New York Hunting News

NY DEC States 2011 Ties For The Safest Year In...

The 2011 hunting season tied 2009 for New York State’s safest year of hunting on record based on the number of hunting-related shooting incidents, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced today.

“Hunting is a tradition in New York state that continues to be safely enjoyed by many” said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. “New York has an extremely safety-conscious generation of hunters thanks largely to more than 60 years of dedicated efforts of 3,000 volunteer Sportsman Education Instructors. All first-time hunters are required to attend a comprehensive hunter safety course of a minimum of 10 hours taught by DEC’s highly-trained instructors. Their hard work is paying off.”

In the 2011 hunting seasons, 26 personal injury hunting-related shooting incidents were reported, including four fatalities. All of the fatalities occurred during the regular deer season, one of which was self-inflicted.

The hunter safety courses stress safe practices and ethics, along with information on New York’s game species and their management. All courses are offered free of charge, but students must successfully complete the course and pass the final exam before being eligible to purchase a hunting license.

The number of hunters in New York State is declining, but the hunting incident rate (incidents per 100,000 hunters) is falling at a much faster rate. Since the 1960s, the number of hunters has declined about 20 percent, while the incident rate has declined more than 70 percent. The past five-year average is 5.3 incidents per 100,000 hunters, compared to 19 per 100,000 in the 1960s.

While hunting is safer than ever, accidents do happen and it is important to remember that every hunting-related shooting incident is preventable. Many, if not all of these incidents could have been prevented, if only the shooter or victim had followed the primary rules of hunter safety:

· Treat every firearm as if it were loaded
· Keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction
· Identify your target and what lies beyond
· Keep finger off the trigger until ready to fire
· Wear hunter orange

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NY DEC Long Island Youth Conservation Program D...

Bow Hunter and Hunter Safety Courses for Children 12 – 16 years-old Will Be Offered

Two separate two- day hands on programs on bow hunter safety and hunting safety will be offered in March and April by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Sportsman Education unit.

The Bow Hunter Safety Course will be offered on March 17 and 18 and the Hunter Safety Course will be offered on April 14 and 15 at the Peconic River Sportsman’s Club in Manorville.

Both events are being sponsored by the DEC’s Sportsman Education unit, the New York State Conservation Officers Association and the Peconic River Sportsman’s Club.

“Hunting and fishing are an important part of Long Island’s heritage, and we are very fortunate that our region offers a multitude of diverse and rewarding recreational opportunities,” DEC Region One Director Peter A. Scully said. “DEC applauds our local sportsmen and women, the Conservation Officers Association and the Peconic River Sportsman’s Club for their tireless work towards the protection of our environment and natural resources. The 2012 Youth Conservation Program is the perfect way to introduce children to hunting ethics and to teach them how to be responsible hunters.”

Each class is limited to 40 participants and selections are made by a panel that reviews a 75-word application.

Participants who successfully complete the program will receive their Hunter Education Training Certificate or Bow Hunter Education Training Certificate. These certificates are required in order to purchase a hunting license.

Enrollment in the class is open to all boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 16 who have not yet taken either their Hunter Education or Bow Hunter Education course.

For more information or to register for one or both of these sessions, contact the NYS DEC Sportsman Education Office at (631) 444-0255. A link to the application for these programs can be found at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/956.html.

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The NY Dec Is Now Accepting Applications For Ph...

DEC ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR PHEASANT RELEASE PROGRAM

The application period is now open for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s cooperative Day-Old Pheasant Chick Program, the agency announced today. The program enhances opportunities for pheasant hunting in New York state through a partnership between DEC and the sporting community, 4-H youths and landowners interested in rearing and releasing pheasants.

The Day-Old Pheasant Chick Program began in the early 1900s. In the early days of the program, pheasant eggs and chicks were distributed to farmers and rural youths via 4-H clubs. Today, day-old chicks are available at no cost to participants who are able to provide a brooding facility and covered outdoor rearing pen, and have identified an adequate release site. Approved applicants will receive the day-old chicks in April, May or June. No chicks obtained through the Day-Old Pheasant Chick Program are permitted to be released on private shooting preserves. All release sites must be approved in advance by DEC and must be open to the public for pheasant hunting. The program is funded through the State Conservation Fund from license fees paid by hunters, trappers and anglers.

