Public lands are scattered all over this part of the state and deer populations on public land are similar to deer numbers in the rest of the WMU.

Adirondack and central Tug Hill units have lower deer numbers (and lower hunter numbers), while the areas along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River have higher deer populations (and higher hunter numbers).

For more information, call biologist Jim Farquhar at the DEC's Watertown office at (315) 785-2261.

Region 5 hunters bagged 10,615 deer in 2004, one of the few increases over the previous year. However, the total of 10,236 in 2003 was down from more than 15,000 in 2002. This was a significant decline, and while every WMU was down in 2003, a small handful showed improvement in 2004. Those bettering 2003's totals include 5F, 5G, 5H and 5J.

The brutal winter that followed the Northern Zone's 2002 season, particularly in the central Adirondacks, is partially to blame for the lower harvest totals over the past two years. Conditions have been much better since then, so there is reason to be optimistic for a continued rebound in 2005.

TOP NEW YORK COUNTIES BY REGION FOR TOTAL DEER KILL 2004 SEASON
Central/Western
County	2003	2004
Steuben	17,768	11,571
Cattaraugus	15,606	10,658
Allegany	14,680	10,587
Chautauqua	10,626	7,430
Ontario	8,322	6,875
Southeastern
St. Lawrence	9,070	7,476
Jefferson	7,548	6,851
Washington	2,925	2,561
Oneida	4,200	3,078
Herkimer	2,318	2,257
Northern
Orange	7,417	7,215
Dutchess	5,514	6,145
Columbia	5,385	6,145
Ulster	5,452	5,380
Ostego	5,821	4,802

Washington County led the regional whitetail harvest for the last three seasons. In 2004, the total harvest was the best in the region at just under 2,600 deer, or roughly 1.9 deer per square mile. However, in 2002, this county gave up more than 5,700 deer, so the potential is there.

Franklin and Saratoga counties are also good destinations, with harvests averaging around 1,800 to 2,000.

SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK
This area includes WMUs in regions 1, 3 and 4. Hunters in the lower Hudson valley, Catskills and Mohawk valley (DEC regions 3 and 4) and in Suffolk County (Region 1) experienced good harvests in 2004, after better-than-average deer seasons in 2002 and 2003.

Jeff Piel, the principal deer manager in Region 4, said that in some management units the special-season permits for bowhunters and blackpowder hunters introduced three years ago have helped harvest numbers.

In Region 4, Columbia County led the harvest with more than 5,800 deer in 2004, a significant increase over 5,385 the previous year. Otsego and Delaware counties produced over 4,400 deer in 2004.

The total harvest for Region 4 was 25,275 deer, down from 28,981 in 2004.

In Region 3, Orange County led the way with the sixth best harvest in the state in 2004, posting a total of 7,215 deer. Dutchess County was second in the region at 6,145, also in the top 10 in the state. Ulster County was third highest in the region at 5,380, while Sullivan County finished with 3,832 deer, well down from the total of 5,546 in 2003. The 2004 season tally for the region was 25,926.

The 7,100-acre Bear Spring Mountain WMA southeast of Walton is a good place to sample Delaware County's deer potential. Orange County hunters do well at Stewart State Forest near Newburgh and the 10,000-acre West Point Military Reservation.

For details on those spots, contact the DEC's Region 3 office in New Paltz at (845) 256-3161; or Jim Beemer, West Point's wildlife manager, at (845) 938-3857.

Long Island's Suffolk County deer kill last season was 2,014 following one of the best totals ever (2,456 deer) the previous year. Most of the deer taken on Long Island fall to bowhunters during Suffolk County's extended archery season, either on private land or in one of several state and county parks on the island that are open to hunting on a daily or seasonal permit basis.

Hunters may also take a crack at Suffolk County deer during a three-week, weekdays-only firearms season.

For details on Long Island hunting regulations, contact the DEC office at (631) 444-0280.

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FINDING TROPHY BUCKS