Deer Management at Mohonk Preserve: 2015

Deer Management at Mohonk Preserve:
2015
John Thompson
24 September 2015
Thruway Sporting Goods
Pin Oak Allee by Michael Neil O’Donnell
The Shawangunk Mountains
Our Mission
Mohonk Preserve’s
mission is to protect
the Shawangunk
Mountains region
and inspire people
to care for, enjoy
and explore their
natural world
The northern Shawangunks support:
• 57 state rare species
• 8 state rare ecological communities
• 2nd largest Chestnut Oak Forest in NY
Northern Shawangunks
Ecological Communities
1994
1649 “The wild animals here consist principally of lions
(cougars), but there are few; bear, of which there are
many; elks, a great number of deer…”
New York Colonial Manuscripts
Decline of Deer
• 1875 Deer virtually disappeared from the Catskill area about this time
due to a disastrous man-supporting snow crust and the subsequent
killing of large numbers of deer
-Forest Commission of the State of New York
1896
Deer Paddock
established at
Mohonk
Mountain House
so guests could
see deer
• 1910 Deer Hunting Allowed in Ulster County
• 1917 NYS Conservation Department permit to cull deer in
Mohonk Garden
• 1920 Hunting Season at Mohonk Mountain House Property
February 1951 - 150 deer at Brook Farm
Photo: Daniel Smiley Research Center Archives
Deer Overbrowsing Impacts
• Lack of shrublayer
may decrease food,
cover and nesting
sites for songbirds,
while increasing
predation rates.
• Lack of the
shrublayer increases
light, temperature and
wind speed on the
forest floor while
decreasing humidity.
• Lack of regeneration
of dominant forest
species.
• Lack of wildflowers.
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Decline of Oaks Will Impact Wildlife in Forests
96 bird and mammal species
consume oak mast
“There is an impending crisis in
the decline of important tree
species and the accompanying
loss of wildlife habitat and
ecosystem function in [oak]
forests…”
(McShea et al. 2007)
We’re Losing Our Chestnut Oak Forest
•Our mature oaks are declining
•Very little regeneration of chestnut oak
A holistic approach to promote
regeneration
 Strategic deer management
 Prescribed fire
 Invasive species management
 Thinning the tree canopy
Deer Take: 1990-2014
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Year
2015 Hunting Areas
22
Deer Observed by Zone 2014
250
# of Deer
200
150
100
50
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Zone
7
8
9
10
11
12
23
2015 Hunting Areas
24
Deer Harvested by Zone: 2012-14
25
# of Deer
20
15
2012
2013
10
2014
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Zone
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
25
2015 Hunting Areas
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Hunting Season Dates
October 13th through December 22nd
ARCHERY SEASON: October 13th - November 20th
ARCHERY ALLOWED: Mondays, Tuesdays,
Wednesdays, and Thursdays
from Sunrise to 8:45am AND from 3:00pm to
Sunset (10/13/15 – 11/5/15)
NO ARCHERY allowed: Mondays, Tuesdays,
Wednesdays, and Thursdays
from 8:45am to 3:00pm (10/13/15 – 11/5/15)
These time restrictions DO NOT apply Fri, Sat, Sun and
from November 6th – November 20th
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Hunting Season Dates
CROSSBOW SEASON: November 7th through December 22nd
SHOTGUN / HANDGUN (NO RIFLES) SEASON: November
21st through December 13th
MUZZLELOADER / ARCHERY SEASON: December 14th
through December 22nd
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Safety
No sighting or firing across any road,
carriage road, trail, or established path
 Adhere to No Hunting Zones and Mohonk
Preserve boundaries
Setback distances from dwellings remains
at 500 feet on Mohonk Preserve for all
weapons
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Thank you!
John Thompson
Senior Ecologist
Mohonk Preserve
[email protected]
www.mohonkpreserve.org
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