According to a press release issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, on January 20th, a Watertown man paid a $700 penalty in the town of Watertown, Jefferson County, for unlawfully taking a white-tailed deer with the aid of a bait pile. [Read more…] about Trail Cam Helps Nab Poacher
whitetail deer
Look for Wildlife Tracks in Winter
Now is a great time to search for winter tracks or other animal signs visible in the snow. It can be fun to be a detective and figure out what animals have been walking through your yard or across a trail. [Read more…] about Look for Wildlife Tracks in Winter
How White-Tailed Deer Cope With Winter
As temperatures drop and snow deepens, you may notice a group of white-tailed deer digging around in an open field or wandering through your yard in search of food. While you may be tempted to feed the deer, they are well adapted to our winter conditions. It is also illegal to feed deer, and it may do more harm than good.
White-tailed deer go through both physical and behavioral changes that improve their survival odds during winter. [Read more…] about How White-Tailed Deer Cope With Winter
Deer Poachers Keep Environmental Conservation Police Busy
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Division of Law Enforcement enforces the 71 chapters of New York State’s Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York.
What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs). [Read more…] about Deer Poachers Keep Environmental Conservation Police Busy
First Confirmed EHD Survivor Reported By DEC
During the late summer and early fall, an outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) led to the death of a significant number of whitetail deer in parts of New York State.
On Nov. 2, Environmental Conservation Officer Palmateer received information from a Catskill, Greene County, NY family about a youth hunter who shot a buck with bow and arrow a buck that had deformities on its hooves. The family reported that it looked like the hooves were starting to detach from the deer. [Read more…] about First Confirmed EHD Survivor Reported By DEC
How Old Is That Deer?
By passing up shots on yearling bucks (1.5 years old), hunters improve their odds of seeing older-age, larger bucks in the years to come.
Though antlers can be helpful to distinguish young bucks, sometimes antlers can be misleading. Body characteristics are also very important. [Read more…] about How Old Is That Deer?
Whitetail Bucks With Locked Antlers Rescued
According to a press release issued by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, on September 24th, Environmental Conservation Officer Godson received a report of two whitetail deer with locked antlers on Gillette Road in the town of Barre, Orleans County. [Read more…] about Whitetail Bucks With Locked Antlers Rescued
Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Has Spread Widely in NYS
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has confirmed Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in whitetail deer Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Nassau, Oswego, Suffolk, and Ulster counties.
DEC is also tracking suspected cases in Albany, Jefferson, Oneida, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Sullivan, and Westchester counties plus new reports of dead deer to track the spread and estimate the number of deer succumbing to this disease. To date, DEC has received reports of approximately 700 dead deer. [Read more…] about Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Has Spread Widely in NYS
Whitetail Fawns And Their Adorable Spots
I have often been stopped in my tracks by the sight of a white-tailed doe standing in the lush summer grass. Depending on the sun’s slant, the animal’s coat is a rich shade of rusty brown or burnt orange. More delightful still is the sight of a fawn, reddish brown with scattered white dots. Deer are not the only creatures that start out spotted, but their speckled young may be among the prettiest that do. [Read more…] about Whitetail Fawns And Their Adorable Spots
Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Confirmed in Ulster County Deer
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has confirmed that two whitetail deer in the town of Esopus, Ulster County, died after contracting Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). DEC is currently following up on reports of several other dead deer in Dutchess, Ulster, and Westchester counties. [Read more…] about Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Confirmed in Ulster County Deer