mike rossi

http://youtu.be/L9BNT1U9oXs

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=b5aed660-d52d-4e57-9fc9-612073cd6353&c=0ef02960-1f28-11e3-a3de-d4ae52754dbc&ch=0f2bd2d0-1f28-11e3-a438-d4ae52754dbc

http://youtu.be/682JLrsUmEM

You know what, rereading those links, I am beginning to question why they are canceling the controlled hunts. It is indicated that "permanent accounts" / "non appropriated account" which include PR accounts would not be effected. It also says that staff who are paid from those accounts are not furloughed. It also says 492 law enforcement personal; 886 Permanent Fund Employees; and 306 General Refuge Employees are still working. That seems like a sufficient number to run the hunts... I never saw more than a handful at a check station... Either something isn't right or the staff who administer the controlled hunts are paid with money appropriated by congress. Or, I have poor reading comprehension... Anyone know?

Here is some info about closure of refuges and other federal lands and broader info about how the shutdown will effect operations of the DOI/FWS. http://www.doi.gov/shutdown/fy2014/upload/FWS-FAQ.pdf http://www.doi.gov/shutdown/fy2014/upload/FWS-Fact-Sheet.pdf http://www.doi.gov/shutdown/fy2014/upload/FWS-Final-Contingency-Plan.pdf http://www.doi.gov/shutdown/index.cfm http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/feds-declare-refuge-waters-open-for-hunting-fishing/article_7254a59e-3125-11e3-800f-001a4bcf887a.html Here are some links.

Answer to Post # 4: There is no inconsistency here. Waterfowl hunting on Iroqui is a controlled hunt ONLY. So is Montezuma and many other refuges around the country. A controlled hunt is an activity or program. No one is working to run the program. Who will enforce it? The DOI/FWS have their own branch of federal conservation officers called special agents or wildlife agents. I imagine FWS Special Agents are considered "critical staff" and will not be furloughed. They probably will actually beef up patrols. DEC Conservation Officers do have jurisdiction on Federal Lands (not sure about DEC Forest Rangers) - I am sure the DEC will be patrolling as well... The fact that rumors are being spread about this including that it effects state land reinforces the point about politicization of conservation. One group even claimed the government shut down would effect a section of open ocean. Please, enough is enough...

Pay attention to this link to. Note the date of this was one year ago and they predicted exactly what is going on with the Farm Bill right now... http://nmconservationnetwork.org/2012/10/04/national-sportsmens-organizations-not-exempt-from-party-politics/

He seems to understand that because he uses language very consistent with someone who is an experienced bird hunter - that I second guessed my initial thought it was a typo. There are a lot of so-called trolls on hunting forums, and the past week or so it seemed to have spiked. I take it you are satisfied with the quality of hunter education. You have your opinion and I have mine, although I am sure your opinion reflects the majority in the sporting community...

Here is a good article about this AND how the sporting community aides & abates politicians... http://nmconservationnetwork.org/2013/10/09/just-to-be-clear-federal-lands-remain-open/

The guy who claims to want to do a hunting documentary for non-hunters to see hunting from the ground up should start filming here... We will probably go to this, hope to see him there.... LOL...

This is nothing new at all... Here is one of many, right here in NY both upstate and downstate... https://www.facebook.com/Westchester4Geese

