Fort Drum Deer

09/02/2021

05/29/2021

Our first tagged fawn for the 2021 season was just born this afternoon. This is likely our last season doing fawn capture as we wrap up our research after 6 years. This year we will only be doing limited fawn capture, targeting the fawns born to our GPS collared does.

Fawn 151 was born to doe 773 right by main gate.

Our first tagged fawn for the 2021 season was just born this afternoon. This is likely our last season doing fawn capture as we wrap up our research after 6 years. This year we will only be doing limited fawn capture, targeting the fawns born to our GPS collared does.

Fawn 151 was born to doe 773 right by main gate.

05/27/2021

I was doing some archival work and came across this great cartoon. Oscar Warbach, 1951.

I was doing some archival work and came across this great cartoon. Oscar Warbach, 1951.

04/12/2021

Please help us learn more about Fort Drum's bear population!🐻

02/07/2021

We are prepping over 1200 deer tissue samples from the last 6 years for their genetic analysis.

We are prepping over 1200 deer tissue samples from the last 6 years for their genetic analysis.

12/10/2020

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Tune in tomorrow, December 10th at 10am, for a Facebook LIVE Q&A about the release of the Draft Deer Management Plan for New York with staff from our wildlife office. Have comments for our staff about the draft plan? Leave them in the comments below or ask during the live broadcast!

DEC has announced the release of a draft Deer Management Plan for New York State for public review and comment. The plan builds upon the progress made by DEC's first deer management plan, released in 2011, and will guide DEC's deer management actions to balance natural resource protection, public safety, and recreational and economic interests for the next 10 years. The draft plan is available on DEC's website and public comments will be accepted through December 28, 2020: https://www.dec.ny.gov/press/121863.html

📷: Catskill Wagyu

12/04/2020

I've spent the last couple days tracking down buck 646. He had spent several days crossing back and forth across Black River. I finally found the collar and it appears he drowned on his final crossing at the spot in the first photo. He was originally captured in a drop net 3/31/2019 3.5 miles away on post by the Mt Belvedere shopette. This is only the second deer to have drowned on the project and the other one was fleeing into a lake after being injured by a coyote.

Prior to the GPS collar study we didn't know how frequently Fort Drum deer crossed Black River. We've now had 4 collared deer cross it including 2 does that left post, crossed the river, spent time outside of post, only to cross it back, and come back onto post.

We've also publicly shared the information about Buck 18 that was born on post in 2015, swam across the St. Lawrence, and was harvested in Kingston, Ontario in 2018.

11/26/2020

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Photos are from the spring Fort Drum deer camera survey.
To see more check out instagram.com/fortdrumdeer

11/25/2020

We found out about another incredible long distance dispersal of >30 miles this week. The doe was part of our fawn survival studies that were conducted in 2015-2017. It will be awhile before I can narrow down which individual it is. This a great reminder of why it's important to keep your eye out if you hunt off post. Please submit any sightings of tagged or collared deer at fortdrumdeer.org/tagreport . Please also submit tissue samples from deer harvested off post. More info can be found on the site.

11/02/2020

Harvest Update: 16 Deer have been harvested in the cantonment area so far
-11 Does, 5 Bucks

We have also had 5 tissue samples submitted from the training area and surrounding communities. Please encourage your friends that hunt off post to submit samples. Information can be found at fortdrumdeer.org

10/26/2020

Now that the hunting season is in full swing, we are back to working on the 2020 population survey. The survey included 222 trail cameras and was conducted in March through May earlier this year. I decided to make an IG account where I can publicly share some of the highlights from each camera. Check it out at:

instagram.com/fortdrumdeer/

There will only be a small fraction of the >120,000 photos from the survey. The primary project photo page for everything other than trail cam photos is still at:

Instagram.com/martinjrfeehan

10/21/2020

I received a question today about our deer birth distribution results and wanted to share the information to everyone. The birth peak has stayed consistently May 31/June 1 every year since we began in 2015. Birth peak can be used to predict the arrival of the rut. White-tailed deer gestation is 200-205 days.

10/20/2020

Harvest Update: 11 deer have now been harvested within the cantonment area. We are also collecting tissue samples from outside of the cantonment area. Please go to fortdrumdeer.org/community for more information.

10/12/2020

We are requesting samples in 2020 from deer harvested within 50 miles of Fort Drum including the training area and surrounding communities. We have had many deer disperse >30 miles from Fort Drum and we will be completing a broad landscape genetic analysis over the next year.

Samples can be dropped off at the Fort Drum Permit Office or mailed directly to us. Please go to fortdrumdeer.org/community for more information.

We have prepaid & addressed submission kits available. Please let us know if you would like one sent to you. Currently, we have kits already available Miller's Meat Market. If you would like us to drop off kits at another deer processor or send you a kit directly please let us know.

10/11/2020

Harvest Update: Through 10/10/2020, there have been at least 9 deer harvested within the cantonment area, including 5 bucks and 4 does. As a reminder, all harvested deer must be checked-in at fortdrumdeer.org with tissue samples submitted at self deer check stations open 24 hrs/day.

09/29/2020

One of the most common things I hear from hunters is references to what they think is 1 buck in an area, when in fact there are usually several different ones. Normally, I don't share the current data about our orange collared deer to prevent temptation by those who might be tempted to track them down, particularly during the hunting season. I have a unique opportunity tonight to demonstrate the large range that the bucks travel around cantonment.

