HuntingNet.com Forums - View Single Post - UPDATED, GOOD NEWS, For all New York Pheasant Hunters

12-29-2008, 04:05 PM

#4

rlelvis

Join Date: Dec 2008

Posts: 6

RE: For all New York Pheasant Hunters

I also hope that sportsman will be able to influence both funding and the DEC decision to continue the program.

Like most hunters I have always taken the stocking program for granted. The old adage of hindsight etc... It is like many things that often get less attention then they should until it is to late and programs are ended or rights are lost. Someone else with no real interest is making decisions, often arbitrary or even worse – agenda driven.

I for one feel that it is worth great effort to work toward and affect a solution to funding and continuance of the program. The way I see it is that to allow this to go by the wayside without a conscious and pointed effort would be foolish. I feel that there is more at stake then just pheasant hunting. Without an outspoken and firm stand it could easily be assumed that the politicians or DEC can do as they wish with both our money and hunting opportunities in New York. I have been fortunate to live in several states and will say with the exception of Alaska non compare to New York in terms of various outdoors opportunities, to include hunting.

We must remember that most of our politicians are not hunters and this includes some of our DEC officials... Politicians are driven by voters and the squeaky wheel adage applies. All too often the average hunter, myself included, go about our lives without the conscious effort to support or speak out on what we believe in or hold in value.

Right now the future of pheasant hunting in New York is uncertain. Ultimately the solution may be a joint effort between private organizations and the DEC. Maybe it will be in organized pressure from hunters to encourage the DEC to restore the Reynolds Game Farm and stocking program.

One thing is for certain though, without a well thought out and pointed effort from New York hunters nothing will change. So I encourage everyone that enjoys hunting in New York to speak up in defense of this decision of other opportunities we all take for granted before they are also taken from us.

I for one would not be opposed to having a pheasant stamp but would first want to see a public and detailed full disclosure of where all moneys (from hunting licenses, gun and ammo taxes, and earmarked state and federal funds, etc) have gone for the past five years and where future funds were to be committed.

In terms of economics it has been proven in study after study that outdoor recreation, including hunting, has a very high dollar to dollar return ratio. Yet these are often the first programs to be cut.

You do the math…

Below are three l inks. The first link is to Pheasant Forever, eight chapters operating in New York. The next is to an article posted on Syracuse .com. The third is to a short write up by the NRA.

There are contact names and numbers as well as other thoughts on the program.

http://www.pheasantsforever.org/page/1/FindaChapter.jsp?state=NY

http://www.syracuse.com/outdoors/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1229680598256990.xml&coll=1&thispage=2

http://www.nraila.org/legislation/read.aspx?id=4274

ok so now for the real reason I wrote this - my dog made me do it, he got tired of being wet all the time and took a liking to pheasants. Not really, a Chessie never gets tired of the water or the camera.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e237/rlelvis/hunting/100_1469_50.jpg

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