Deer
 

I've noticed a lot of deer in various locations around the lake this month. It seems far more sightings than in the past.

Is this due to a milder winter or was there an unusual population increase last year?

Has anyone else had the same observations this spring?

I notice them wherever there has been clearing.
But anyplace that has a lot of shrubbery or flowers should see an increase.

For as long as I can remember when I had visitors from out of state I would take them to long island to see deer, it was always almost 100% chance of seeing some. Seems like the last 10 years or so they have been sparse and did not see any a bunch of times.

I do remember there was some period when hunting was allowed or maybe the state hired hunters to thin them out but in the fog of time I have no recollection of when that was. Could have been 1980 or 2005 for all I know

https://casetext.com/regulation/new-...nd-deer-permit


As for the geese, just nature's way of letting us know not to try and grow a manicured lawn too close to open bodies of water.

That's where the herd of cats comes into play!

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Correct. There was controlled archery hunting allowed on the island for a number of years. I don’t know if they still do it but no one was hired for that. Baiting was allowed as the deer density was much to high. Posted land seems to be popping up more and more now. That will contribute to higher deer numbers.

Its licensed.
Still in the law that I posted.

The LI owners caused an unnatural imbalance... and the results were overpopulation of an herbivore that attacked everything they valued.

Same with the geese...
They like open lawn areas near the water.
Grow brush near the water's edge back several feet and the geese tend to find that spot less attractive. They also don't like long grass like you see in the nearby fields.

I took this picture from my car window about 25 years ago on Long Island. The deer would stand next to the road looking for handouts.

https://www.winnipesaukee.com/photop...dium/4deer.jpg

They're still all over Moultonborough Neck—in fact, last year I had to stop so quickly for some that the decking in my trailer slid forward and slammed into my 4Runner. A few grand in damage 'cause of three or four running across the road at 9 PM in the rain. Silly deers.

As John mentioned above, they're almost always in the clearings along the way.

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About five years ago, there were bright blue police lights up ahead, driving the Meredith Center Rd returning from Laconia. Turns out a deer crashed through the windshield on a BMW suv, and the lone driver was getting loaded into an ambulance. .... :eek:

The "deer reduction program," as the BWMANH (https://sites.google.com/view/bwmanh/home) prefers to call it (not "hunting"), is ongoing every fall. The program was started some years ago in designated areas having excessively high deer populations, such as Long Island. Tree stands and baiting are used. Owner signed permission is required, and a lot must have at least one acre, separately or when combined with an abutter also giving permission. Owners can impose any conditions at all when giving permission. Since the inception of the program on Long Island, the deer have not been eating all the low leaf growth quite the way they did before, and the average weight and general health of the deer taken have improved, so the program is good for the deer as well as for the island itself.

There are indeed many who don't support the program, even though they have enough area to participate. I think this really is a case of "if you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem."

Moral: one driver is never enough.

As an island resident, as others have stated this is an ongoing tradition. And will continue to be needed. The problem on the island or any island for that matter is that Hunting is actually not allowed.... Two things lead to the population problem on long island, 1st was natural, there was plenty of grazing area, and open meadows the deer recognized it, and also recognized there was no danger while on the island. The 2nd thing that lead to the over population was man, as the deer population began to be two much for the island to support, people began feeding the deer... this made the problem worse. In the late 80s and early 90s the death rate of deer on the island in the winter months from starvation was alarming... as what became a primary food source would disappear....

There was lots of opposition to the thinning of the heard, I remember seeing signs, with the phrase "the killing fields" in read paint on the main road... But eventually Fish and Game, was able to get people to wake up.... The first few years where rough, I remember talking to the hunters some of whom had been confronted headed for the tree stands... But slowly as time has gone on, and the entire event is kept very quiet, it goes off with out notice, except for those of us that know where to look. Nothing happens on the weekends, all the hunting is done during the week, and as some others have said from designated spots, and tree stands... Last I checked, the participation in the event is still limited to a single Archery Club.....

Because of this effort, the deer on the island are much healthier, they aren't everywhere like they used to be so you have to know where to look... I see some almost every weekend when I am there, and the vegetation they need to survive, has come back so the forest on the island is also extremely healthy....

Great post and thanks for showing the benefit of hunting.