ORIGINAL: SteveBNy
Last time I checked...bow has made some fairly nice developments
But all archery tacke is still in archery season. And while longer shots are possible, it is still a 20 yard and closer harvest. National average for bow kill is less than 23 yards. Those that use it in gun have little or no impact on gun hunters.
Just because the technology has advanced in MZ has no bearing on whether or not a seperate season is needed
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That is exactly the reason an arguement can be made for no need for a seperate season (which once again I do not oppose unles it effects other seasons) - the only advantage a shotgun has is more shots. A modern inline for the most part is more accurate, has longer range, and can be reloaded with speed loaders in as little as 15 seconds. I am a 3 season hunter utilizing my Omega in 2 of them because it is a superior tool. I say this while looking in the mirror
If they want to better control the numbers, then let the hunters who routinely fill doe tags get more. Give everyone one to start instead of 2 randomly to hunters that may not fill even one. Return a filled tag and get issued another until the harvest numbers are met in the section.
Last year I had 3 tags with the super sportsman and drew only 1 more dmp. Had 2 more dmp legally signed over. Shot one buck in bow and filled the 4 antlerless tags. Many hunters in my section had 2 original dmps and at most filled only one. I hunt a lot and had many opportunities to fill more dmp if they were available and would have to donate to the Venizon programs. I was happy with my year and did not need to fill more tags but would have for management reasons.
The point I keep trying to make is that any goal the DEC is trying to achieve can be met WITHOUT splitting the seasons. Why go beyond what is needed to accomplish this.
Steve
You can use a bow all season long. Just because a MZ can be used during gun has no bearing on it not having its own season.
I frequently drive my race car on the streets in the summer. Should I not be allowed to race during the racing seasons it because I can drive it on the streets too? Same logic.
And a MZ has no or little impact during the reg. firearms season. Yes, a bit of extended range, but that is it.
Your arguement for technology is not logical. Alot of deer are NOT taken on the first shot. Yes that is the goal, but sometimes it happens. If you replaced shotguns with modern MZ'ers, the state deer take numbers would not be at their goals. Hence while a MZer is a good choice to control the population, it is NOT as effective as a shotgun season.
Both bow and MZ have weaknesses, and a seperate season is a logical and reasonable expectation for hunters.
Just because your yardage has not increased in bows technology wise and a mz has does not make it reasonable to ban an mz season.
You want to see NYS go bankrupt fast? Enact your policy on doe tags....then watch the lawsuits fly for discrimination.The only way they get around that is through the signing over of DMP's, which they do now. It is a basic prinicple of law that they cannot enact a version similar to yours, they have thought of a similar control method, and that led to the current format.
If you state that the DEC can get their goals met without seperating the seasons, then you would have it that bow, shotgun, and MZ all can hunt during the same season (IE no seperate seasons whatsoever)?