GENOA - Because white-tailed deer can be destructive to landowners and farmers who make their living from the land, area residents are getting some expert advice on how the herds can be controlled.
Deer find their meals in the homeowners' gardens and trees, and they especially enjoy the various crops grown by farmers.
It is for this reason that many agricultural occupations are negatively effected by the overgrowth of the deer population.
“The deer will feed on different crops at different times of the year,” said third-generation farmer John Grover during the final stage of a workshop about the impact that deer have on area woodlands and agricultural areas, Saturday morning in Genoa. “It is hard to say how much crop is lost each year due to the deer.
The workshop was a three-part series hosted by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County, and included specialists in the field from Cornell University, the state Department of Conservation, and Cornell Cooperative Extension educators.
In the first two parts of the workshop, individuals learned about the adverse effects that deer can play in the environment and how to gain control of the populations.
“It is the landowners and the farmers who seem to be impacted the most by these deer populations,” said Cornell Cooperative Extension Environmental Educator Renee Jensen. “The negative impact in the potential ruin to crops and trees. In the workshops we have explored the various ways to help maintain the populations and deter the deer from the crops.”
Grover, who farms more that 800 acres and also has more than 100 acres of woodland, volunteered his property for the workshops field walk.
“It is so much different when you are out there seeing the damage from the deer than it is talking about it in a classroom setting,” he said.
According to Grover, the deer don't seem to do as much damage to his wheat and hay crops as they do to his soybean and corn crops.
In an attempt to ward off some of the potential damage caused by the deer, Grover said that he sometimes changes the placement of his crops from year to year.
“I will often rotate the crops around the wheat and hay where the deer don't cause as much damage.” he said.
According to David Riehlman, senior wildlife biologist for Region 7 with the DEC, deer hunting is the most effective - and virtually the only way - to control the deer populations in a rural area.
“The hunting of the doe is the key to controlling the population,” he said.
Riehlman said that the DEC will adjust the number of doe hunting permits given out based on that seasons populations. He also said that special permits can be obtained by homeowners and farmers based on the doe populations that are on their property.
This program is called the Deer Management Assistance Program and a special program for site specific deer management efforts.
There are specific requirements for these special deer management permits which can be obtained through the DEC regional office. Although, he did say that in a suburban or urban area where hunting is not an option, fertility control and other control methods is used to control the deer populations.
To learn more
For more information on controlling deer herds, contact the DEC Region 7 Wildlife Office at (607) 753-3095 or visit dec.state.ny.us
Deer find their meals in the homeowners' gardens and trees, and they especially enjoy the various crops grown by farmers.
It is for this reason that many agricultural occupations are negatively effected by the overgrowth of the deer population.
“The deer will feed on different crops at different times of the year,” said third-generation farmer John Grover during the final stage of a workshop about the impact that deer have on area woodlands and agricultural areas, Saturday morning in Genoa. “It is hard to say how much crop is lost each year due to the deer.
The workshop was a three-part series hosted by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County, and included specialists in the field from Cornell University, the state Department of Conservation, and Cornell Cooperative Extension educators.
In the first two parts of the workshop, individuals learned about the adverse effects that deer can play in the environment and how to gain control of the populations.
“It is the landowners and the farmers who seem to be impacted the most by these deer populations,” said Cornell Cooperative Extension Environmental Educator Renee Jensen. “The negative impact in the potential ruin to crops and trees. In the workshops we have explored the various ways to help maintain the populations and deter the deer from the crops.”
Grover, who farms more that 800 acres and also has more than 100 acres of woodland, volunteered his property for the workshops field walk.
“It is so much different when you are out there seeing the damage from the deer than it is talking about it in a classroom setting,” he said.
According to Grover, the deer don't seem to do as much damage to his wheat and hay crops as they do to his soybean and corn crops.
In an attempt to ward off some of the potential damage caused by the deer, Grover said that he sometimes changes the placement of his crops from year to year.
“I will often rotate the crops around the wheat and hay where the deer don't cause as much damage.” he said.
According to David Riehlman, senior wildlife biologist for Region 7 with the DEC, deer hunting is the most effective - and virtually the only way - to control the deer populations in a rural area.
“The hunting of the doe is the key to controlling the population,” he said.
Riehlman said that the DEC will adjust the number of doe hunting permits given out based on that seasons populations. He also said that special permits can be obtained by homeowners and farmers based on the doe populations that are on their property.
This program is called the Deer Management Assistance Program and a special program for site specific deer management efforts.
There are specific requirements for these special deer management permits which can be obtained through the DEC regional office. Although, he did say that in a suburban or urban area where hunting is not an option, fertility control and other control methods is used to control the deer populations.
To learn more
For more information on controlling deer herds, contact the DEC Region 7 Wildlife Office at (607) 753-3095 or visit dec.state.ny.us
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