HuntingNY

Wow, this year has flown by. We are less then a week away from the 2011 southern zone bow season opener, the northern zone and Long Island already is in full swing. There have been quite a few reports of bucks, doe and a few turkeys down already. I want to take this time to make sure everyone has a safe and fun hunting season, wear those safety vests / straps if you have them! Are you ready? 5 Days away, bags packed, clothes washed and bow is ready! What are you looking forward to this season? (traditions, that buck you saw on the trail camera, hanging with your buddies?) I'm ready for all of the above, can't wait to BS with the hunting friends. Enjoy some good food, drinks, cigars and just relaxing the day away in my stand(s) hoping the big guy will walk by. Let us know here - > http://huntingny.com/forums/topic/6223-ready-to-go-5-days-away-bags-packed-clothes-washed-and-bow-is-ready/ Make sure you check out the 2011 harvest forum post here to view and share your deer: http://huntingny.com/forums/topic/5976-2011-harvest-thread/ For those with a smart phone (android, blackberry, iphone) let us know hows its going live from the woods or your stand! - > http://huntingny.com/forums/topic/5958-live-from-the-stand-2011/ Get excited for this season and check out some of the latest trail camera photos from hunters all over the state - > http://huntingny.com/forums/forum/23-trail-camera-pictures/ Don't forget about the 2011 Hunting NY Best Buck and Story Contest. There are some great prizes including a full head mount by Fins to Feathers, a bushnell 8mp trail camera, hats, sessions at Thrill Of The Hunt 3D Archery range, and DVD's from the guys at Venatic Outdoors - more info can be found here: http://huntingny.com/forums/topic/5961-2011-huntingnycom-best-buck-and-story-contest-info/ The site has grown leaps and bounds since started, there are over 76,800 posts as of today! Please remember to tell friends and family about the site, you can even forward them this email. If you have a hunting related business, hunting club or organization, or a hunting related website you want to share with members we have opened up a link sharing system here: http://huntingny.com/links Just select the category and click "Add Link" on the right side of the page. Please let us know if you have any suggestions, problems / issues, comments or are interested in sponsoring the site either post a topic on the site, or using the contact form located here: http://huntingny.com/forums/index.php?app=contactus Thank you http://HuntingNY.com

Motorists should be especially alert for moose on roadways in the Adirondacks and surrounding areas at this time of year, warns the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Early fall is the breeding season for moose in northern New York. During this time moose are wandering looking for mates, leading them to areas where they are not typically seen. While this improves the opportunities for people to enjoy sighting of a moose, it also increases the danger of colliding with one on the roadway. Moose are much larger and taller than deer. Their large body causes greater damage, and, when struck, their height often causes them to impact the windshield of a car or pickup truck, not just the front of the vehicle. In 2010, three moose vehicle accidents were reported in New York. Fortunately, there has not been a human fatality from an accident with a moose. Moose are most active at dawn and dusk, which are times of poor visibility. Moose are especially difficult to see at night because of their dark brown to black coloring and their height - which puts their head and much of their body above vehicle headlights. DEC advises motorists to take the following precautions to prevent moose vehicle collisions:· Use extreme caution when driving at dawn or dusk, especially during this time of year;· Reduce your speed, stay alert, and watch the roadsides;· Slow down when approaching moose standing near the roadside, as they may bolt at the last minute when a car comes closer, often running into the road;· Moose may travel in pairs or small groups, so if a moose is spotted crossing the road, be alert for others that may follow;· Make sure all vehicle occupants wear seatbelts and children are properly restrained in child safety seats;· Use flashers or a headlight signal to warn other drivers when moose are spotted near the road;· Motorcyclists should be especially alert for moose;· If a moose does run in front of your vehicle, brake firmly but do not swerve. Swerving can cause a vehicle-vehicle collision or cause the vehicle to hit a fixed object such as a tree or pole;· If a moose is hit and killed by a vehicle, the motorist should not remove the animal. The Environmental Conservation Law allows a motorist to keep a moose, but only following an on-scene police investigation, and issuance of a permit to possess the dead moose. DEC continues to work with the New York State Department of Transportation to identify areas where moose are present along roads and have warning signs placed in those more populated areas. DEC estimates that New York has a population of 500-800 moose, but the moose population appears to be growing. Over the past couple of decades, the moose population has mainly increased through moose entering the state from Vermont and Canada. Now, the increase in population is mainly due to the birth of moose calves here in New York. For more information on moose in New York State, visit the DEC website at http://www.dec.ny.go...imals/6964.html. This also offers a link to a photo gallery of moose in New York. Click here to view the article

