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Village of Lansing Trustees unanimously approved limited bow hunts Monday, clearing the way for this year's Village-sponsored deer population management program that will begin with the regular deer hunting season October 1.  Dr. Bernd Blossey of Cornell's Department of Natural Resources coordinates the program for the Village with assistance from Dr. Jay Boulanger, who manages the Cornell 'Earn A Buck' program.  Blossey and Boulanger told the board this year's program will be almost identical to last year's.

67 deer were taken last year in the Village-run program.   Nine additional deer were taken on a property in the Village that was not part of the program.  The Village's program also benefitted from a 'Deer Management Focus Area' season in January during which 18 of the 67 deer were taken.  Mayor Donald Hartill says that the program apears to be somewhat effective because the number of deer/auto collisions was down in the Village last year.  But deer continue to do damage to forested areas in the Village, as well as gardens and trees, and Boulanger estimates over 100 deer congregate on Sundowns Farm, where owners have declined to allow population control program hunters.

Blossey said he hopes to add more Village properties to the population control program, in part because hunting in the same spots isn't effective once the deer figure out there are hunters in deer stands in the trees.  He said Cornell's deer program had a short nuisance season last year during Spring break that showed promising results.  But he said the deer are smart about what areas are safe.

"We encountered the same issues," Blossey said.  "Once the deer came to the same places they quickly recognized that there was danger in the trees."

The most notorious deer population management program in Tompkins County is that of Cayuga Heights, which now sterilizes does and releases them back into nature.  Across the border the Village of Lansing's program has maintained a lower profile, but officials lament that all population control programs lose some effectiveness because the deer do not recognize town and village borders.

Blossey said that a consortium of deer population management programs across the county may be more effective county-wide.  He noted that Deputy Mayor Lynn Leopold will represent the Village at a deer summit in October.

"That's associated with a visit from Jim Sterba, the author of 'Nature Wars'," Bloosey said.  "Jim is giving a presentation in the Cornell plantations Lecture Series on October 23.  His book deals with urban wildlife - bears, coyotes, geese, deer.  Those type of fellow that live with us and annoy us or enjoy us.  There will be an invitation-only lunch meeting with municipal leaders.  We will ask the different communities to come together and see whether we can formulate a plan for coordinated deer management within Tompkins County."

He added that a question and answer session will be open to the public that evening.

Boulanger updated the Trustees on a proposed State law to allow crossbow hunting, something Village officials have considered in the past few years.  Crossbows are illegal in the regular hunting season, and if the State were to allow them Trustees would also have to change Village law to permit them within its borders.  Boulanger said that is moot for the regular hunting season because State officials can't get the bill passed.

"It easily passed the Senate but it died in the Assembly.  It's dead," he said.  "Crossbows are now illegal in New york State for this season.  Next year it may be different.  It's mostly political. The New York State bow hunters are a pretty powerful lobby.  They've been able to shoot this thing down twice now.  There is another lobby that is for crossbows and they're making some headway now.  I think it is going to come here eventually because there are now 26 states in the US that allow it, including some surrounding states."

Boulanger added that crossbows would be legal in a nuisance permit situation if the Village goes ahead with that, because hunting rules are relaxed for nuisance permits.  That may mean crossbows, spotlights, hunting until 11pm could be allowed only by qualified hunters that have been approved for the Village program after February 1.  Blossey stressed that the Village would need proof that the deer are causing damage in order to get DEC (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation) approval.

Prospective Village hunters met with Blossey Tuesday for an orientation meeting.  Most participated in last year's program, with a few new hunters seeking to enter the program. 

"We introduce what we do," Blossey said.  "Last year it was important because we had new regulations with the Deer Management Focal Area where the hunters print their own tags.  Two years ago we had DMAP tags assigned to the Village. We don't have to do any of that any more.  The hunters go on the Web, get a registration number, print their tags that allow them to kill two antlerless deer per day per hunter.

The deer hunting season is October 1st to December 17.  The Deer Management Focal Area season runs from January 11 to January 31.  If the board receives DEC approval for nuisance permits, qualified Village program hunters will continue taking deer starting February 1st.

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