Hunters harvested 4,000 deer in Orleans County in 2017
Rifles allowed for first time in 2017 for big game hunting in Orleans
File photo by Tom Rivers: These deer are pictured on Nov. 20, 2014 when they were close to the road on the west side of Route 279 in Gaines, just south of Route 104.
Hunters in Orleans County harvested 3,949 deer in 2017, which was up from 3,586 in 2016, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
This past big game hunting season between November 15 and December 7 was the first time hunters could legally use rifles for deer and bear hunting, after votes of support from the County Legislature and State Legislature.
In Orleans the harvested deer breakdown by town for 2017 includes:
Albion – 311
Barre – 695
Carlton – 324
Clarendon – 425
Gaines – 271
Kendall – 203
Murray – 366
Ridgeway – 506
Shelby – 503
Yates – 345
The DEC released a report today on deer harvested in 2017. There were 203,427 deer harvested in the state last year, which is down from the 213,061 in 2016. The 203,427 includes 107,804 adult males and 15,805 male fawns, as well as 67,702 adult females and 12,116 female fawns.
The 2017 estimated deer take includes 95,623 antlerless deer and 107,804 antlered bucks, an estimated five percent fewer deer than the previous year. Statewide, this represents a 10-percent decline in antlerless harvest and a buck harvest nearly identical to 2016.
The decline in antlerless harvest occurred despite DEC issuing more antlerless permits last season. DEC wildlife biologists have noted two important and encouraging items that emerged from the 2017 deer harvest. First, with 53.3 percent of the adult buck harvest averaging 2.5 years or older, hunters took an estimated 57,494 older bucks, setting a record in total number and greatest percentage of older bucks in the harvest.
“This is great news for New York hunters,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “Many hunters are choosing to voluntarily Let Young Bucks Go and Watch Them Grow, and all hunters are now having greater opportunity to see and take older, larger bucks.”
State-wide the most deer ever harvested in a year happened in 2002 with 308,216. There were 230,100 deer harvested n 2010, 295,859 in 2000, 190,810 in 1990, 136,255 in 1980, 65,013 in 1970 and 45,755 in 1960.
Click here to see the full report on 2017.
