Duck hunters have until March 31 to submit suggestions for next year's season. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) established hunter task forces in 1997 to get specific recommendations for duck hunting season dates for areas of the state where hunter preferences vary widely. For nine years, these task forces have provided DEC with recommendations that have helped established equitable hunting opportunities for the various interests in each waterfowl hunting zone.
“Federal regulations limit the number of days duck season can be open, and the Waterfowl Hunter Task Forces have helped DEC establish season dates,” DEC Commissioner Denise M Sheehan said. “We look forward to working with waterfowl hunters and task force members to ensure that all can have an enjoyable and successful season in 2006.”
New York state is divided into five waterfowl hunting zones: Western, Southeastern, Northeastern, Lake Champlain and Long Island. The Finger Lakes region is in the Western zone. DEC recently appointed task forces for the Western, Southeastern and Northeastern Zones to assist in making recommendations for the fall 2006 season. The task force in each zone includes representatives from the New York State Conservation Council, waterfowl hunting organizations and individual waterfowl hunters who were chosen to provide a broad range of input. It will be the responsibility of task force members to act as representatives of all duck hunters in each zone and recommend a season that best satisfies the diverse interests.
Each task force will recommend opening and closing dates for the duck hunting season, including “split seasons.” The task forces will also recommend dates for a Youth Waterfowl Hunting Weekend. The recommended dates must be within the guidelines expected to be established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in late summer. If duck populations remain consistent with recent years' populations, DEC expects the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to allow a 60-day season between Sept. 23 and Jan. 28. The fall 2006 waterfowl seasons for the Western, Southeastern and Northeastern Zones will be based on task force recommendations.
Waterfowl hunters can participate in the season setting process by providing comments directly to task force members by mail, phone or e-mail or to a DEC Web site. A local task force member is Tim Noga, 7318 Laraway Road, Cayuga, New York 13034, phone 252-1321.
Input on hunting seasons for migratory game birds, including Canada geese, snow geese, brant, woodcock, snipe, rails and crows should be submitted by April 30. The task force will meet in April and DEC plans to announce tentative duck hunting season dates in June the hunters can make vacation or travel plans.
DEER HUNTERS
The New York State Conservation Council is conducting a deer management survey to determine the opinions of sportsmen and women from across the state on the quality of the state's deer herd.
The survey is based on the concerns of individuals with the quality of our deer herd. They believe there is an increase in the number of does giving birth to fawns late. When fawns are born late in the year, they are more susceptible to predation and starvation over the winter. When the buck-to-doe ratio is off balance, only a few does are bred during the first rut. The Council says some biologists believe one buck is able to breed three or four does during the first rut. Apparently in some areas of the state many of the road-killed does examined were found to have been bred during the second rut, which occurs in December or in some areas it may not occur. Some people believe that by allowing more bucks to live until at least 2 years of age, the majority of does will be bred during the first rut by these additional bucks. This would allow their fawns to build body weight and fat, giving them the best chances of making it through the winter.
According to DEC Wildlife personnel in Region 7, this phenomenon has not been documented in the northern part of the United States. It does appear to have some validity in the southern states, but there is no good documentation supporting this in the north. This may be contributed to the fact that deer have had to adjust and allow for seasonal changes in the north, and it may not have become a problem here. In addition, some work has been done on this topic in Pennsylvania and so far there has been no evidence that supports this theory. DEC will be examining this matter and conducting studies in the future.
To obtain a survey form contact Tim Noga. Your information will not be distributed to any other organization, and the total numbers from the surveys will be used to advise DEC of how sportsmen and women think and what they would like done in regards to the quality of the state's deer herd.
New York state is divided into five waterfowl hunting zones: Western, Southeastern, Northeastern, Lake Champlain and Long Island. The Finger Lakes region is in the Western zone. DEC recently appointed task forces for the Western, Southeastern and Northeastern Zones to assist in making recommendations for the fall 2006 season. The task force in each zone includes representatives from the New York State Conservation Council, waterfowl hunting organizations and individual waterfowl hunters who were chosen to provide a broad range of input. It will be the responsibility of task force members to act as representatives of all duck hunters in each zone and recommend a season that best satisfies the diverse interests.
Each task force will recommend opening and closing dates for the duck hunting season, including “split seasons.” The task forces will also recommend dates for a Youth Waterfowl Hunting Weekend. The recommended dates must be within the guidelines expected to be established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in late summer. If duck populations remain consistent with recent years' populations, DEC expects the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to allow a 60-day season between Sept. 23 and Jan. 28. The fall 2006 waterfowl seasons for the Western, Southeastern and Northeastern Zones will be based on task force recommendations.
Waterfowl hunters can participate in the season setting process by providing comments directly to task force members by mail, phone or e-mail or to a DEC Web site. A local task force member is Tim Noga, 7318 Laraway Road, Cayuga, New York 13034, phone 252-1321.
Input on hunting seasons for migratory game birds, including Canada geese, snow geese, brant, woodcock, snipe, rails and crows should be submitted by April 30. The task force will meet in April and DEC plans to announce tentative duck hunting season dates in June the hunters can make vacation or travel plans.
DEER HUNTERS
The New York State Conservation Council is conducting a deer management survey to determine the opinions of sportsmen and women from across the state on the quality of the state's deer herd.
The survey is based on the concerns of individuals with the quality of our deer herd. They believe there is an increase in the number of does giving birth to fawns late. When fawns are born late in the year, they are more susceptible to predation and starvation over the winter. When the buck-to-doe ratio is off balance, only a few does are bred during the first rut. The Council says some biologists believe one buck is able to breed three or four does during the first rut. Apparently in some areas of the state many of the road-killed does examined were found to have been bred during the second rut, which occurs in December or in some areas it may not occur. Some people believe that by allowing more bucks to live until at least 2 years of age, the majority of does will be bred during the first rut by these additional bucks. This would allow their fawns to build body weight and fat, giving them the best chances of making it through the winter.
According to DEC Wildlife personnel in Region 7, this phenomenon has not been documented in the northern part of the United States. It does appear to have some validity in the southern states, but there is no good documentation supporting this in the north. This may be contributed to the fact that deer have had to adjust and allow for seasonal changes in the north, and it may not have become a problem here. In addition, some work has been done on this topic in Pennsylvania and so far there has been no evidence that supports this theory. DEC will be examining this matter and conducting studies in the future.
To obtain a survey form contact Tim Noga. Your information will not be distributed to any other organization, and the total numbers from the surveys will be used to advise DEC of how sportsmen and women think and what they would like done in regards to the quality of the state's deer herd.