{"id":282012,"date":"2025-11-09T21:37:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T21:37:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/282012\/"},"modified":"2025-11-09T21:37:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T21:37:09","slug":"oh-deer-rutting-bucks-are-snacking-their-way-across-staten-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/282012\/","title":{"rendered":"Oh, deer: Rutting bucks are snacking their way across Staten Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 They. Are. Everywhere. Striding down the street at 3 a.m., inspecting my shrubbery, and appearing randomly throughout the day with quiet authority while I hike through the Greenbelt.<\/p>\n

I speak their name \u2014 deer \u2014 with respect. With those antlers, their girth and their effortless leaps over six-foot spiky fences, they deserve it. And since deer don\u2019t vote, I figured they were fair game \u2014 and a very good distraction after last week\u2019s election.<\/p>\n

\"Deer\"With regular appearances of certain bucks, they’ve earned names. This may or may not be one named Brad. (Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

This mating season, a five- or six-point buck has become such a regular on my walks through Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden that I\u2019ve named him Brad. And I am not afraid. My husband assures me Brad isn\u2019t either \u2014 and that he won\u2019t charge.<\/p>\n

Moose will, on the other hand. But they haven\u2019t swum across the Arthur Kill to populate us here \u2014 yet. Nature lovers say deer don\u2019t see us as a threat. Normally, they\u2019d be hiding. But when you\u2019re super close, they just keep snacking and posing for photos like any food influencer would.<\/p>\n

\"Deer\"This untagged fellow appeared at about 4 p.m. on a recent weeknight at Snug Harbor. (Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)The boldness of Brad and friends<\/p>\n

Their unabashed appearances tell me they\u2019re here to multiply during rutting season. <\/p>\n

New York farmers report $59 million in crop damage. And I\u2019ve heard a few stories from local growers as well. That\u2019s not just corn \u2014 it\u2019s landscaping too, pumpkins, Thanksgiving decorations and what\u2019s left of a vegetable garden. I guess that\u2019s Brad and friends\u2019 way of having a farm-to-table experience.<\/p>\n

Deer collisions are a serious issue in New York, with more than 70,000 deer\u2013vehicle accidents reported annually across the state \u2014 each causing an average of $4,000 in property damage. Not funny. Neither are the deaths caused by deer in the headlights.<\/p>\n

\"Deer\"Around noon on a recent Saturday, this deer drew a crowd near the Heritage Farm, where curious onlookers got up close for photos. Thankfully, the farm itself is safely enclosed by fencing.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

Also, deer aren\u2019t just nibbling your hostas<\/a> \u2014 they\u2019re chewing up ecosystems. When there are too many, they mow down forests with a mission, wiping out understory plants and giving invasive species a leg up.<\/a> Some greenery vanishes so completely it needs replanting decades later. As a result, our state\u2019s wild ginseng<\/a> might be gone by the next century.<\/a><\/p>\n

How\u2019d we get here? We nearly wiped deer out in the 1800s, felt bad, and launched conservation. Now, with no predators and suburbs serving as salad bars, we\u2019ve got a deer boom so big even the deer are struggling. Overcrowding means scrawnier herds, more disease, and fewer snacks. Ironically, fewer deer mean healthier deer. It\u2019s nature\u2019s version of a wellness plan \u2014 minus the juice cleanse.<\/p>\n

\"RedRed foxes at the Staten Island zoo make a yelping sound that is a cross between a “meow” and a “yip.” You’ll hear these creatures around Staten Island during mating season in winter. Silvestri<\/p>\n

And about Lyme disease<\/a>? Deer host ticks<\/a>, but rodents are the real culprits. Think of deer as an Uber Eats driver with mice hitching a ride on the bumper. Want fewer ticks? Embrace our New York City fox and owl neighbors. <\/a><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t feed the wildlife <\/p>\n

New York\u2019s fix includes an alphabet soup of permits. <\/a>There are Deer Management Permits (DMPs) for antlerless deer and Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) permits for landowners needing backup.<\/p>\n

Before you get out the bow and arrow \u2014 hunting is illegal in most of New York City<\/a>. For now we\u2019ve just got to sort it all out by staying alert behind the wheel at dawn and dusk. We cannot feed them intentionally \u2014 you people who feed the wild turkeys<\/a> on Staten Island know who you are \u2014 and I guess just embrace it.<\/p>\n

So today, I\u2019m going to finish with a little dramatic interpretation of me and Brad chatting it up. In my mind \u2014 because, let\u2019s be honest, dude can\u2019t hold a mic \u2014 and I can hold a food conversation in restaurant language.<\/p>\n

\"DeerDeer make occasional appearances at the 12-acre Decker Farm. Where there are deer there are ticks as well. Foxes are natural exterminators of the tick population. (Advance\/SILive.com | Jan Somma-Hammel)<\/p>\n

Me: So, how \u2018bout those ticks?<\/p>\n

Brad: [Scoffs] Lyme disease? Talk to the foxes. <\/a>We\u2019re just here for the ride.<\/p>\n

Me: What\u2019s up with eating my hostas? And can you leave my pumpkins be?<\/p>\n

Brad: We were here first.<\/p>\n

Me: Sausage?<\/p>\n

Brad: [stares into the distance] No comment.<\/p>\n

A buck of few words, especially when it comes to venison, the deer ultimately are more organized in this kind of conversation, naturally more photogenic \u2014 and definitely winning.<\/p>\n

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