{"id":11730,"date":"2015-09-13T20:54:24","date_gmt":"2015-09-14T00:54:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/?p=11730"},"modified":"2015-09-14T12:09:02","modified_gmt":"2015-09-14T16:09:02","slug":"white-deer-seneca-army-depot-romulus-ny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/2015\/09\/white-deer-seneca-army-depot-romulus-ny\/","title":{"rendered":"The Legendary White Deer of Seneca Army Depot"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a title=\"White deer at Seneca Army Depot. Romulus, NY. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]\" rel=\"lightbox-whitedeer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/photos\/seneca-army-depot-00.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin:4px 0px 6px 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/photos\/seneca-army-depot-00.jpg\" border=\"1\" alt=\"White deer at Seneca Army Depot. Romulus, NY. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]\" width=\"100%\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<small><i>The following is a guest post submitted by <a href=\"http:\/\/eggwork.com\/\">Matthew Ehlers<\/a>.<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:info@rochestersubway.com\">Submit your story today<\/a>.<\/i><\/small><\/p>\n<p>For years I\u2019ve wanted to camp overnight near the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Seneca_Army_Depot\" target=\"_blank\">Seneca Army Depot <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"position: relative; top: 2px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/icon_link.gif\" alt=\"external link\" width=\"15\" height=\"11\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a> and see if I could get some photos of the famed Seneca White Deer. Finally, I decided it was worth getting up before sunrise and just driving out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/42%C2%B045'15.7%22N+76%C2%B051'57.0%22W\/@42.754367,-76.865845,21696m\/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\">there <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"position: relative; top: 2px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/icon_link.gif\" alt=\"external link\" width=\"15\" height=\"11\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a>. The morning had perfect conditions. Hazy clouds extended the sunrise until at least 7:30 AM. Prime time activity for the deer population&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div class=\"video-container\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/137778636\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>From <a href=\"http:\/\/senecawhitedeer.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">SenecaWhiteDeer.org <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"position: relative; top: 2px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/icon_link.gif\" alt=\"external link\" width=\"15\" height=\"11\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a> \u2013 \u201cThe white deer found at Seneca Army Depot are a natural variation of the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), which normally have brown coloring. The Seneca White Deer are leucistic, meaning they lack all pigmentation in the hair but have the normal brown-colored eyes. Albino deer, which lack only the pigment melanin, have pink eyes and are extremely rare. The Seneca White Deer interbreed freely with the brown deer in the former Depot and appear to share the habitat equally.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"I was surprised to discover how open the facility was. The only deterrent it seemed was the trespassing signs. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]\" rel=\"lightbox-whitedeer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/photos\/seneca-army-depot-01.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin:4px 0px 6px 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/photos\/seneca-army-depot-01.jpg\" border=\"1\" alt=\"I was surprised to discover how open the facility was. The only deterrent it seemed was the trespassing signs. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]\" width=\"100%\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nI was surprised to discover how open the facility was. The only deterrent it seemed was the trespassing signs.  According to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.democratandchronicle.com\/article\/20090426\/SPORTS0103\/904260358\/Old-fortress-yields-sightseers-Seneca-Army-Depot\" target=\"_blank\">Democrat &#038; Chronicle <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"position: relative; top: 2px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/icon_link.gif\" alt=\"external link\" width=\"15\" height=\"11\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a>, &#8220;during the cold war the depot held the largest stockpile of Army nuclear weapons in the country.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Thus the tight security.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"During the cold war the depot held the largest stockpile of Army nuclear weapons in the country. Thus the tight security. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]\" rel=\"lightbox-whitedeer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/photos\/seneca-army-depot-02.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin:4px 0px 6px 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/photos\/seneca-army-depot-02.jpg\" border=\"1\" alt=\"During the cold war the depot held the largest stockpile of Army nuclear weapons in the country. Thus the tight security. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]\" width=\"100%\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nThe facility closed in 1995.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"The area is also home to a charming variety of wildlife. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]\" rel=\"lightbox-whitedeer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/photos\/seneca-army-depot-03.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin:4px 0px 6px 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/photos\/seneca-army-depot-03.jpg\" border=\"1\" alt=\"The area is also home to a charming variety of wildlife. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]\" width=\"100%\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nAlong 96 South I discovered a huge part of the fence was knocked down. Probably a car accident since a road dead-ends directly across from the break in the fence. Certainly, the white deer could exit easily from here.<\/p>\n<p>The area is also home to a charming variety of wildlife.