WHALEN MEMORIAL STATE FOREST
Immediately to the north is Whalen Memorial State Forest. Follow Eggleston Hill Road from Wall Street Road. This unit has an area of 1,325 acres. The surrounding area is glaciated farmland and reverting farmland, with some of the best deer habitat in the state.

ALLEGHENY STATE PARK
Perhaps the best place in western New York to hunt for older big-woods bucks is at Allegany State Park. This big park gets a lot of hunting pressure, but the distance between roads leaves plenty of room for deer to escape hunters. In places, four miles separate roads, and few hunters wander more than one-half mile from access roads.

This is primarily hardwood forest. Mixed in are conifer plantations, overgrown farms, hemlock clusters and thick brush. Apple trees will attract deer as long as the apples are in good supply. (Deer will even dig down through snow to reach them.) In good mast years, look for oaks.

Veteran Allegany State Park deer hunters have been complaining about lower deer numbers. But this is the case just about everywhere in the state. A lot of big bucks are hidden in this 65,000-acre park.

Within the park is the highest land in western New York, and it gets some serious lake-effect snowstorms. Also, weather conditions are highly variable during the first half of December. Be prepared for temperatures well below those than in the surrounding region.

One of the attractions of an Allegany State Park deer hunt is staying in one of the park's many rental cabins. Reservations must be made well in advance during the most popular times to visit the park. For information, contact the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Allegany Region, Salamanca, NY 14779; or phone (716) 354-2182. For reservations, phone 1-800-456-2267.

Allegany State Park is in Cattaraugus County between Interstate Route 86 and the Pennsylvania border. Two exits into the park are well marked.

GREAT LAKES PLAIN
One area Hurst pointed out as still having more deer than desirable is the GreatLakes Plain, specifically the area from Niagara County eastward to Seneca County.

The Great Lakes Plain is flat to gently rolling terrain, with rich soils and plenty of agriculture. Hunters will find a large public block at the Tonawanda and Oak Orchard wildlife management areas, two state lands on either side of the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. Combined, these three public lands cover nearly 19,000 acres.

Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area is between Lockport and Batavia along state Route 11 in Niagara and Genesee counties. The area is about 5,600 acres.

Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area is north along state Route 9 from Oakfield in Genesee County. It covers about 2,500 acres.

The Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge consists of 10,818 acres of freshwater marshes and hardwood swamps bordered by woods, forests, pastures and wet meadows. It features flat terrain surrounded by farmland.

To get there from I-90 (the Thruway), take Exit 48-A and then turn left (north) onto state Route 77 toward Medina and Indian Falls. Turn left onto Casey Road and watch for a green and white sign for the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge headquarters at the intersection. The refuge headquarters building is a mile ahead, on the right.

Special rules apply at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. For example, deer and small-game hunters must register and carry a special refuge-hunting permit while hunting. Permit cards must be picked up daily from self-service kiosks at various locations around the refuge. Portable tree stands may be used, but must be removed each day. Be sure to read the refuge's General Usage Guidelines and the General Hunting Guidelines.