Earn-a-second buck reg coming to New York? DEC proposals seek more antlerless kill

Albany — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says roughly 13% of the state’s white-tailed deer hunters harvest one or more antlerless deer each year. Only 3% take two or more antlerless deer.

They also want to see these numbers increase and claim the opportunities are there to do so. Therefore, DEC recently put forth a package of proposed regulation changes to help make it happen.

At the forefront is a statewide “earn-a-second buck” system that would require hunters to harvest at least one antlerless deer, and report it, before acquiring a tag to take a second antlered deer. This would apply to all deer hunters, not just those who purchase their archery and/or muzzleloading privileges.

DEC is also proposing to add 10 more Wildlife Management Units to the existing 13 that currently offer an early 9-day antlerless-only rifle season in September. Another proposal would allow hunters to simultaneously apply for two Deer Management Permits in WMUs without a quota and also two DMPs in WMUs with a quota through the typical lottery process.

Hunters would also be allowed to have an unlimited number of DMPs transferred to them, rather than the current regulation of two.

All of these proposals, DEC biologist Brendan Quirion says, are an effort to encourage, and in some cases, incentivize New York’s deer hunters to take more antlerless deer.

“For a decade now, DEC has been observing an increase in the deer population in many areas of the state that is not in alignment with our deer population objectives,” Quirion said. “This is causing a variety of issues, not only increasing deer vehicle collisions and agricultural damage and impacts to forest regeneration, but also to the deer themselves.”

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Quirion said the agency is seeing declines in the antler beam diameter of bucks in some parts of the state, which he said indicates there is not enough food for the local deer herd.

“In response to that, over that period of time, we’ve been increasing the number of DMPs available to hunters in those areas,” he said. “We’ve been expanding seasons through that early September season in those areas. And it’s still been insufficient to increase antlerless harvest to a level that would let us achieve deer population objectives.

“So we’re to the point now where we need really new tools to achieve those objectives,” he continued. “And that’s why you’re seeing these new regulations being proposed.”

Three primary objectives

The proposed regulations seek to accomplish three things, Quirion said, the first being the removal of barriers to access DMPs. Thus, the proposal to expand the number of WMUs that have unlimited DMPs and to allow unlimited transfer of DMPs among hunters.

Next, the agency seeks to increase the opportunity for hunters to fill antlerless permits.

“This is why you’re seeing a proposal that would expand that early September season for antlerless deer to additional Wildlife Management Units,” Quirion said.

DMP expansion was included in the most recent edition of the State Register, and also addressed in a Q/A document related to the proposals that is posted on DEC’s website. One option that was considered was a January hunting season, but non-hunting groups such as snowmobilers had to be taken into account.

DEC said these, and other proposals, were the result of a structured decision-making process that included five different focus group discussions, followed by a statewide survey of hunters.

Earn-a-second buck

As for the harvesting of bucks, many hunters in New York desire going back to a one-buck-per-year format, but Quirion said the decision-making process found that such a system would not encourage antlerless deer harvesting, which is the main objective of the proposals.

“We did survey hunters on that particular alternative,” Quirion said of a one-buck-only proposal. “What we found is that hunters did not think that it would have increased their antlerless deer harvest. So obviously that’s counter to our primary objective here in increasing antlerless harvest, and that’s why it was not identified as one of the strategies we want to move forward with.”

Enter the earn-a-second- buck tag option.

For the past few decades archery and muzzleloading hunters received at least one extra tag that could be used on either a buck or doe during the respective seasons. Those with both privileges also got an additional antlerless tag.

Under the new proposal, DEC would reclassify the Bow/Muzzleloader Either-Sex Deer Tag as a Bow/Muzzleloader Antlerless Deer Tag. Those who purchase the bowhunting and muzzleloader privileges would receive a Bow/Muzzleloader Antlerless Deer Tag for each privilege.

Hunters who harvest and report an antlerless deer on any eligible antlerless deer tag, including Deer Management Assistance Program tags, will receive a second antlered deer tag which can be used during all deer seasons with appropriate license privileges. This includes the option to harvest two bucks during the regular (rifle/shotgun) seasons should the hunter qualify by previously taking an antlerless deer.

“This would remove one of those buck tags from that initial issuance, and hunters would have to earn it – that second buck tag – by harvesting an antlerless deer,” Quirion said.

Quirion acknowledged that the earn-a-second-buck proposal could prove challenging to hunters in areas where deer densities are low, especially those hunters who shoot a buck towards the end of an early archery or muzzleloading season (zone pending) just prior to the regular season opener.

“We certainly realize that there’s not equal opportunity to harvest antlerless deer throughout the state for a variety of reasons. But we also realize that increased antlerless harvest isn’t absolutely necessary in every area of the state,” Quirion said. “We want to see hunters that have limited ability to harvest an antlerless deer where they currently are be willing to go to those areas where it’s more needed and harvest an antlerless deer there. It’s really an attempt to target and focus hunter effort in those areas where it’s most needed, and we hope hunters will do that.”

There will be no fee increases associated with the additional number of DMPs available. Also, Quirion indicated that the evolvement of the HuntFishNY app and e-tags simplify the process of issuing all tags, which can also be immediately emailed upon reporting of an antlerless deer take.

A chance for public to comment

One other item in the recent proposals is a for broadheads with blades that appear barbed, but freely swing forward to a non-barbed position upon withdrawal of the arrow, to not be considered barbed.

In a separate but related manor, a bill has been introduced to the State Senate (S9462) that would expand the issuance of deer management permits in the Northern Zone. Currently, DMPs are only issued in certain WMUs in Region 6 and DEC needs legislative approval to expand issuance in the Northern Zone.

DEC is accepting public comments on the proposals through May 17. They can be sent via email to: wildliferegs@dec.ny.gov (subject: “Antlerless Deer Hunting”) or by mail to: NYSDEC, Attn: Jeremy Hurst, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754.