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens today encouraged hunters to participate in two surveys for popular game species during this fall’s hunting seasons. “Each fall New York’s dedicated small game hunters spend thousands of hours afield exploring the state’s landscapes in pursuit of game,” said Commissioner Martens. “They’re uniquely positioned to assist DEC’s wildlife managers by providing data on changing wildlife populations and habitats. Citizen science efforts such as these are a great way for hunters to partner with DEC while enjoying their hunting heritage.” New England Cottontail Survey - The only native cottontail east of the Hudson River in New York is the New England cottontail; however, its populations are poorly understood. New England cottontails look nearly identical to Eastern cottontails and are only reliably identified by genetic testing or examining skull characteristics. Those that hunt rabbits in Rensselaer, Columbia, Dutchess, Putnam, or Westchester counties, can submit the heads of rabbits harvested to help determine the distribution of New England cottontails. Those interested in participating, or for more information, please contact DEC by phone at 518-402-8870 or by e-mail at [email protected] (please type “NE Cottontail” in the subject line). Participating hunters will receive instructions and a postage-paid envelope they can use to submit skulls. Hunters will be asked to provide the location and description of the habitat where each rabbit was taken. Results of these efforts will be available after the close of the hunting season. Ruffed Grouse and American Woodcock Hunting Log - Ruffed grouse and American woodcock are widely distributed across New York State. These species prefer habitats in an early stage of succession such as young forests, shrublands, and old orchards and fields. As New York’s forests grow older, these preferred habitats are waning, resulting in a decline in grouse and woodcock numbers since the 1960s. This survey asks hunters to record their daily grouse and woodcock hunting activities in a “hunting log”, including the number of grouse and woodcock flushed and the number of hours hunted. Grouse and woodcock share many of the same habitats, so the information provided will help monitor populations of both of these great game birds as habitats change both locally and on a landscape scale. Those interested in participating can download a hunting log from the DEC website. Detailed instructions can be found with the form. Survey forms can also be obtained by calling (518) 402-8886 or by e-mailing [email protected] (please type “Grouse Log” in the subject line). Additional information that can be found on the DEC website includes: · New England Cottontail Survey: http://www.dec.ny.go...mals/67017.html · Grouse and Woodcock Hunting Log: http://www.dec.ny.go...imals/9351.html · Citizen Science Initiatives: http://www.dec.ny.go...imals/1155.html Click here to view the article

First few deer and turkey of the fall hunting season from HuntingNY members posted! Congrats to those what were able to get their first harvests of the season this past weekend. Here are a few: Bruno knocked down this mature 7 pointer on Long Island, nice buck! http://huntingny.com...dpost__p__74937 RangerClay scored on this turkey Saturday morning. http://huntingny.com...od-on-saturday/ And forum member njg0621 knocked down this doe up in Saratoga for the Northern Zone opener. http://huntingny.com...dpost__p__74512 Congrats to all, more pictures are already flowing in, make sure you keep an eye out on these the 2011 harvest thread as well as the bow hunting and deer hunting forums for more posts for the 2011 hunting season! I almost left out this great buck by Tom, he knocked down this 8 pointer during the northern zone early season with his left over tag from last year. Check it out here: http://huntingny.com...-to-the-season/ Click here to view the article

Interesting, I'll check into that, keep it coming!

