Syracuse.com - Special deer hunting season underway in Tompkins County to reduce herd size

HuntingNY-News · January 15, 2014

Registered hunters are authorized to shoot two antlerless deer per day using a shotgun, muzzleloader, handgun, or bow (if they have bowhunting eligibility).

A special deer hunting season to help control the deer population in and around the city of Ithaca, Tompkins County, opened last Saturday and will continue until Jan. 31.

The Deer Management Focus Area (DMFA) program was initiated in 2012 in the Ithaca area to expand the use of hunting to assist local communities burdened with overabundant deer populations, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The DMFA encompasses 60,000 acres of land in and around the city of Ithaca, including the city and town of Ithaca, the villages of Cayuga Heights and Lansing, and parts of the towns of Danby, Caroline, Dryden, Lansing, Enfield, Newfield and Ulysses.

During the special January season in the DMFA, registered hunters are authorized to shoot two antlerless deer per day using a shotgun, muzzleloader, handgun, or bow (if they have bowhunting eligibility). Hunters must still comply with all state trespassing laws, as well as all applicable local ordinances governing the discharge of firearms.

To participate, hunters must register with the DMFA program and download a permit, carcass tags and a hunting activity log.

Both the DMFA permit and carcass tags must be carried while hunting in the special zone and are valid only within the zone. All hunters must record their deer hunting activity and harvests on the hunting activity log regardless of their success or hunting activity level, and are required to submit the log form to DEC by Feb.7.

Instructions are provided on the permit and log form.

For additional information, including a map of the zone that includes boundaries, a description of available hunting lands, or to register and download a permit, carcass tags and a hunting activity log see the DEC website.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog