Talk on ‘The Demise and Return of the White-tailed Deer’ to take place in Owego

On Jan. 19, at 7 p.m., Ed Nizalowski will present “The Demise and Return of the White-tailed Deer” at the Hubbard Auditorium, Tioga County Office Building, located at 56 Main St. in Owego.

In the early days of settlement, there were so many deer that some pioneers paid off their mortgage with deerskins. By the mid-19th century, white tailed deer were gone due to lack of hunting regulations and loss of forest cover. 

In the early 20th century, the white tail reappeared creating quite a sensation for all the local newspapers. It was also a protected species by this time. Most of the public was horrified that anyone would shoot these defenseless animals. 

This would change in the 1930’s when people realized that these “defenseless” animals had outgrown their ecological niche. When the white tail became legal game, “Bucky the Deer”, a local wildlife resident, had much to say about his change of status. 

Local historian Ed Nizalowski will cover how this local drama played out.

This event is sponsored by the Sierra Club Susquehanna Group Tioga County Task Force and RAFT (Residents Allied for the Future of Tioga).

For more information about this event, contact Erin Riddle by email to riddleriddle@gmail.com, or by calling or text to (607) 372-5503.