That is what I suspected - but I hiccupped because you are one of those hunters who refer to the ruffed grouse as the king of game birds... We have been shooting WC as well. Not sure if they are flight birds yet or resident birds. Which reminds me, if anyone gets any bands, the internet reporting page is down due to the federal government shutdown, but the toll free number is working. It will be interesting getting paid if you collect a "reward band" this year, lol... Look for bands on any hip bird, including crows and doves (in other states which allow hunting them). Not Rock Doves which are usually known as "pigeons". A band on a Rock Dove means you shot someone's pet and can be charged with animal cruelty - which I believe is a felony... The FWS and DEC do not band Rock Doves, but people who raise them do band their birds... Express terms in NY state agriculture markets law prohibit killing a rock dove (NYC pigeon) with a band. However, under NY State Environmental Conservation Law the Rock Dove is unprotected like starlings and feral pigs... While on the topic, a lot of us like to use pigeons for dog training, and for good reason, They sometimes are cheaper than incubator - hatched game birds and also have flight characteristics that lend to dog training. However, although they are unprotected, it is still illegal to trap them. I am not sure about netting them at night. Since the relevant laws in NY are so convoluted - personally I just don't net them. I have netted and trapped them in other states however, and the bands I discussed are not terribly uncommon by the way...

When commercial market hunting was banned in this country, regulated, recreational hunting was allowed to continue and it was since called sport hunting.

In order to make a documentary you would need to be an expert in the subject, it doesn't work any other way. Do you even have hunting clothing? Have you ever walked a marsh? I agree with those on here who think this is not legitimate. At best this is an honest mistake. But it could also be a troll or another "Guns of Autumn" stunt. The guns of autumn and the guns of autumn echo were two films broadcast on ABC in the 1970s in which hunters were tricked into having hunts filmed for the bicentennial. The films had no documentary qualities but just showed hunting in compromised clips designed to make hunting/hunters look bad. Many Universities, NGOs, and GOs have already produced very good hunting documentaries - just what do you expect to cover that wildlife scientists did not cover?

What is the name of the hunter education instructor you took your course from? You don't need to be registered in hip to hunt grouse - and you know that, stop wasting everybody's time and creating confusion with the regulations for novices...

The controlled hunts on federal refuges obviously require federal staff. The DOI isn't considered critical staff, so the FWS staff is on furlough. As a result those controlled or lottery hunts will not happen during the furlough. This pertains to federal duck stamp lands, not state Pitman-Robertson lands. The DOI/FWS has the authority to disqualify any state from receiving future PR Funds if that state mismanages state-owned PR Lands. But that doesn't authorize them to close state lands and has nothing to do with the shut down. I cant imagine any basis which the shutdown could close state PR land. What exactly do you mean by this?

