By Fred Stabbert III
SULLIVAN COUNTY — November 26, 2004 – Warm temperatures and an apparent reduction in the deer herd have made hunting tough. Just ask hunting club members from Roscoe to Westbrookville and you’ll hear near consensus about fewer deer in the woods — especially bucks — during the first three days of the rifle season in New York state.
“In general, the population is very healthy,” Wendy Rosenbach, a citizen participation expert with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in New Paltz said. “In terms of deer take, it is too early to tell. Our game biologists check butcher shops and meat processors to track deer takes.”
Rosenbach said hunters are also requested to call the DEC on their automated line to report deer harvest.
“The weather has been a little warm, which makes it harder to hunt,” she said. “Certainly the rain on Wednesday didn’t help either.”
No accidents or fatalities were reported in Sullivan County during the opening of rifle season.
Sullivan County Democrat
2004 Big Buck
Leaderboard

Name Score Pts.
TJ Chin 71 12
Teb Fink 70 10
Mike Heenan 69 8
Vivian Hanslmeirer 63.25 8
Ken TerBush 61 8
Brian Fraser 61 7
George Carlow 60.5 6
Joe Nicosia 58.75 8
Bob Hoffer 56.75 8
Ned Lang 56 8