In 2006, the kill dwindled to 2,864 deer, or less than 50 percent of the 2004 total.

Delaware County dropped 36 percent, from 4,437 in 2004 to 2,838 in 2005. However, it rebounded to 3,323 in 2006.

Otsego County led the region with a harvest of 4,454 deer, about the same as the 2005 total of 4,420 whitetails.

These three counties have led the region's total take in each of the last five seasons. All experienced reduced similar harvests in 2006, except for Albany and Rensselaer, both of which were down by about 20 percent.

The total harvest for Region 4 was 19,390 deer, down from 20,449 deer in 2005 and 25,275 in 2004.

In Region 3, Orange County led the way with a total of 5,974 deer, the seventh-best harvest in the state in 2006, up from 5,822 in 2005.

Dutchess County was second in the region at 3,780, well down from 4,472 in 2005. Sullivan was third highest in the region, at 3,250 deer.

The 2006 season tallies for the region were 19,210 deer, down for 19,574 in 2005 and well down from 25,926 in 2004.

New York's pilot antler restriction program began in 2005 in WMUs 3C and 3J, located primarily in Ulster County, and was expanded in 2006 to include WMUs 3H and 3K, primarily in Sullivan County. The restriction stipulates that to be legal, bucks taken in WMUs 3C, 3H, 3J and 3K have at least one antler with three points at least one inch in length.

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

Hunts are very carefully regulated on Long Island's Suffolk County, but hunters are often rewarded for their efforts. Last season's kill of 2,357 deer was up -- from 2,076 in 2005 and 2,014 in 2004.

Most of the deer taken on Long Island fall to bowhunters during Suffolk County's extended archery season, either on private lands or in one of the island's several state and county parks 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's office at (631) 444-0280.