If you visit your neighbor’s house and find a deer head in the freezer, don’t worry. They are just following the instructions of the State of New York.

New Yorkers have always had a love/hate relationship with deer. Seeing one of these magnificent animals walking across your lawn at sunset is always a treat. Many Hudson Valley residents are known for taking photos of the deer in their neighborhood and tracking the progress of baby fawns as they follow them closely.

On the other hand, deer are notoriously stupid animals that won’t hesitate to jump in front of your car when you’re driving down the road. I doubt there is anyone in the Hudson Valley who hasn’t hit a deer or know someone who has.

Why does New York ask people to cut off deer heads?

Last week, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed that a deer in Herkimer County was discovered with chronic waste disease. The disease is deadly and its spread throughout New York State can threaten moose and white-tailed deer populations.

Fortunately, the only deer diagnosed with the disease resides in a captive deer holding facility. However, the DEC is taking every precaution to ensure that chronic litter disease does not become widespread throughout the state.

Hunters are asked to report any sick or dying deer they encounter. Additionally, deer harvested in areas surrounding Herkimer County would have to be decapitated for testing purposes.

The DEC instructs hunters to “cut off the head of the deer with some of the neck remaining” and store it in the freezer until it can be filed for testing. The frozen heads should then be placed in a plastic trash bag, labeled with the hunter’s name, address and phone number, and deposited in special containers throughout the county.

The large white metal containers will be emptied by the DEC and the samples will be tested for chronic waste disease. More information about the program and collection site locations are posted on the DEC website.

300 of these majestic white deer live in upstate New York!