Interview: DEC Region Six Wildlife Biologist Steven Heerkens talks local White-tailed Deer population

The White-tailed Deer herd in the North Country is doing well and hunters should expect a plentiful selection of targets while afield this season, according to DEC Region Six Wildlife Biologist Steven Heerkens.

With that being said, Biologist Heerkens says there are not enough hunters taking advantage of antler-less deer opportunities.

"All across the Northeast, the mid-Atlantic States, the Great Lakes States, all of those states are struggling with increasing deer populations and hunters either not willing or not trying to take antler-less deer," he told us.

"And while, you know, bucks are great and everybody like a big buck and we all like antlers, we have a lot of antler-less deer that need to be taken and there are places in the state and some places in Region Six as well where hunters are just not taking enough." 

Listen to our latest on-air segment for more remarks from Heerkens:

Established statewide, the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is New York's most popular game animal. Residents and visitors to the state derive countless hours of enjoyment from the white-tailed deer resource.

Each year, more than 500,000 deer hunters contribute nearly $1.5 billion to New York State's economy through hunting-related expenses, the DEC says.

Through license purchases and federal excise taxes, hunters generate over $35 million to support management activities of NYSDEC.

Hunters take some 220,000 deer annually, filling freezers with roughly 10.8 million pounds of high quality local venison.

Largely due to efforts of more than 3,000 volunteer Hunter Education instructors, hunters continue to demonstrate exceptional safety records.

As a large herbivore, deer also play a role in shaping the landscape. Oftentimes, this can compete with human interests.

According to the DEC, abundant deer populations can negatively affect plant communities and the other wildlife dependent on those communities.

Deer can also cause problems for farmers, tree growers and homeowners. Additionally, they are a frequent hazard to motorists.

Deer management seeks to maximize the benefits of this resource while being mindful of the human and ecological concerns associated with abundant deer populations.

NYS DEC image.