cnyguy

Guys,

Sorry about the misinformation. doctariAFC is correct. I guess I associated the general fund money, as not going to true sportmans concerns, but being diverted to other non funded DEC programs. Thanks for painting a clearer picture doctari.

I think the ECO's in Tioga county do a great job, with the resources they are given.

tsoc

What is materializing in this conversation is indicative of how hard is to effect any kind of change.To accomplish that we all have to be close to being on the same page.We have to determine what in fact what our priorities are in some sense so that we can pursue something meaningful.
In Ulster county we need more ECO's they are spread way to thin and poaching is rampant.The unfortunate thing as one gentleman has said we all know folks whose illegal activity is so commonly accepted by themselves that they don't think they are doing any thing wrong.The blatant poachers include some pretty unsavory,low life kind of folks.Am I going to risk the safety of my home or family,for something that likely wont get responded to or wont be able to make stick?
The recently retired ECO in our area is a client and a friend and I have tipped him off about a number of things in the past.He asked me to testify in one instance and I refused.For the reasons previously mentioned.One of the known poachers in our area was a former crack addict,do I want a person with that mind set knowing who got him in trouble.
The mention about how business's are effected by shortening the firearms season is understood,although I would still be a proponent of cutting the season to a one week period of time.In our area that is when the business's see most of their activity any way.
More enforcement,check stations,one buck limit,one week firearm season.That's the direction I would choose to go.

doctariAFC

True words right there. This comes from two sources, primarily. Organization and Education. The reality is that the organization is in place. The grass roots are the conservation and rod & gun clubs, local chapters of National Clubs, et al, that are Federated to the County level umbrella, which acts as the representative for all of us in our specific counties to the NYSCC, which is the state level representative for sportsmen's concerns, rights, access, etc, etc. Another group, but with "similar" organization structure is CANY (Conservation Alliance of NY). Both groups (NYSCC is the larger, older org) each year directionally are defined by their charters to push for specific desires of the sportsmen and women. These desires come from each County Federation, in the form of resolutions. Each County may submit either 3 or 6 (I'll have to check theby-laws again for specifics) resolutions per year, with a deadline for resoltuions being February, I do believe. This gives time for each resolution to be voted up or down by the Federations in total. Federations get their position from membership votes from each member club. Those resolutions that pass, are those initiatives which get pushed. This is in addition to the reactionary responsibilities which take up a lot of time as to protect our 2nd Amendment Rights and rights to trap and hunt. Believe it or not, a movement is afoot to ban certain sized conibear traps, as follows:

Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2007 6:25 PM
Subject: NY Trappers - NY Trappers Alert!


> To many of you this comes as no surprise, to some it may come as a shock,
> but we are in danger of losing a very important tool for the harvest of
> furbearers in this state. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
> has proposed regulations to limit the use of 220 & 160 conibears on land.
> The proposal as it stands now is extreme and will drastically change the
> way you can set these traps on land. There will be a forthcoming public
> comment period in which we can send letters, emails, faxes and phone calls
> to voice our displeasure and hopefully force a change to the way in
> currently reads. Basically you will not be able to set any body gripping
> trap with a jaw spread over 5" on land unless it is elevated a minimum of
> 4 feet or completely enclosed within a box/bucket with a entrance hole no
> more the 50 square inches. This regulation would apply to both public &
> private land throughout the state, although ADC trappers would be exempt
> from these restrictions. Currently the N!
> YSTA leadership endorses the current proposal as it stands and if you
> would like to let your feelings be heard please contact your regional or
> county representative or plan on attending the next Board of Directors
> meeting scheduled for January 27th at the Herkimer County Fairgrounds in
> Frankfort, NY. A current listing of your representatives can be found on
> the NY Trappers Forum as well as current discussions on this subject. If
> you are a current member of the NYSTA now is the time to make your stand
> and if you aren't a member now is the time to join. There were almost
> 8,000 trapping licenses sold in the state this year and the current
> membership of the NYSTA is less than 2,000. There are over 6,000 trappers
> in this state that are currently getting a free ride and it's all about to
> end. Please speak with your friends & neighbors and if they aren't a
> member get them to join, there is strength in numbers and right now the
> DEC see's us as weak pawn that can be pushed around as!
> they see fit. Even if these folks don't trap, stress to them !
> the importance of banding together as sportmen/women. Once the
> anti-sportsmen groups get a foothold with one group the domino effect will
> surely follow somewhere down the road. Please don't think for one moment
> we aren't in trouble, just look at our neighbors in Massachusetts & New
> Jersey and ask them about there current trapping rights. Remember, we
> still have a chance here, if we lay down now and play dead that's exactly
> what we will be. This is the 2nd time the DEC has acted against the wishes
> of the trappers of NY in the past 2 years, what will be next? I can tell
> you what; we will be trapping with cages or worse yet, not at all. Please
> stay tuned for more information as it becomes available and I urge you to
> contact your NYSTA representatives, your state representatives in Albany
> and the DEC before it's too late.

