Deer Season So Far:
Hunters Are Happy
By Sandy Vondrasek

Hunting conditions are "very good right now," thanks to this week’s snow, according to Fish & Wildlife Warden Keith Gallant.

Gallant and several deer reporting stations told The Herald yesterday that they expect that local deer kill numbers, already well over last year’s, will swell by Sunday, the end of the Nov. 10-25 rifle season.

"There is a lot of excitement (among hunters) for the quality of deer being taken, and the health of deer seems to be excellent," Gallant said.

Jim Fiske at Tracy’s Midway Station in Sharon echoed that report, noting that deer reports surpassed last year’s total of 55 on the fourth day of this year’s season.

"Right now, we’re at 67, and weights are up," he said.

"The highest has been 182, and the smallest still over 105, with most weights around 150," he said, adding, "Hunters seem to be happy, and with this snow, they should be."

Don Stewart, manager at Locust Creek Outfitters in Bethel, said the count is "up a little bit from last year," with the biggest buck, to date, an eight-pointer weighing 204 pounds.

Gene Booska, of Snowsville General Store reported that his count and deer sizes were both slightly higher.

"I think the spikehorn thing is working," he said.

In 2005, the F&W Department impose a ban on taken spikehorn deer, which had traditionally accounted for about one-quarter of the annual deer kill. The ban should increase the average weight and health of the deer herd, it was believed.

Booska said some hunters report fewer deer in the higher elevations, and more to be found lower, sometimes literally in back yards.

Booska believes the problem is less timber and firewood cutting on the hills, and therefore less scrubby browse for the deer.

"The deer are coming down lower," he said.

Enforcement Report

While the huge majority of the deer taken so far this rifle season have been legal, Game Warden Gallant has been busy with enforcement activities.

To date, one person has been cited to court for taking a deer at night, or so-called "deer jacking," and there have been two cases of "shooting from the road."

There have been some problems, as well, related to hunters shooting illegal—antlerless or spikehorn deer—this season.

The only legal deer is an antlered buck, Gallant explained, and at least one of the animal’s antlers must have a fork with a point of at least one-inch long.

Three dead spikehorns have been found left in the woods, or by the roadside, he said, and so far four hunters turned themselves in for having accidentally shot an illegal deer.

This week, Gallant commended those hunters for being "true hunters and people with integrity, going out of their way, after they had done something wrong."

Last year, although a number of dead spikehorns were found in the area by hunters or by F&W personnel, only one hunter turned himself in.

Although Gallant is happy about the increase in honesty and self-reporting, he is concerned that so many hunters are shooting illegal deer.

"Before you do shoot, you have to verify it is an antlered buck, and then that it’s a legal antler—and that does take a little extra time," he said.

Those honest hunters who "made a momentary mistake" do get cited to court for taking an illegal deer, but if they have a clean record, Gallant noted, their cases generally don’t end up in court. "Typically, they go to diversion, or an alternative agreement, and there is no conviction on record," he said.

Those alternative agreements, he explained, generally involve "some restitution, or corrective action, perhaps a donation to a fish and game club."

"They don’t lose their license, unless there is a history of some sort," the game warden added.

The law is less forgiving for those caught by the wardens for taking an illegal deer. According to Gallant, consequences include loss of a hunting license for up to three years, and a fine of up to $1000.

Hunters, deer and game wardens will get a one-week "rest" between the end of rifle season Nov. 25, and the beginning of muzzleloader season, and the second part of the archery season, Dec. 1.