If West Seneca opted to perform lethal management, how could it work?
If West Seneca opted to perform lethal management, how could it work?
In New York State, Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) are geographical boundaries used by the Department of Environmental Conservation to set hunting and trapping seasons. West Seneca is located in a portion of Erie County known as Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) 9C. Current environmental conservation law prohibits all deer hunting in this area. As a result, the Town of West Seneca's only option at this time for lethal control of deer is the use of culling program implemented under a NYSDEC Deer Damage Permit (DDP). Deer damage permits are issued in cases where regular hunting is either not permitted, or is not sufficient to solve issues of human-deer conflict, such as deer-vehicle collisions or property and crop damage. These permits typically allow for methods that are not legal for hunters, such as the use of bait or spotlights, and the taking deer outside of normal hunting seasons. Culls organized under DDPs are designed to maximize local impacts and reduce deer populations rapidly (NYSDEC, 2021). DDPs typically only allow for the taking of anterless deer, and taking more deer than are specified by the permit is prohibited (NYSDEC, n.d.).
Once a DDP is issued to a town, the town can make decisions about the logistical details of the cull. Some of those considerations are discussed in more detail below.
Who can perform the cull?
As the permit holder, the Town of West Seneca would have the ability to decide who would perform the culling activity. It is important to note that those people would be acting as agents of the town permit - not as hunters in the traditional sense. Deer are typically donated to a local food bank, and in the rare case that a buck was permitted to be culled, the antlers would be turned over to the NYSDEC.
Option 1: Volunteers:
The town may choose to select local volunteers to carry out the cull. The town has the option to specify requirements for participation, or to mandate certain training, such as training in hunting safety or proper use of bait and shoot methods. This is typically the least expensive option for carrying out a culling program.
Option 2: Employees of the Town:
Town Employees whose primary job is not the culling deer can be utilized for occasional deer culls. However, only licensed wildlife removal professionals can be paid for culling deer as their primary job with the town.
Option 3: Hiring a NYSDEC-licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO) or other professional wildlife removal service:
Only a DEC-licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO) can be paid for the primary purpose of killing deer on a DDP. Licensed NWCOs can be hired specifically to conduct deer culls, and there are companies that specialize in nuisance deer removal in urban and suburban situations. The Wildlife Services branch of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture can also be hired to conduct deer culls (NYSDEC, 2018). This is likely to be the most expensive option, with professional sharpshooter costs ranging from about $400-$1200 per deer (Deer Friendly, n.d.).
What method of culling deer can be used?
Both guns and bows are permitted for use under a DDP. Culling by volunteers is most often done using archery equipment, because of the ability to be quiet and utilize small habitat patches throughout the community. Professionals often cull using rifles. They may have considerable experience selecting safe shooting zones in developed areas and typically also have specialized infrared equipment that enables them to detect people and other animals from a distance at night (NYSDEC, 2018). The town has the authority to decide what methods of culling deer would be used.
For more information, see the NYSDEC documents linked in the references below.
References:
Deer Friendly, n.d. Information on the Cost of Controlling Deer Using Sharpshooters. Accessed at https://www.deerfriendly.com/deer-population-control/sharpshooter-cost
NYSDEC, n.d. Deer Damage Permits. Accessed at https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/104956.html
NYSDEC. 2018. Community Deer Management Guide. Accessed at https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/commdeermgmtguide.pdf
NYSDEC. 2021. Management Plan for White-Tailed Deer in New York State, 2021–2030. Accessed at https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/deerplan21.pdf