Deer Management Plan To Be Presented

Knox Farm State Park to host online forum to outline hunting guidelines

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) Niagara Region will be implementing a deer management program that includes recreational hunting in Knox Farm State Park located in the Town of Aurora. A virtual public information session about the management program will be held on Tuesday, September 1 at 5:30 pm to provide more details to the public. 

The information session will include a presentation about deer impacts to the park and the deer management program followed by a question-and-answer period. The meeting will be recorded and will be available on the Knox Farm web page following the meeting. 

Knox Farm State Park suffers from over-browsing by white-tailed deer that has resulted in severely degraded forests, the loss of habitat for other species, and poor nutritional health within the deer population. The goal of management efforts is to manage white-tailed deer populations within the park at a level appropriate to support forest regeneration and resilient natural communities; enhance habitat for forest-dependent wildlife; and provide for safe and enjoyable recreational and educational opportunities. 

Deer hunting is permitted in over 80 NY State Parks and Historic Sites statewide, and at Evangola State Park in Western New York. For more information on hunting, visit www.parks.ny.gov/recreation/hunting/.

Free registration is required to attend the online meeting. To participate, please send an e-mail with your name to [email protected]  or call 716-278-1764 by August 27 and leave a message that includes your email and phone number.