History, Natural History & the Arts
Each year, DEC partners with the Venison Donation Coalition and Feeding New York State to help provide food for those in need.
Through a cooperative relationship involving the New York State Department of Health, non-profit organizations like Feeding New York State’s regional food banks and deer processors, hunters contribute nearly 40 tons of venison each year to needy families across the state. [Read more…] about Hunters Can Help Fight Food Insecurity
The 2020-21 regular deer and bear hunting seasons in New York’s Southern Zone begin at sunrise on Saturday, November 21st, and continue through Sunday, December 13th.
The Southern Zone regular season is New York’s most popular hunting season, with participation from about 85 percent of New York’s 550,000 licensed hunters. Animals killed during this hunting season account for nearly 60 percent of the total statewide deer take and 30 to 60 percent of the statewide bear take. [Read more…] about More Deer, Bear Hunting Seasons Begin This Weekend
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released a proposal to potentially expand deer hunting opportunities in the Southern Zone in the future. The proposed regulations would create additional bowhunting and muzzleloader hunting opportunities from Dec. 26 through Jan.1, and would only apply to New York’s Southern Zone. [Read more…] about DEC Proposes Expanded Deer Hunting for Southern Zone
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has confirmed that several white-tailed deer in the towns of Nelsonville and Cold Spring in Putnam County, and near Goshen in Orange County, died after contracting Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD).
EHD is a viral disease of white-tailed deer that cannot be contracted by humans. [Read more…] about Viral Deer Disease Confirmed in Putnam, Orange Counties
Every year, DEC wildlife biologists compile Deer Season Forecasts for each Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) which help hunters plan hunts and keep up with what is happening with deer hunting in their area. [Read more…] about What’s Happening with the Deer Population in Your Area?
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has reminded New Yorkers to appreciate wildlife from a safe distance and resist the urge to touch or pick up newborn fawns and other young wildlife.
Human contact with wildlife can carry unintended consequences detrimental to the creatures people intend to help. [Read more…] about Leave Wildlife Alone: If You Care, Leave It There
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced hunters in New York killed an estimated 224,190 deer during the 2019-20 hunting seasons. [Read more…] about 2019-20 Deer Hunting Statistics Released
Hundreds of years ago, haunting bugle-like calls echoed through these hills and valleys. The sounds were made by bull elk to attract mates and fend off rivals.
Elk in the Northeast? Yes, elk were once the most widely distributed of North American hoofed mammals. Millions roamed over much of the U.S. and Canada. Adaptable to a variety of habitats, elk were found in the Adirondacks, and in most ecosystems except the tundra, deserts, and the Gulf Coast. [Read more…] about Remembering Elk, Once A Northeast Native