***NY- Game Species***

    The most immediately recognizable member of New York's varied wildlife.  White-tailed Deer are sought after by nature-lovers and the casual observer alike.  Hunters take great numbers in the fall, but still populations are growing.  They have become pests in many areas, eating planted shrubs and destroying gardens.  Hunting in rural areas and bait-and-shoot programs in urban areas have been a successful, if controversial, measure of controlling populations.  Whitetails are very alert animals and seldom allow a close approach.  When they feel threatened they make quick movements of their tail to warn both the predator and other deer there is a potential danger.  This type of behavior is known as "stotting."  A fully antlered buck is an awesome sight, but females and young males don't grow antlers.  As the antlers grow they are covered in soft velvet which is rubbed off as the antlers mature.  Those buck that survive the hunting season drop their antlers by mid-winter.  Hunters can estimate the age of a deer by the wear on its teeth.
    White-tailed Deer were nearly extirpated from the state by the early 20th century.  They were fully protected and populations increased.  Now they are a common sight throughout rural and suburban areas alike.