Since the whitetail deer is New York's most important big game animal, it is inevitable that it would be the subject of much concern and study by sportsman, game officials, and biologists. The management of this magnificent animal has been a controversial subject for many years. Almost every community has its individuals or groups that are vitally interested, in one way or another, in any legislative or management measure which affects the deer population. Each group is a strong champion of its own interests and convictions. There seems to be an almost universal desire to involve a simple panacea that will solve the problem of the local group, yet be acceptable on a statewide basis. Thus, those charged with the management of the deer herd have a host of people looking over their shoulders. In addition to the farmers and foresters, the hunters, resort and hunting camp owners, restaurateurs, sporting goods dealers, and many others have a vital interest in the welfare of the deer." -- (From History of The White-tailed Deer in New York, 1956, C.W. Severinghaus, C.P. Brown, Game Research Investigators, New York State Conservation Department.)

A WHITETAIL PIONEER
History of The White-Tailed Deer in New York was a phenomenal, first of its kind piece of research that covered the abundance and distribution of deer in New York from pre-colonial times. From graphs, maps and charts created long before computers, the booklet explains deer management in New York State from the first statewide law in 1788 that established a closed season from January to July, to the first doe seasons in 1954.

In this photo, circa the early 1950s, Bill Severinghaus explains his tooth-aging technique to an interested bystander at a whitetail check section in upstate New York.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Region 5 wildlife biologist Ed Reed recently commented, "The only thing missing from that complete history is the arrival of the coyote." During a period that spanned four decades, C.W. Bill Severinghaus became one of the most prolific and productive whitetail research biologists who ever cut a deer track. His work has been referenced in nearly every major white-tailed deer book and publication put out in the past 50 years.

Having authored over 160 scientific papers and conducted research throughout the U.S. and Canada, he was an internationally recognized authority on the biology, life history, management and population dynamics of whitetails. Bill Severinghaus naturally became known locally as "Mr. Deer." Although he retired in 1977 from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Bill continued on as a consulting wildlife biologist for many years.

THE BIOLOGY OF DEER
In 1949, the criteria for determining the age in white-tailed deer through tooth development, wear and replacement became this biologist's most notable achievement. After examining the jawbones of 18,000 deer, Severinghaus and fellow researcher Jack Tanck worked up a system that became, and still is today, the standard for aging deer. Although more accurate methods are in use today, the Severinghaus/Tanck method is still the only one that can be used with a fair degree of accuracy in the field by the average layman.

Severinghaus did a lot of research in the Adirondack Mountains, particularly the 50,000-acre wilderness called the Moose River Plains. In his study of trails and runways, he observed that deer trails used in the "Plains" area along the South Branch of the Moose River in New York during the 1890s were still heavily used during the winter of 1951 some 60 years later.

These winter trails provided Severinghaus with an index for gauging malnutrition caused by winter stress and starvation. He used trail counts vs. tracks in winter for determining the foraging ability of deer. Severinghaus observed, "When individual deer tracks outnumber deer trails and group tracks, deer are foraging enough to maintain their physical condition. Conversely, when deer trails and group tracks equal or outnumber individual deer tracks, their foraging range has become so restricted that they are unable to secure adequate nourishment." This trail index is still used today in whitetail winter "yarding" areas in the northeast.

page: 1 | 2 | 3