apologies for the choppiness of the paste job.

Through involvement in grass roots clubs (not just, hey I am a member) and regular attendance at County level meetings, you gain the education. Through the organization we all have the opportunity to get our 2 cents in to set priorities. The resolutions cover a heck of a lot more than hunting concerns, and priorities are set as outdoors recreation in total, not priorities for hunting only, and the fishing only, etc. Massive, and our involvement is criticial.

Now, in regards to increased law enforcement personnel, etc., we truly cannot do much about it, because, believe it or not, the DEC has no control over it, either. Personnel decisions in terms of adding new positions to any part of the Department is up to State Legislation, not the DEC Commissioner. Different avenue, sadly.

tmeservey

I would also ban all spotlighting in NY state.Some of you might laugh but it's a serious problem in some areas....especially when you have a small local village of "bushwackers" that think it's a part of hunting.These guys really pi$$ me off and a good amount of them are night hunting and you know what for. Braggin rights! Happens all the time where I live. I took a eight pointer last year on the second day of gun season. He had a hole at the top of his neck anda exit hole out the top of his shoulder. Must of happened 2 weeks before rifle even opened. Almost every night spotlighters spot a farm i hunt anda few times a year at thisfarm we find bucks with heads cut off.Duringarchery and gun season my familywitness multiple trucks spoting less than 500 feet from our home and neighbors homes. My father and I are going to start calling the state police next year.

doughboysigep

HMMMMMM. Legal deer, harvested legally. Shame on "that" hunter. how dare he. The nerve of someone wanting to hunt his way. He should be flogged, maybe even have his license revoked for such blatent disregard for others feelings/desires.......oh, I forgot, he did it legally and ethically.

By the way, I actually think that very scenario migth be a good compromise for current practices and "AR" in some form. Let the first buck be any legal buck and any subsequent deerbe one that meets an "AR" criteria. Just a thought.

doctariAFC

I would whole-heartedly support that approach. In fact, I put that notion in writing in a letter last year during discussions over the CNY QDM plan.

jgbennett6

doughboy.....i have no problem with him shooting a 3" spiked buck, if he wants to put a tag on it.... dont get upset, you must not have read the entire thing where teh guy keeps on hunting for another buck.which i dont know where you hunt but in my area you are allowed only one buck with a firearm. so to shoot the 3" spike and keep hunting for "another" buck is neither legal or ethical.thats what i was saying, not that he shot a young deer..i have nothign against that.as long as after he kills the yearling he is done unless he has doe tags. ...as for teh AR on the second buck tag.i would def. agree to that, however in my area it would only apply to those who either bowhunt or late season muzzle hunt.

doughboysigep

I don't think that is how you stated it (gun hunting only). I interpreted it and was looking at it in respect to how I hunt (bow, gun, ML). In light of what you meant, hunting without a tag, that is a whole other matter and would agree with you that it is wrong and would get me upset as well.

jgbennett6

you are right i did not specify, that is my fault and i apologize. personally i hunt with all 3 as well, but i know plenty of hunters that feel cheated by "us" bowhunters and take it out on the deer by shooting anything they can.

BigJohn H

Correct me if I am wrong but don't you have to apply for another buck tag if you take one during bow season and want to take another buck during gun?