Why NY does not hunt Doves? This is a question that is asked over & over for decades. Asked so much the NYS DEC has a webpage ( http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/59626.html ) devoted to the answer. However the DEC’s explanation is not adequate. The DEC gives a historical account of a mail survey they conducted about dove hunting when they were compelled to do so by the NY State Conservation Council. The webpage explains that the response to the survey, which was mailed to 5,000 licensees, was low. That only tells a small part of the story and even the conclusions about the survey are not put into perspective. So let’s start with that. Any survey mailed to NY hunters about small game will not receive a large response. Even surveys about the state’s number one game animal the whitetail do not garner cooperation. A significant percentage of hunters even skate their legal responsibilities in reporting their harvests. Furthermore only 5,000 surveys were mailed and nobody I have interviewed has indicated they received one or know of anyone who has. The webpage concludes that until political support for dove hunting increases, that there will be no season. This is where the story needs to be continued. In NY State the senate, assembly, and governor approve hunting seasons for new species, or more precisely, designate an animal as a game species, not the DEC. In order for the DEC to set a hunting season for mourning doves, a law which designates the dove as a game species has to pass through the legislative process and then be signed by the governor. There have been several “dove bills” in NY State over the decades, all of which have failed. One of the main players has been an Onondaga County Sportsmen’s Federation and NYSCC officer named Fred Neff. Neff has kept records over twenty years about his dove bill dealings. You may find those records interesting, but if you look at every state which faced opposition to dove hunting, you see the NY situation is not unique at all. Eight states in the lower 48 do not allow dove hunting. Mourning Doves are not found in Hawaii and are not abundant in Alaska. Native Alaskans do hunt doves, however, Alaska Fish and Game feels that this subsistence hunting (which is does not follow the guidelines of fair chase as sport hunting) is impacting the birds locally. Michigan established a dove season about a decade ago, however the Humane Society of the United States succeeded in repealing the season a few years later. The state most likely to establish a dove season next is New Jersey; as they did change the bird’s status to a game species about 2 years ago. This allows NJ Division of Wildlife the authority to establish a season; however NJ hunters have been very excited with fairly recent changes such as the legalization of Bear hunting, Crossbows, and use of bait in deer hunting. The eight lower states which do not hunt doves are: Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Dove hunting is allowed in Rhode Island and PA. The Humane Society also made a bid to close dove hunting in RI just a few years ago, however they failed. The number of states which hunt doves has nearly doubled the past 10 years. However, just about every one of those states had to fight anti-dove hunters, mainly instigated by the DC based Humane Society of the US. In 2010, 2 republican and 1 Democrat in NY sponsored a senate dove bill. However, the senate chairman of the environmental conservation committee refused to move the bill and it expired in 2012. If you are not familiar with the lawmaking process, this is similar to what happened to the Crossbow Bill recently in 2013 when the Assembly chairman of the environmental conservation committee did not move the bill for vote. So how do we build the political support that the DEC correctly indicates on its webpage that is needed? First generate interest in fellow sportsmen. Second learn about the issues involving dove hunting and stay engaged and informed by participating on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/NY-Dove-Hunting/365031743546569 ). Third, educate others and refer them to this face book page. Fourth, voice your interest in dove hunting at your clubs and county federations. Fifth contact the assembly, senate, and governor’s office and ask them to propose a dove bill. Encourage others to do the same. Start by contacting lawmakers who cover your voting district. Then contact the two environmental conservation chairs. Then