NY DEC News

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.

Click Here to read the full article...

Read story →    0 comments   

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,...

Click Here to read the full article...

Read story →    0 comments   

NY DEC: Deer harvest same as 2010, Bear harvest...

NY DEC:

As it stands now, deer harvest reports seem to be on par with last year at this time. We started out with reported deer take through mid-November running about 5% less than last year. Then reports during the first week of the Southern Zone regular season were slow, near 20% less than the opening week in 2010. But hunters did well Thanksgiving week, and currently reports are tracking very close to reported take in 2010. At this point, we are just tracking harvest reports and aren't yet calculating the total harvest. That will come after the January deer season closes on Long Island and after we review all the data from our field checks of harvested deer.

For bears, this season has shaped up to be quite different from last year, with preliminary harvests down in the Northern Zone but at record levels in the Southern Zone. Bear hunting was expanded into eastern New York this year, with the newly opened area spanning from Westchester County to Washington County. Hunters in the new areas have taken over 40 bears so far. Even without these additional bears, the preliminary take in southeastern New York (DEC Regions 3 and 4) looks like it could be one of the top harvests. In central and western New York (DEC Regions 7, 8, and 9), we're on track to top 300 bears, which will shatter the previous record of 189 bears taken in 2008.

Click Here to read the full article...

Read story →    5 comments   

NY DEC acquires land in the Hudson Valley expan...

The Cranberry Mountain Wildlife Management Area has expanded by a third with New York state’s acquisition of a 261-acre property in Putnam County that is prized for wildlife habitat and water quality protection, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens announced today. The property, known as North Hollow, is located within the Great Swamp watershed and was acquired by the state with federal grant money and a private donation.

“Adding North Hollow to the Cranberry Mountain Wildlife Management Area will preserve forested and watershed land for use by the public for expanded recreational and sportsmen activities,” Commissioner Martens said. “This acquisition is an example of how New Yorkers can benefit when state, federal, non-for-profit and private entities all work together to achieve a common goal. The preservation of North Hollow will be a valuable addition to a network of protected lands within the Highlands and Great Swamp areas, further protecting one of the largest freshwater wetlands in the state that is home to many plant and animal species.”

DEC sought to add the North Hollow property to its 467-acre Cranberry Mountain Wildlife Management Area to further protect the Highlands region for its abundant natural and cultural resources. The Cranberry Mountain WMA now totals 728 acres. Since 2006, DEC and the Trust for Public Land, a national conservation organization, have worked with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the family of the late Gerald Blumberg, a long-time resident of the Hudson River Valley, to conserve the property.

North Hollow features steep upland forests protecting the nearby Haviland Hollow Brook, a pristine trout stream. The brook watershed connects with the Great Swamp, Croton River and reservoirs in the New York Highlands that provide drinking water to New York City. The area is used for such recreational activities as hiking, cross-country skiing, hunting, fishing and trapping.

A federal Highlands Conservation Act grant for $653,500 was used toward the purchase of the property. The federal program is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is designed to assist Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania with conserving land and natural resources in the Highlands region.

The Highlands Conservation Act grant required a non-federal match on a dollar-for-dollar basis. The Blumberg family generously donated half the value of the property to meet the federal match requirement.

Marc Matsil, the Trust for Public Land’s New York State Director said: “Completing the conservation of the North Hollow property is a vital addition to the Cranberry Mountain Wildlife Management Area. The Trust for Public Land is grateful to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservati...

Click Here to read the full article...

Read story →    11 comments   

NY DEC officers ticket dozens of poachers over...

Just released a few minutes ago, the NY DEC announced that NY DEC officers ticket dozens of poachers over the past few weeks. The full announcement from the DEC and list of locations as well as those involved in the incidents is attached in PDF to this article.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) police officers recently concluded a blanket deer taking enforcement detail in the Capital Region and surrounding areas in conjunction with the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont, DEC announced today.

Environmental Conservation Officers (ECO) worked in conjunction with their counterparts in neighboring states to set up saturation patrols to target illegal deer shooting with the use of an artificial light, a practice commonly known as deer jacking. Typically, deer jacking occurs in remote rural areas, throughout the night. During this operation, which took place in late October and the first three weeks of November, ECOs worked long hours and often confronted armed individuals.

“The vast majority of hunters pursue and take game legally,” said DEC Law Enforcement Major Tim Duffy. “We work closely with the sporting community to stop individuals from illegally taking game to the detriment of wildlife populations and the legal efforts of honest hunters.”

ECOs are out in full force this time of year patrolling, staking out, and observing the lands on which people take deer. They are in uniform and undercover; they are in vehicles and on foot; they are checking licenses and watching over deer decoys.

View attachment: 11-29-11 DEC Police Ticket Dozens for Deer Poaching.pdf

Click Here to read the full article...

Read story →    32 comments