To learn more about DEC's buck management decision process and outcomes, see: Over time, as more and more hunters in the broader region opt to pass on young bucks voluntarily, it may be appropriate to lift the restrictions. This program will continue as DEC encourages hunters elsewhere to practice voluntary restraint. Antler Point Restriction in NY Mandatory Antler Restriction ProgramĭEC does have mandatory antler point restrictions in 11 Wildlife Management Units in southeastern New York.
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For more information see PDF links below. Encouraging hunters to voluntarily pass up shots at young bucks best balances hunter interests across the state and is now our management direction. Based on that study, DEC concluded that regulatory changes are not appropriate or most compatible with hunter values.
mandatory antler point restrictions, 1-buck-per-hunter rule, shorter season, voluntary restraint) in a way that accounted for regional variation in hunter values and the impacts on harvest, population management, and hunter satisfaction. DEC worked with experts at Cornell University to evaluate various buck hunting strategies (e.g. New York hunters have divided opinions about buck hunting and many greatly value having the freedom to choose what type of buck to harvest. This could be accomplished through a variety of regulatory and non-regulatory approaches. In recent years, some hunters have expressed strong interest in increasing the number of older, larger-antlered bucks in our deer population. The picture is clear when hunters choose to let young bucks go, they do grow - with antlers nearly doubling in size from 1.5 to 2.5 years of age.Įvaluation of Other Buck Management Options
To help hunters better understand what buck populations look like in New York and have realistic expectations of what they might encounter afield, in 20 DEC collected additional antler measurements from 2,176 bucks across the state.
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While many hunters want the opportunity to take bigger bucks, the bucks frequently shown in magazines, on TV shows, and on hunting-related products are rare in the wild. Have Realistic Expectations of Bucks in New York See DEC's Guide to Aging Deer in New York (PDF). Spread almost as wide as ear tips on 2.5-year-old, wider if olderĪfter the shot, check out the teeth of your deer to see whether it is a yearling or older buck. (Photo courtesy of the National Deer Association) These bucks from Washington County, NY demonstrate typical age-related differences in body size and antler growth.
Many New York hunters are already choosing to pass up young bucks. These bucks create more rubs and scrapes and vocalize more - all things that add to the hunting experience.Īs more hunters choose to pass young bucks, all hunters will enjoy the opportunity to see and take more older bucks.
Older bucks are more challenging to hunt and yield more meat for the successful hunter. You Can Change Your Deer Hunting Experienceįor NY bucks to get bigger bodies and larger antlers, they simply need to get older. Hunters can continue to push the harvest ratio solidly toward older bucks simply by choosing to Let Young Bucks Go and Watch Them Grow. But the good news is that this is changing and hunters are now taking more older buck than ever before. The primary reason New York doesn't have more older, larger-antlered bucks in the harvest is because many get taken as yearlings. Yearling bucks generally weigh about 20% less and have 50% smaller antlers than they would as a 2.5-year-old. Let Young Bucks Go and Watch Them Grow!Įvery year, tens of thousands of NY hunters enjoy the opportunity to bring home a handsome 2.5-year or older buck, while about half of the antlered bucks taken in NY are only 1.5 years old (yearlings).
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