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Not sure what we have here. Perhaps a fox or a stray dog. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]\" rel=\"lightbox-whitedeer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/photos\/seneca-army-depot-04.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin:4px 0px 6px 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/photos\/seneca-army-depot-04.jpg\" border=\"1\" alt=\"Not sure what we have here. Perhaps a fox or a stray dog. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]\" width=\"100%\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nMy girlfriend Jessica and I found a good spot near the long chain-link fence just past a long stretch of train tracks. Not sure what we have here&#8230; Perhaps a fox or a stray dog.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"A single white doe crosses the road. I'm happy to have gotten to see one my first time out. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]\" rel=\"lightbox-whitedeer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/photos\/seneca-army-depot-05.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin:4px 0px 6px 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/photos\/seneca-army-depot-05.jpg\" border=\"1\" alt=\"A single white doe crosses the road. I'm happy to have gotten to see one my first time out. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]\" width=\"100%\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nIt was at that moment that Jessica alerted me to a buck, which I didn\u2019t get to see. But soon after, a single white doe crossed the road. Happy to have gotten to see one my first time out.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"In late 2016, the Army Corpse of Engineers, who maintain the fence around the Seneca Army Depot, will complete their environmental cleanup of the site. The fence containing the Seneca White Deer population will likely be removed. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]\" rel=\"lightbox-whitedeer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/photos\/seneca-army-depot-06.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin:4px 0px 6px 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/photos\/seneca-army-depot-06.jpg\" border=\"1\" alt=\"In late 2016, the Army Corpse of Engineers, who maintain the fence around the Seneca Army Depot, will complete their environmental cleanup of the site. The fence containing the Seneca White Deer population will likely be removed. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]\" width=\"100%\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nIn late 2016, the Army Corpse of Engineers, who maintain the fence around the Seneca Army Depot, will complete their environmental cleanup of the site. <\/p>\n<p><a title=\"The removal of the border fence will leave the future of the herd in doubt. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]\" rel=\"lightbox-whitedeer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/photos\/seneca-army-depot-07.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin:4px 0px 6px 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/photos\/seneca-army-depot-07.jpg\" border=\"1\" alt=\"The removal of the border fence will leave the future of the herd in doubt. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]\" width=\"100%\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nAt that time, the fence that has protected the Seneca White Deer population for half a century will likely be removed, leaving the future of the herd in doubt.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align:center; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px;\">\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/div>\n<h3>Additional Information<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/senecawhitedeer.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Seneca White Deer Inc. <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"position: relative; top: 2px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/icon_link.gif\" alt=\"external link\" width=\"15\" height=\"11\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a> (SWD) works to preserve the unique wildlife and military history of the former Seneca Army Depot through conservation, tourism and economic development. <a href=\"http:\/\/senecawhitedeer.org\/save-the-depot\/how-you-can-help\/\" target=\"_blank\">Learn what you can do to help. <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"position: relative; top: 2px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/images\/icon_link.gif\" alt=\"external link\" width=\"15\" height=\"11\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>According to SWD no tours of the Depot are scheduled for this year or any time in the future. The Seneca County Industrial Development Agency (IDA), which controls access to the Depot, has turned down repeated requests saying they will no longer permit short-term use of the Depot. The IDA has not allowed anyone access to the Depot to photograph or video the deer or other wildlife for several years.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align:center; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px;\">\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The following is a guest post submitted by Matthew Ehlers. Submit your story today. For years I\u2019ve wanted to camp overnight near the Seneca Army Depot and see if I could get some photos of the famed Seneca White Deer. Finally, I decided it was worth getting up before sunrise and just driving out there [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11736,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1293,242,788,3,2294,1075],"tags":[3603,3610,146,3442,826,3605,3607,3606,3602,3608,3609,525,3601,3604],"class_list":["post-11730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reader-submitted-stories","category-rochester-destinations","category-old-photos-of-rochester-ny","category-mass_transit_infrastructure","category-urban-exploration-2","category-video-2","tag-army-corpse-of-engineers","tag-cayuga-lake","tag-genesee-finger-lakes-region","tag-matthew-ehlers","tag-movie","tag-nature","tag-odocoileus-virginianus","tag-romulus-ny","tag-seneca-army-depot","tag-seneca-county","tag-seneca-lake","tag-video","tag-white-deer","tag-wildlife"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11730"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11743,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11730\/revisions\/11743"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}