I recently received an email from the President of the NYS QDMA that outlined certain facts supported by compiled data from New York and around the country. The information was very interesting so I thought I'd share it with you.

Please feel free to voice your support for the state DEC to adopt more of the QDM principles into their management plan in general. The DEC will be holding public meetings over the next few weeks and you may want to bring some of these points to their attention.

You will also find a few of the top issues that were voiced by members around the state. Remember, we are not saying that you have to use this input but merely suggesting that if you would like to, please feel free.

These are simply a few topics and accurate stat's.

• Implementing some sort of protection of yearling bucks.

• Currently New York's statewide average annual deer harvest is comprised of 63% yearlings.

• New York ranks as the worst in the nation for the harvesting of yearling bucks.

• Our buck age structure is seriously out of balance due to outdated management principles.

• Rutting activity suffers as a result.

• Every survey to date (Both scientific and non scientific) shows that a majority of sportsmen in New York want yearling buck protection. Cornell HDRU, DEC, Tiger20Survey, NYSCC.

• A recent DEC survey in Southern NY showed that 67% of sportsmen supported Antler restrictions while only 20% were strongly opposed.

• According to a Cornell HDRU statewide survey in 2007, 75% of hunters said that there were too few older bucks for them to be satisfied.

• Some WMU's in NY have yearling harvest rates as high as 79%!!!!!! (Unacceptable)

• Satisfaction equals retention and recruitment. While hunter numbers around the nation are falling, states with a progressive and modern deer management plan in place show a slower decline than those without.

• New York is currently surrounded by states that have yearling buck protection. PA, VT and even NJ where they are preparing to expand their program.

• Currently 21 other states around the country have some form of successful yearling buck protection and that number is climbing.

• 78% of all hunters hunt deer. "Responsive management deer survey"

• Deer hunting is the number one driving force for economic impacts in the realm of conservation. It dominates the hunting industry with 50% of the marketplace being directed towards deer hunting.