Participants must monitor the health of the birds daily to ensure there is adequate feed and water for the rapidly growing chicks. The pheasants may be released when they are eight weeks old and no later than Dec. 1. Individuals interested in these programs should contact their nearest DEC regional office (please refer to offices listed below) for applications and additional information.

In 2011, DEC distributed 46,496 day-old pheasant chicks to qualified applicants.
Applications must be filed with a DEC regional wildlife manager by March 15, 2011.

DEC Region 1 - Nassau and Suffolk counties:
SUNY at Stony Brook
50 Circle Road
Stony Brook, NY 11790
(631) 444-0310

DEC Region 3 - Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties:
21 South Putt Corners Rd.
New Paltz, NY 12561
(845) 256-3098

DEC Region 4 - Albany, Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Schoharie counties:
65561 State Hwy 10, Suite 1
Stamford, NY 12167
(607) 652-7367

DEC Region 5 - Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties:
1115 Route 86, PO Box 296
Ray Brook, NY 12977
(518) 897-1291

DEC Region 6 - Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida and St. Lawrence counties:
317 Washington Street
Watertown, NY 13601
(315) 785-2261

DEC Region 7 - Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Madison,...

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NY DEC Is Asking For Your Assistance If You See...

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is asking the public to report any instances of deer appearing sick or acting abnormally. DEC is only investigating deer that appear to have died from unknown causes and not those that were killed by a vehicle, the agency announced today.

Anyone who sees a white-tailed deer acting abnormally or who finds a dead deer that was not struck by a vehicle is asked to report the animal to the nearest DEC regional office or to an Environmental Conservation Officer or Forest Ranger.

“One of the ways that DEC monitors the health of New York’s deer herd is by performing post- mortem examinations to determine the cause of the illness or death,” said Assistant Commissioner for Natural Resources Kathleen Moser. “We depend on information provided by people who are outdoors to tell us when they see something that does not look right to them.”

Recently, DEC indentified an uncommon bacterial disease in a deer from Warren County. This bacterial disease does not affect humans. However, DEC is seeking additional information to determine the prevalence of this disease in the deer herd and is responding to reports of deer that are acting abnormally. Deer with this bacterial disease may have a swollen head, neck or brisket. They also may exhibit excessive drooling, nasal discharge or respiratory distress. To aid in this investigation, DEC would also like to examine any deer that are found dead from unknown causes.

People should not handle or eat any deer that appears sick or acts abnormally. Sightings of sick, dying or dead deer should be reported to the nearest DEC regional office or an Environmental Conservation Officer or Forest Ranger.

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NY DEC Amends Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Reg...

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has revised its Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) regulations to prohibit the importation of certain parts of white-tailed deer taken in the state of Maryland effective immediately, DEC Commissioner Joe Martens announced today.

The first case of CWD in the state of Maryland was confirmed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources last year. In response, DEC has amended its CWD regulations to prohibit the importation of the following parts of deer taken in Maryland: brain, eyes, spinal cord, tonsils, intestinal tract, spleen or retropharyngeal lymph nodes.

“Hunters who take a deer in Maryland must butcher the animal and remove the prohibited parts before entering New York State,” Commissioner Martens said. “Most successful hunters will opt to butcher a deer and put the meat in a cooler before traveling back to New York.”

DEC has conducted an extensive surveillance program since CWD was first confirmed in New York State in 2005 and has not discovered any additional cases of CWD since that time. CWD is a contagious neurological disease affecting deer, elk and moose. It causes a characteristic spongy degeneration of the brains of infected animals resulting in emaciation, abnormal behavior, loss of bodily functions and death.

It is not known exactly how CWD is transmitted. The infectious agent, a prion, may be passed from animal to animal through feces, urine or saliva. The minimal incubation period between infection and development of clinical disease appears to be about 16 months. The maximum incubation period is unknown, as is the point at which shedding of the CWD agent begins during the prolonged course of infection.

The movement of infectious material is believed to be one route of transmission. This amendment to the CWD regulations will prohibit the importation of those parts of a deer where the disease is most likely to be found. DEC advises hunters not to consume the meat of any animal that acts abnormal and to exercise precautions when butchering animals, such as using rubber or latex gloves.

Additional information about CWD can be found at the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance’s website: www.cwd-info.org.

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