Hey All, Looking for some Feedback on the site - Any problems at all? I resolved a few in the last two weeks that people had PM'd me on. Let me know! Thanks

The 2011 deer hunting season is upon us, and wow are we excited! in the Are you ready? Check out the amazing trail camera pictures, there are some real monsters in New York: http://huntingny.com...amera-pictures/ Are you all set for the Bow Season? Chime in on a few of the posts in the Bow Hunting section here: http://huntingny.com...16-bow-hunting/ Check out the latest posts on the forums via this link: http://huntingny.com...arch_app=forums If you have a smart phone (iphone, android, blackberry, etc) send us updates of your hunting from the hunt! http://huntingny.com...the-stand-2011/ The site has grown leaps and bounds since started, there are over 73,400 posts as of today! Please remember to tell friends and family about the site and contest, you can even forward them this email. Please let us know if you have any suggestions, comments or are interested in sponsoring the site either post a topic on the site, or using the contact form located here: http://huntingny.com...p?app=contactus We have decided to have our second contest, The Hunting NY 2011 Best Buck and Story Contest! To read the full contest post and to comment on the contest click here: http://huntingny.com...y-contest-info/ First Place (Grand Prize): - A beautiful professional deer head mount by award winning Fins to Feathers Taxidermy. (see below for details) - A HuntingNY.com embroidered lighted 3 LED mossy oak hunting hat (trying to get a few of these again, if not it will be a embroidered hat) - A one year subscription to one of the following magazines: Field & Stream, Petersons Bowhunting Magazine, or North American Whitetail - Proving Ground DVD - Donated by our partners over at Venatic Outdoors (the DVD is amazing, great job guys!) - Two Free Rounds at Thrill Of The Hunt Indoor 3D Archery Range - Donated by our sponsors Thrill Of The Hunt - One Thrill Of The Hunt embroidered hat - Donated by our sponsors Thrill Of The Hunt To see the info, rules and rest of the prizes click here And again, not to repeat myself, but I will. Please spread the word about HuntingNY.com to friends, family and hunting buddies. The more people we have the more interaction, fun, and knowledge we can all share about hunting in the state of New York. With that said, spread the word, get others involved in the sport, and have a safe and fun 2011 hunting season! Click here to view the article

Over the past year, DEC and Dr. Angela Fuller, Assistant Leader of the New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Cornell University, have begun two black bear research projects in south-central New York. The projects will provide information on black bear populations that will assist in developing effective management strategies for this expanding population. Specifically, the projects will generate an estimate of how many bears exist in the study area and will provide an understanding of where bears spend time and how they move through landscapes. This will help DEC predict where bears may continue to expand their range and where human-bear interactions may occur in the future. With one field season now complete, we recently received an update on the research progress. Project Update The study area (1,013 mi2) encompasses portions of Steuben, Allegany, and Livingston Counties. Beginning in May, 2011 the research team (graduate students Matthew Adams and Catherine Sun and their 8 technicians) under the advisement of Dr. Fuller, has been collecting hair samples from black bears using barbed wire corrals and has been trapping and tagging black bears. They will use genetic techniques to identify individual bears from the hairs collected from the barbed wire. The tagged bears are being tracked using radiocollars that send the researchers hourly text messages with a GPS location of the bear. The research team captured 42 black bears (25 males, 14 females, 3 cubs) and fitted 20 bears (11 adult males, 5 adult females, and 4 yearling females) with radiocollars. Over the course of 10 weeks, they deployed 223 barbed wire corrals and collected hair samples at 115 sites. The research was conducted on both public and private lands, including 154 private landowners, 26 state lands, parks, and county forests. The researchers are extremely grateful to the 154 private landowners, who have participated in the research by allowing access to their lands. This post has been promoted to an article

Adding to what I said above, you can now also associate your facebook and twitter accounts with existing logins as well as create new accounts with your facebook and twitter logins (for new users)