contact the entire 2 encon committees. Then everyone else, including the governor. Besides elected officials, also contact the DEC and the NYSCC. After a dove bill is introduced, don’t think the fight is over, it will have just begun. Continue to write supportive letters, staying engaged so you address the situation as it evolves. You must debunk every anti-hunting distortion as they are thrown at us. Our Facebook page gives you the info to do so. This may include writing to local newspapers to rebut letters written by anti-dove hunters. If this was easy, it would have been done a long time ago. Every state, even states like Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan fought bloody battles to hunt doves. However, most of the new dove seasons happened in the last few years. The Humane Society is losing tens of millions of dollars in these dove wars and right now they are facing a variety of serious federal criminal charges – so now’s the time!

We hunt them until closing day, but will be hitting them hard between now and the first split of ducks opens. Looking forward to yellow zone pheasant and woodcock while we are at it.

Long Island Youth Waterfowl Program http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/93612.html For Release: Wednesday, October 2, 2013 DEC Announces 16th Annual Youth Waterfowl Program Instructional Class and Youth Waterfowl Days Set for Nov. 2, 9 & 10 The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is holding its 16th Annual Youth Waterfowl Program, open to young hunters on Long Island ages 12 to 15, on November 2 and November 9 - 10, Commissioner Joe Martens announced today. The program is a collaboration with the New York Conservation Officers Association; Suffolk County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation; Shikar Safari Club International; Ducks Unlimited; and South Shore Waterfowlers Association. The Youth Waterfowl Program, an instructional course, is set for November 2. Youth Waterfowl Days, which are specially designated hunting days, are set for November 9 - 10. The Youth Waterfowl Program is a special event to help junior hunters prepare for and participate in the Youth Waterfowl Days. The program includes instruction in: Hunting ethics and regulations Waterfowl identification Firearms safety review Retriever and decoy use Cold water survival and boating safety Trap shooting Certified sportsman education instructors, as well as DEC environmental conservation officers (ECOs), will guide participants through the program and help youth hunters become part of the long tradition of waterfowl hunting on Long Island. All new applicants must attend an instructional day at Hubbard County Park in Flanders on November 2 which will qualify them for the option of hunting at Hubbard County Park in Flanders or Southaven County Park in Yaphank on November 9 and anywhere hunting is allowed on November 10. Participants must be 12 to 15 years of age by November 9, have completed a hunter education course by November 2, possess a junior (small game) hunting license by November 9 and be registered with the Harvest Information Program (HIP). For further information regarding the Youth Waterfowl Program or to sign up for the November 2 instructional class, please contact DEC Region 1 Sportsman Education Program at (631) 444-0255 or e-mail [email protected]. For more information on the Youth Waterfowl hunt, visit the DEC website . Applications for the Youth Waterfowl Program are due by Oct. 11. About Youth Waterfowl Days: Each year, two days are set outside the regular duck hunting season in each waterfowl zone to allow any junior hunter to hunt ducks and geese. On these Youth Waterfowl Days, junior hunters (ages 12 to 15) must be accompanied by a licensed adult hunter. Adults cannot hunt during these two days. The 16th Annual Youth Waterfowl Program is a part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's NY Open for Hunting and Fishing Initiative; an effort to improve recreational activities for in-state and out-of-state sportsmen and sportswomen and to boost tourism opportunities throughout the state. Under this initiative, New York is streamlining the purchase of hunting and fishing licensing and reducing license fees, improving fishing access at various sites across the state, stocking as much as 900,000 pounds of fish, expanding fishing clinics and increasing hunting opportunities in various regions. The reduced fees become effective February 1, 2014.

