RE: New Years Resolutions for NY Hunting & Hunters
I know this has been covered (at some length). But these were my thoughts when I set out writing down my ideas:
Antler Restriction (AR) - Talk about a highly debated, hottopic. I have to admit I really haven’t had a big opinion either way on this complex topic and have not really researched it too much. My gut feeling has been that a really don’t like it. I’m just not convinced it is the right way to go and seems too much like a trend toward trophy hunting. Both the “3 point per side” and newer “spread limitation” theories have their benefits and faults (that’s a whole other topic that should be tackled by someone far more knowledgeable in AR than me - and has been cover). I watched and listened as PA went through their change to AR and saw the intense and, at times, very nasty debate. It seems, for the most part, that ARs have shown some benefits in PA and there aren’t anywhere near as many complaints and nay-sayers as before. As far as NY goes, I would like to see how the pilot project in the test WMUs plays out and hear what the hunters in those units think after a few more years. To me the bottom line should be about herd health and population dynamics and not trophy hunting. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see more 140-160 class bucks. However, I am just as content to have a healthy herd and have the ability to take a doe or buck (whether it’s a spike, fork, 8 pt. or better). There needs to be a clear definition of what ARs (in any form) in NY would accomplish and how they would accomplish those goals. I’m sure there will be much more to come on antler restrictions in the years to come.
Buck Limits - I hate (maybe hate is too strong of a word, how about vehemently oppose) this new notion of a 1 buck limit I have heard proposed. I just don’t know what purpose it would serve. If you believe there are “no” deer in NY (I happen to think there are plenty), what does lowering buck harvests do? Males do not control deer populations, females do. Unless someone can convince me that there was a sound management premise behind it and that it was necessary, I would never want to see this happen. I also don’t like the notion that with one good day, the hunting season could be over or severely reduced (for instance, if you shoot a buck on the bow opener and had no doe permits - under current season structure). I did hear an interesting idea regarding this subject and relates to ARs also. Maybe a have a structure where a hunter’s first buck can be any legal buck, whether taken with gun, bow, ML, or crossbow (?). However, the second buck would have to meet an AR limit (whatever that might be would have to be determined). This might be a good way to incorporate some of the benefits of AR without infringing on a hunters ability to take a deer.