We have recently upgraded the site, its important you logon and make sure everything is working OK. Some notification settings were not carried over, so you must re-set those up. You can access your settings here: http://huntingny.com...e&module=usercp If you have any issues at all please email us [email protected] or post them by replying here. Over the next few weeks we will be adding more features including a portal with articles from out members, as well as other information. If you have any interest at all in contributing an article about the outdoors please let us know. It can be about a hunting experience, camping, fishing, food plots, anything outdoor related - please let us know! The bow hunting season is RIGHT around the corner, as early as a month away for some lucky folks. Are you ready for the 2011 season? Let us know on the forums. Be sure to check out the amazing trail camera photo's that members have posted up here: http://huntingny.com...amera-pictures/ We added two new forums at the request of members. A NY Area Job board for those looking and or know of jobs in the NY area and a Taxidermy forum to post your mounts. There can be seen by clicking here http://huntingny.com...area-job-board/ and here http://huntingny.com...m/59-taxidermy/ The site has grown leaps and bounds since started, there are over 68,500 posts as of today! Please remember to tell friends and family about the site, you can even forward them this email. Please let us know if you have any suggestions, comments or are interested in sponsoring the site either post a topic on the site, or using the contact form located here: http://huntingny.com...?app=contactus. We are STILL working on HuntingNY Stickers and gear, including t-shirts and sweatshirts. Its hard finding a good supplier who doesn't charge an arm and leg for printing unfortunately. We are open to suggestions on this. P.S. Don't forget license sales have started, and DMP's are available now! *** You can now also associate your facebook and twitter accounts with existing logins as well as create new accounts with your facebook and twitter logins.

Wow great pictures!

edited original post to include the info.

US Fish and Wildlife Service economists just released a report confirming that deer hunting is by far the most popular type of hunting in the U.S. According to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, there were 10.1 million deer hunters in 2006, which is nearly four times great than the second most hunted species: wild turkey. This report, available at http://library.fws.g...natsurvey06.pdf (1.5Mb), presents a wide array of information on deer hunter behavior and demographic patterns, from general participation levels to bag rates. USFWS is currently conducting the 2011 National Survey to continue tracking demographic and participation trends, and they expect the results will be available in early 2012. Since 1991 wildlife-related recreation participation as a whole has declined by 20% nationwide, but deer hunting has bucked this trend staying rock steady at over 10 million participants. Deer hunting is by far the most popular type of hunting, representing 80% of all hunters in the U.S. and 60% of all days afield. In 2006, deer hunters nationwide spent $8.9 billion on trip and equipment purchases with an average of $885 per participant. The average deer hunter is a married white man between the ages of thirty-five and forty-four. There were a significant number of female deer hunters too; over 900 thousand in 2006. The report highlights some numbers specifically for New York. 92% of NY hunters hunt deer. NY hunters spent over 5,700,000 days hunting deer in 2006, roughly 60% of their total hunting time. On average, NY hunters spent 13 days hunting deer in 2006; 11 days for unsuccessful deer hunters and 17 days for successful hunters. This finding is a bit lower than results from our 2007 and 2010 NY deer hunter surveys which indicated that deer hunters spent roughly 18-19 days afield per year. For additional insights on deer hunter participation and demographic trends in New York, see our deer hunter surveys at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/74971.html.

On August 17, Governor Cuomo signed into law a bill (S5602/A394-A; http://m.nysenate.go...bill/S5601-2011) that establishes mandatory antler restrictions in the portion of Wildlife Management Unit 3A that lies south and west of State Route 28 (includes parts of Delaware, Sullivan, and Ulster counties). The law prohibits hunters from taking any antlered deer except those antlered deer that have at least one antler with at least three points. The law applies to all public and private lands and all hunting seasons. Only hunters under the age of 17 are exempt and may take any antlered deer with at least one antler measuring three or more inches in length. This law goes into effect immediately, and hunters are expected to comply with the new law during the 2011-2012 hunting seasons. Deer hunting regulations in all other WMUs were not affected by this legislation. DEC is in the process of updating our website to reflect the new law. . Click here to view the article

