Deer Management

Supporting healthy forests and resiliency by keeping deer populations in check.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) running (Photo: iStock / mirceax)

Deer overabundance is a well-documented threat to Hudson Valley forests and all the forms of life that depend on them — including us. 

Too many deer on the landscape means that too many plants are being eaten without the chance to regrow, like native tree seedlings and wildflowers. This leads to the spread of invasive plant species, which cause ecological harm. 

The explosion of deer populations also has a cascading effect on many other living things, from pollinators that rely on native wildflowers and songbirds that nest in vegetation eaten by deer, to small mammals like squirrels that compete for acorns and similar food sources. And it contributes to the proliferation of ticks and related diseases — not to mention other public health concerns, like deer colliding with vehicles and eating precious farm crops. 

Even if a forest looks healthy, there is often a shortage of seedling and sapling trees to grow into the next generation of Hudson Valley forests. This lack of regeneration makes forests unable to withstand events like storms or disease outbreaks that are increasing in frequency with climate change. 

Active deer management, including hunting, can help minimize these threats and allow forests the opportunity to better regenerate.

Senior Conservation Scientist Alex Wolf inspects a sapling damaged by deer feeding. (Image: Jeff Mertz / Scenic Hudson)

Read more in our Viewfinder digital magazine: Protecting Forests by Managing the Exploding Deer Population.

Hunting traces its roots back to early humans and continues to connect people with the outdoors, food, and tradition in today’s Hudson Valley. It’s also a key tool for conservation, both in terms of managing the region’s overabundance of deer and supporting state conservation projects with funds from hunting licenses. 

Hunting is allowed at select Scenic Hudson parks and preserves as part of our deer management plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Scenic Hudson offers hunting permits for Shaupeneak Ridge in Esopus (Ulster County). Any licensed hunter is encouraged to apply. Permits are available for fall bow, rifle, and muzzleloader deer-hunting seasons and are granted on a first-come, first-served basis during the application period. Click here to receive an email when applications open in August.

In addition, some lands are hunted by individuals who held hunting rights prior to Scenic Hudson’s management of the land. Other lands with site-specific deer management plans are hunted by members of hunting clubs that have agreements with the Scenic Hudson Land Trust. These agreements are arranged through local hunting federations and nonprofit groups that are selected according to several criteria, including willingness to collaborate with Scenic Hudson on land conservation goals.

All hunters must receive a permit from Scenic Hudson to hunt on any of these lands.

If you have any questions or would like to receive information about future applications and deadlines, please click here or fill out the form below. Here’s what to expect:

  • Approximately 30 days before the beginning of each season, we’ll email you a link to our online entry form for permits.
  • You will have about two weeks to apply (see the email for specifics). 
  • We will contact you with the results and your materials before the start of the season.

Deer hunting is allowed during the official hunting season in New York State. Consult the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) webpage for season dates and additional information. Please be aware that regulations differ depending on the NYSDEC zone. 

Scenic Hudson allows both bow and firearm hunting during the corresponding seasons.

Turkey hunting is also allowed at Shaupeneak Ridge during the spring turkey season.

Public safety is the top concern of all of our work. Hunting accidents are very rare, and common sense safety can prevent most accidents. 

To ensure everyone’s safety during the hunting season, Scenic Hudson always:

  • Posts seasonal signs in Spanish and English at trailheads and major public access points to alert park visitors of the hunting season
  • Provides bright orange vests during the season at Shaupeneak Ridge for hunters and other park visitors to borrow, helping increase their visibility; vests are not provided at other properties because they do not have established hiking trails or access
  • Allows hunting only at properties that are large enough to ensure hunting occurs far from trails and neighboring properties
  • Requires dogs to be kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet in length, which helps prevent them from wandering off-trail and interacting with wildlife or hunters; learn more about our dog policy in the Parks Visitor Guide 

During hunting seasons, hunters and visitors share the landscape. To get more tips about how to keep yourself and others safe — whether you’re hiking, hunting, or just enjoying nature — check out this Viewfinder story: Hiking & Hunting 101.

There is substantial scientific evidence that deer are overabundant in the Hudson Valley and that reducing their population is essential to mitigating negative effects on forests and natural ecosystems. However, Scenic Hudson continues to collect our own data to ensure our land conservation approach and practices are responsible and can adapt to changing conditions. 

Our data methods include:

  • Annual population counts on hunted lands via drone, deer dropping counts, and/or trail camera methods
  • Establishing deer exclosures — fenced-off areas to keep deer out — which are then monitored over the long term to quantify and compare deer impacts on vegetation inside and outside a fence
  • Regular consultation with peer organizations and deer management experts
  • Using fencing and tree tubes for smaller-scale forest restoration projects when appropriate

We share the latest data at our annual meeting for the hunting program at Shaupeneak Ridge Preserve. We encourage all hunters to attend. For more information, please email hunting@scenichudson.org.

Hunting Info Request Form

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