduction
in the average weight can be attributed in part
to the poor acorn crop in the fall of 2004. Weather
conditions were also a factor in the reduced harvest.
The winter of 2003-04 produced a number of heavy
snow falls, accompanied by an extended period
of cold weather, reducing food availability. These
factors have contributed to a reduction in recruitment
of deer this season.
Whitetail deer hunters should expect to see a
continuation of the recent trend of fewer deer
harvested during the 2005 hunting season. A season
of poor acorn crop combined with the second highest
snow fall on record in Suffolk County created
harder than normal conditions for the deer during
the 2004-05 winter. This spring three animals
were sent to the pathology lab for testing, with
all animals being diagnosed as winter related
mortalities. Additionally, fewer fawns than normal
have been seen by Department staff this spring.
Deer hunters in Suffolk County could see greater
movement of deer in the upcoming season due to
poor acorn production. Whenever deer become more
active in their search for food, sightings and
opportunities to harvest deer during the season
should increase for the hunters. This coupled
with hopefully favorable weather conditions, should
allow hunters more time in the woods in their
pursuit of harvesting deer. The archery season
opens on October 1st and runs for three months,
ending on December 31st.
(to
read more on the forecast of
New York Whitetail deer hunting click here)
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