2011-2012 hunting, fishing and trapping licenses are now available at the 1,500 license sales outlets throughout the state. Licenses may also be purchased online(www.dec.ny.gov/permits/28941.html), by mail or telephone (1-866-933-2257). The 2011-2012 licenses are valid beginning Oct. 1, 2011 through Sept. 30, 2012. Hunters may also apply for Deer Management Permits (DMPs, often called "doe tags") any time between now and October 1. The 2011 allocation of DMPs and odds of being selected for DMPs in each unit have been posted at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/30409.html. Your chances of being selected for a DMP remain the same throughout the entire application period. Our 2011 deer hunting season forecasts are now on our website at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/37304.html. These include brief descriptions of the landscape and deer population trends within each Wildlife Management Unit. Other important notes for the 2011 hunting seasons include: Crossbows may now be used for hunting big game (deer and bear) during the early bear season, regular firearms seasons, the special January firearms season in Suffolk County, and all late muzzleloading seasons. See Crossbow Hunting (www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/68802.html) for more information and the Certificate of Qualification. Recent legislation lowered the minimum age for youth hunters to purchase a Junior Bowhunting license for big game hunting from 14 to 12 years of age. See the Junior Hunter Mentoring Program (www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/46245.html) for detailed information on youth hunting requirements. Bear hunting will be open in new areas in eastern New York and bear hunting season dates in central and western New York have been modified to create a uniform season across the Southern Zone. See Bear Hunting Seasons (www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/28605.html#Black) for dates and locations. New legislation now allows use of rifles for big game hunting in Wyoming and Cortland counties and in the portion of Chautauqua County south of Route 20. See www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/35010.html for a map of where rifles can be used for big game hunting. Please note that the legislation for Cortland County does not allow the use of crossbows in that county during the regular big game season. Finally, if you are a bowhunter, we invite you to participate in our Bowhunter Sighting Log (www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7193.html). The Bowhunter Sighting Log basically involves keeping a diary of your bowhunting activity and the number of animals you see. These data help us track deer and other wildlife populations. To see an example of the data, just look at our deer season forecasts. We have included Bowhunter Sighting Log data in the charts associated with each WMU forecast. We could use more bowhunter participation in many northern, eastern, and southeastern counties and in Westchester and Suffolk counties. To participate, please e-mail us ([email protected] - specify Bowhunter Sighting Log in the subject line) and provide your name, address, hunter ID (back tag number), a list of the counties where you hunt, and whether or not you have participated in New York's bowhunter log in any previous year.

Hello everyone, Wow, the turkey, deer and bear seasons are right around the corner! The 2011 Licenses go on sale August 15th (Monday), so remember to get your DMP's also if you choose to do so. You can order them online through the NYS DECALS system or in person at a licensing agent. It looks like the new licenses are brown according to the post below. How many of you run out to buy your license on the first day? Chime in here: http://huntingny.com/forums/index.php/topic,5329 A lot of members on the site have reported that they have already received their 2011 Licenses because they have the "Lifetime" as well as receiving the new "Credit Card" style lifetime card. I have yet to see what one of these looks like or what exactly it is. There are a ton of amazing trail camera pictures and videos up in the Trail Camera section of the site, check them out here: http://huntingny.com/forums/index.php/board,15.0.html Check out the video SamPotter posted of a few bucks and critters munching down under an apple tree - > http://huntingny.com/forums/index.php/topic,5353.0 Have you ever tried to create a Mock Scrape? There is a discussion going on about this right now here : http://huntingny.com/forums/index.php/topic,5263.0 If you are into food plots you should check out some of the great discussions going on on the Land Management and QDM section here: http://huntingny.com/forums/index.php/board,9.0.html Bears everywhere? Seeing a lot of bears? Check out this topic discussing the ever increasing amount of bears running around the woods: http://huntingny.com/forums/index.php/topic,3386.0.html Have a nice tree stand you built? Share it with everyone on this post: http://huntingny.com/forums/index.php/topic,5115.0.html Check out the hot topics on the side of the forum. The site has grown leaps and bounds since started, there are over 64,500 posts as of today! Please remember to tell friends and family about the site, you can even forward them this email. Please let us know if you have any suggestions, comments or are interested in sponsoring the site, you can post them publicly on the forum under the suggestions thread here: http://huntingny.com/forums/index.php/topic,254.0.html or you can use the contact form to email us directly here: http://huntingny.com/forums/index.php?action=contact Thank you, http://HuntingNY.com/forums/