As anyone who farms, has a garden or landscapes with expensive shrubs and flowers knows, too many deer browsing on the flora can quickly decimate a shockingly large percentage of it while leaving behind less desirable growth, usually of little value to people, deer or other wildlife. Many people probably don’t consider that this can also occur in our natural wild flora environments, such as our forests.

Now because of deer over-depredation to forestlands, the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation plans to issue special Deer Management Assistance Program permits (DMAP) so additional deer may be harvested from problematic state forests (SF) where overabundant deer densities are destroying the flora. One such area is the Beaver Meadow SF here in Chenango County. Deer taken under the DMAP permits will be in addition to those harvested under regular licenses and DMP permits.