Buck 619 died in a vehicle collision tonight, so I can show you the last 7 days of his movements around post. You can see how much coverage he has had, and this is only 7 days. Don't get frustrated if at first you don't see deer. If you did your work and scouted well, you will see deer. It just takes patience.

09/28/2020

Happy Opening Day for the North Country Bow Season!! We've already had several deer checked in from the cantonment area. Thanks for everyone going through the new check-in system online at fortdrumdeer.org and dropping off your tissue samples at the check-in stations which are open 24hrs/day. Everything has gone perfectly so far.

Tomorrow, I will be releasing info about our request for tissue samples from deer harvested outside of the cantonment area.

06/21/2020

It turns out one of our cameras was in doe 641's favorite nursing sites. There is a special photo included with her and her twins. Most does at Fort Drum begin having twins annually beginning when they turn 3. The fawns are kept separate for the first couple weeks after birth as a survival strategy, and then they slowly start spending more time together when they are strong enough to run from predators.

06/21/2020

I am in the process of taking down our 2020 camera grid and discovered that doe 137 and her new buck fawn 145, have been spending a significant amount of time in front of my camera. Enjoy some photos of them bonding.

05/31/2020

A busy day for us as we enter the birth peak. This is buck fawn 141 born to doe 608 this morning. She was stuck outside the fence for 8 months in Calcium, but beginning 3 days ago she began her journey back onto post walking on 781 to give birth in her traditional fawn grounds in the Constitution neighborhood. If you see an untagged fawn on post please call 414-315-2588 immediately.

05/27/2020

Today we captured, tagged, and released buck fawn 145. He was born to doe 137, who was captured during the 2018 fawn cohort. His grandmother is doe 449. We now have 4 generations of study deer from this family. We also have his aunt's and uncles. If you see a newborn fawn on post please call 414-315-2588 immediately.

04/08/2020

SENTINEL LANDSCAPES | Documentary Short | US Dept. of Defense + US Dept. of Agriculture + US Dept. of the Interior

A Phenomenal Short Film about DoD's Sentinel Landscape Initiative.

Sentinels are those who stand guard, watch over, and look ahead. Today, a new corps of guardians is emerging across our nation. Their mission: to steward and defend…

11/07/2019

65's Journey

This morning Fort Drum tagged doe 65 was harvested 11.9 miles from her birth site. She was captured on her birthday, June 7, in 2016.

This is reminder that our research is very regional in nature, and it is important to keep your eyes out for tagged deer throughout the North Country, and report them when you see them

09/27/2019

Happy Opening Day for Bow Season.

We already have a few checked in deer. It's great to see all the trucks on the road sides. Good luck and always feel free to ask us questions to help you out. Please submit trail cam photos of tagged/collared deer.

07/04/2019

Last night was a great night for darting with 4 captures. Here, 2 of our Doris Duke Conservation Scholars deploy GPS collars as part of our long term movement study.

04/01/2019

Last evening just before capturing 3 deer. It takes so much self control to wait until the deer are all positioned correctly to maximize trap success.

03/27/2019

9 deer under the net last night.

03/22/2019

Check out this awesome path of yearling buck 706/101. We had initially captured him as a fawn in 2017. We recaptured and GPS collared him in 2018. This path was only 2.5 months before he was harvested outside the fence in Sep. You can see his dispersal out of Fort Drum and his rapid movement in a short time. Segments are connecting points either 13 hrs or 26 hrs apart.

03/18/2019

3 Deer we captured, tagged, and released this afternoon using our new remote triggered drop nets. A doe with her buck fawn and an adult buck.

03/09/2019

In honor of International Women's Day I wanted to highlight some of the many women that have made our research so successful the last 4 years. We could not have done it all without our amazing undergrads, vet school students, interns, staff, and military spouse volunteers. Thank you all. #WomenInConservation

02/23/2019

I took this just off post yesterday evening. Seems fitting to share it with you all. If you're curious, I have a lot more wildlife photographs I've taken at Fort Drum on that Instagram account.

01/04/2019

Happy New Year to All.

I will be updating you all on the final harvest info over the coming weeks. 2018 was a record year with 87 deer harvested. If you or anyone you know harvested any tagged deer and did not check them in please contact us at 414-315-2588 so we can update our records.

We are at a point of submitting for publication much of the work from the last 5 years and this harvest information is pivotal.

10/17/2018

ISeeMammals

From our colleagues at Cornell University.

The DEC and Center for Conservation Social Sciences (CCSS) at Cornell University are conducting a statewide survey this fall of NY landowners about black bears.

If you receive one of the randomly distributed 11,000 surveys, please take the time to respond!

Learn more here: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NYSDEC/bulletins/213646f

09/22/2018

Hunters that have already gone to qualification have already been invited, but for those who haven't you are invited to an event we will be hosting next Monday.

09/19/2018

A buck was found on 9/17/2018 with a severed head ~180m off of Iraqi Drive between main gate and the entrance to Guthrie. If you have any information please contact the Fort Drum Game Wardens (315-772-5156), NYSDEC Conservation Officers (1-877-457-5680), or NYSDEC Turn in Poachers (1-800-847-7332).

If this deer was ear tagged or GPS collared, and you or someone you know was involved, you can contact Cornell University through our anonymous reporting policy without having any identifying information transmitted to authorities. Our statement on anonymous reporting is attached.

To be clear, Cornell University in no ways condones poaching or violations of regulations, however, it is important that we collect all information on Fort Drum study deer in order to maintain the integrity of our research.

If you would like to anonymously report you may contact us at 414-315-2588, email at [email protected], or via direct message.

Thank you for your cooperation.