DEC deer management draft now up for public review

ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) - Deer can represent a tremendous force that changes local ecosystems and a new deer management draft from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is now available for public review.

Some ideas in the draft include extending the hours of hunting by an hour as New York is the only state in the nation where it starts and stops at sunrise. The draft looks to provide hunters with increased opportunities to hunt and wildlife biologist Jeremy Hurst explains why the draft is up for revision.

"Communities need to be engaged to work together to address deer numbers. It really requires people to be aware of what deer are doing in their land space. People of course are aware when they hit deer with their cars. But they may be less aware of the long-term impacts deer can have on ecosystems by selectively browsing the most palatable plant species," Hurst said.

The DEC breaks down the state into sections. Two elements come together to determine a plan of action regarding the deer population. The first is what the public wants to change, and the second is what the forests can support.

By and large, the consensus is that the deer population should remain the same across the state, but in a few key areas, DEC says there's a need to reduce numbers.