DEC Announces 2024 Deer Management Assistance Program Tags Available for Doodletown Wildlife Management Area in Columbia County

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today that the Regional Wildlife Office in Schenectady will have Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) tags available for this hunting season on Doodletown Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Columbia County. These DMAP tags can only be used by hunters to harvest antlerless deer on Doodletown WMA.

"The goal of the Deer Management Assistance Program in Doodletown WMA is to create a healthier, more biologically diverse forest ecosystem," said DEC Interim Regional Director John Weidman. "By controlling the deer population on this WMA, the New England cottontail will have access to the regenerating young forest habitat they need to thrive. This is a great opportunity for hunters to take an additional deer while helping with forest management."

Doodletown WMA is 1,078 acres of primarily forested land located in the towns of Ancram, Taghkanic, and Gallatin. The primary purposes of Doodletown WMA are for wildlife management, wildlife habitat management, and wildlife-dependent recreation. An important species to be managed at Doodletown WMA is the New England cottontail, a species of special concern in New York State. Planned management actions will protect critical habitat to support populations of New England cottontail. DEC Forestry and Wildlife staff have determined the deer population on Doodletown WMA will inhibit the desired regrowth of forest after management cuts designed to improve New England cottontail habitat are made in the coming years. More information about Doodletown WMA is available on DEC's website.

DMAP tags will be available to individuals with a valid state hunting license on a first-come, first-served basis at the DEC Region Four Headquarters, 1130 North Westcott Road, Schenectady NY 12306 on Oct. 10 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Please call ahead to inquire about availability of any remaining tags after Oct. 10 at (518) 357-2152.