NYB - conclusion reached from reading your posts - I certainly don't mean it as a negative. Anyone who feels strongly about their believes and opinion and is willing to discuss them openly ALWAYS has my respect.

Steve

I like the idea of having more time to use the muzzleloader, but not right in the middle of bow. Here's my proposal (part my ideas and some others that were batted around at the state-wide mtgs a few years back):

Bow opens Oct 1st - no big deal just gives a few extra weeks in the woods

Shotgun stays the same (I like the traditional Mon. opener) - I don't really care that much if it were switched to the 3rd Sat.

Muzzleloader starts w/ shotgun - It does anyway. People can feel free to use their ML anytime during regular season.

No late Bow - Not really necessary in my book, especially with 2 extra weeks up front.

Muzzleloader - Starts after Shotgun and goes until.....say, January 20 or whatever. This is where they can give those with muzzleloaders a longer season. Give them enough time that the deer can calm down a bit and get back to "normal". Also give those (like me) that have been hunting since Oct 15 a chance to take a break, relax and then spend a few more days in the woods at their "leisure". Is there any reason that the season can't be this long?? DEC mentioned this at those meeting a few years ago (along with Oct 1 Bow) and I thought it was great, but haven't heard anything about it since.

My vote is no for split bow interupted by ML. If it did become a reality, the least they could do is have that week open to bow hunters as well. Sort of assinine to exclude them for that week.

I will definitely be at the meeting(s) and will be sending some emails to whoever needs to get them (DEC inparticular).

Very sensible and fair idea. We should all promote strongly to the DEC. I agree the extra two weeks of bow is meaningless and the current late bow is even more meaningless. Might as well flip flop them and have a longer late season muzzleloader. The only down side to a January season is bucks will be shot for does due to antler drop, but probably not that many anyway. Most hard core hunters are nearly divorced by Xmas anyway so late season will not get hit that hard.

I took it as a compliment steve.

omg! are you kidding im going to be hunting in shorts and a tee shirt nxt fall
as far as falcons they can kiss it i signed up for a yr member ship to yrs ago at the turkey shoot anfd jan a few months later they swend me a renuew bill now 1 week less of bow hunting youll have guys shoot 5 shots on 1 deer
as a VERY avid bowhunter this is outrageous

you will be surprised as to how many hunters take to the woods on the earlie muzzleloading season, when they started it here a couple of years ago, the sale of muzzleloader stamps skyrocked, when they allowed us to use inlines in Pa. i myself have bought the stamp ever since it came out, but have never used it in the earlie season. i just cant bring myself to set with a gun and watch a nice rack buck walk by without being able to harvest it. this stratagy worked great for me the last 2 years. on the first day of ML. season on both years i got 8pts both years. this year i got skunked.

its amazing how many hunters would like to fill their tags in the warm oct. season rather than set in the cold in november. the only thing with NY that i dont like is only having a couple of days for the late ML season.

anyone have a 9s tag their not going to use i could use one?????

maybe they wanted to double bill you because of your poor grammar and spelling???

LOL

The idea behind the early muzzleloader season is to thin the does before the rut and before food sources become scarce. I remember reading the scientific reasons for this when PA implemented an early doe season. I have a few problems with it. First, my home is out in the woods and I am not a big fan of any type of rifle hunting, muzzleloading or not. I do like that they are single shot. Second, why close the archery season for this week? If the muzzleloading season must happen, I would say start it the last week of September before the opening of archery season.

The idea of opening the first day of firearms on a Saturday is down right scary. As it is now, first day on State land is already pretty close to unsafe. If you get a few more hunters out because of the weekend start we may end up with more "accidents"

What is the link to the NYB? I would like to join the discussion and try to alter these proposed regs. Thanks

http://www.newyorkbowhunters.com/

I swear they are trying to wipe out the herd all together. That's plain and simply insane to me. Apparantely they are still under the impression that there are too many deer roaming around? Aren't the 7 zillion tags they hand out now enough? At this rate in a few years it will be like the old days when you got really excited if you found a set of deer tracks. Consider it a succesful day in the woods.