Cornell's Deer Management Program

For those who haven't heard, Cornell is in year three of a five year deer management study that utilizes hunting in combination with other sterilization techniques to control the ever expanding deer populations (and the damage they reek) on university lands.

The hunting aspect of the study is broken into two primary programs: Earn-a-Buck and Natural Areas.  As of this year, hunters may sign up for only one program and may not alternate between the two as in past years.

I have hunted both programs, and both they have their pros and cons.

In general, the Earn-a-Buck (EAB) program is a little more structured, requiring you take two does before harvesting a buck, which means you must pass on any antlered deer until you become buck eligible. But in general, so the theory goes, Earn-a-Buck lands hold a denser population of deer so harvesting a doe is somewhat easier (so the theory goes). The biggest downside to EAB is that you must check in and out of a central check station before and after each hunt. Because each plot of land is allotted a maximum number of hunters and sign up to hunt those plots is first come first serve, you never really know if your plot will be available to hunt until you show up at the check station. The biggest upside to the program is the denser deer populations and the fact that you can bring a non-hunting friend along.

The Plantations Natural Areas program is less structured. Sign up is via the internet and reservations can be made up to three weeks in advance, which is convenient but sometimes people abuse it and it becomes difficult to get into an area. There is no requirement to harvest a doe before harvesting a buck, so if ol' drop tine walks by, or his smaller cousin, feel free to drop the hammer and fill the freezer. In general, natural area lands are less urban and feel more like a traditional deer woods. So far, all Good Hunters this year are signed up for EAB, so this is likely the last you hear about the Natural Areas Program.