From a hunters perspective I'll say that the deer herd, imo, has remained level. Why I say that is, our crew has taken, within 2-3 deer, the same amount of deer each year. That said, I do know that metro areas are becoming overrun with deer. Ithaca NY is an excellent example of this. They have special deer season there (restrictions) to try and control the population. I've read where DEC feels it's working.
DEC has a tough job. Hunting is a dying sport, so with less hunters, and an increase of predators, it's challenging for them to control the herd. That's why we will take out every yote we EVER see in the woods.
It's not only deer, but turkey, too. Here in CNY, in the late 80's into the 90's, we hard world class turkey hunting. I don't haqve any scientific evidence to back up my thoughts, but, here it goes any_A_ways. The farming industry has changed. Now that farmers have gone to spreading liquid manure vs manure, the turkey shave less food. That, along with the improvement of haying (they cut it so close to the ground now, as well as more often), has really taken it's toll on the turkey population here in CNY. Years ago, it was very common to see literally 100's of birds in the fields throughout our valleys. Now, if you see 20-30 it's considered massive. Toss in the predators, and there you have it. Turkeys are the ones really paying the price. Those damn fisher cats really get after them.
Anyone interested in deer, deer hunting, deer movement, deer herd management, should really sign up and follow this blog. It's Penn State Deer - Forest, and it's incredibly informative.
As I have stated before, Spring rocks. Actually, it flowers! That’s one of the reasons I like it so much. So I thought I would share some tidbits about some of the lovely spring ephemerals that grace Pennsylvania forest. With the unofficial start of summer in only a few days, head outside and...
www.deer.psu.edu