Region 9 Pheasant http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/93623.html Top of Form Fall Pheasant Release Plans Announced for WNY Hunters Encouraged to Enter Permit Lotteries Soon The Western New York pheasant hunting season is fast approaching, opening on Saturday, Oct. 19. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will release approximately 4,480 adult Ring-necked Pheasants on Region 9 lands open to public hunting for this fall's pheasant hunting season. Pheasants to be stocked will be provided by DEC's Reynolds Game Farm in Ithaca, NY. A complete statewide list of pheasant release sites is available on DEC's website. "DEC is pleased to provide enhanced pheasant hunting opportunities in Western New York through our cooperative pheasant raising programs," said DEC Senior Wildlife Biologist Emilio Rende. "We wish local sportsmen and sportswomen a safe and successful season." The Day-old Pheasant Chick Program provides additional pheasant hunting opportunities through a partnership between DEC and sportsmen, 4H Youth and landowners interested in rearing and releasing pheasants. Birds from this program are released before the season opens and disperse widely, presenting a greater challenge for experienced hunters. Hunters are reminded to ask permission from private landowners before hunting on their lands. Many of these release sites are available for hunting because of the cooperation of private landowners. Good landowner/hunter relations are critical in ensuring that these areas remain open to hunting in future years. Hunters are also encouraged to review the 2013-2014 New York State Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide before going afield, and to be sure of their targets and beyond when hunting. The Regulations Guide identifies boundary restrictions and other important information, and is available online at. "Rooster only" and "rooster and hen" boundary descriptions are located on page 45 of the guide. A special permit is required for hunting small game during the opening day of pheasant season on Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area in the Town of Collins (Erie County), and Harwood Lake Multiple Use Area in the Town of Farmersville (Cattaraugus County). Hunters interested in entering the DEC permit lottery for these Multiple Use Areas should mail one standard size post card to: NYSDEC, Bureau of Wildlife 270 Michigan Ave. Buffalo, NY 14203 Post cards must include the hunter's name, address, telephone number, 2013-14 license back tag number, preferred time of hunt (sunrise to noon or 1:00 pm to sunset), and the management area desired in order of preference. All entries must be received by Oct. 1. There is no fee for the permit, and hunters awarded permits will be able to name one additional hunter on their permit. Ten permits will be issued per time block on each management area. Small game hunting on all other days will remain sunrise to sunset with no permit required. Hunters should also note that dogs are not allowed within the designated area on the Multiple Use Areas for any purpose during the 48- hour period immediately preceding opening day of the fall pheasant season as posted on Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area, and Harwood Lake Multiple Use Area. Hunting throughout the pheasant season is allowed at Golden Hill, Joseph Davis and Wilson-Tuscarora State Parks in Niagara County. However, permits are required on Oct. 19, Oct. 26 and Nov. 2 for Joseph Davis, Wilson-Tuscarora and Golden Hill State Parks. There will be 30 small game hunting permits issued for Golden Hill State Park, 14 small game permits issued for Joseph Davis State Park, and 16 small game permits issued for Wilson-Tuscarora State Park for each of the days when permits are required. There will be two separate hunts each day that a permit is required: the first hunt will be from sunrise until 12:30 p.m.; the second hunt will be from 12:30 p.m. until sunset. Hunters interested in entering the Permit Lottery at Golden Hill, Joseph Davis, and Wilson Tuscarora State Parks should mail a separate, standard size file card for each date and park that you would like to hunt. Only one permit will be issued to each hunter per day. Cards may be put into an envelope for each respective park and mailed together to the appropriate address below: Golden Hill State Park Gregory Brown 9691 Lower Lake Rd Barker NY 14012 (716) 795-3885 Joseph Davis State Park Glen Caverly Lewiston Town Hall 1437 Ridge Rd Lewiston NY 14092 (716) 535-9800 Wilson Tuscarora State Park David Giambra 3371 Lake Rd Wilson NY 14172 (716) 751-6361 Information on the file card should include the hunter's name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, hunting license back tag number, hunt date, and desired park location. Entries will be computerized to avoid duplications. All lottery entries must be received by noon on Saturday, Sept. 28. If you have any questions regarding the Permit Lottery, please call the respective Park Managers at the numbers provided above. Please note that there will be no pheasant hunting at Golden Hill, Joseph Davis, and Wilson Tuscarora State Parks on release days (Oct.25 and Nov. 1). Hunters wishing to hunt pheasants in Allegany State Park are reminded that they must pick up a free hunting permit at the Administration Building near Redhouse Lake before hunting in the park. No small game hunting is allowed in Allegany State Park during the regular big game season that runs from Nov. 16 until Dec. 8. Please refer to the attached table for a summary of the number of pheasants to be stocked and release sites in each county. Any questions should be referred to DEC's Bureau of Wildlife at (716) 851-7010 in Buffalo or (716) 372-0645 in Allegany. Additional information about pheasant hunting is available on DEC's website. 2013 Region 9 Adult Pheasant Stocking County Birds Township Release Site Allegany 364 New Hudson Hanging Bog WMA along New Hudson Road 126 Birdsall Keeney Swamp WMA Route 15B, off North parking area Cattaraugus 259 Conewango Randolph Conewango Swamp Wildlife Management Area - between Route 241 and Conewango Creek. 280 Red House Allegany State Park, Wolf Run Road and Upper Bay State Road (free permit necessary from Administration Building). 210 Farmersville Harwood Lake Multiple Use Area: Special permit required for opening day October 19.** 273 South Valley Allegheny Reservoir Wildlife Management Area - vicinity of Bone Run off Onoville Road. Chautauqua 217 Sherman Alder Bottom Wildlife Management Area - off Idora Road and Route 76. Erie 287 Collins Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area, south of Vail and Unger Road and Button Road. Special permit required for opening day October 19.** 161 Brant East of Mileblock Road, south of Milestrip Road. Hunting by landowner permission only! Niagara 112 Lewiston Joseph Davis State Park -Special permit required for hunting pheasants on Saturday October 19, Saturday, October 26 and November 2. * 133 Newfane East of Hess Road, near Charlotteville Road. Hunting by landowner permission only! 126 Wilson Wilson-Tuscarora State Park - Special permit required for hunting pheasants on October 19, October 26 and November 2.* Niagara 119 Somerset Golden Hill State Park - Special permit required for hunting pheasants on Saturday October 19, October 26 and November 2.* 119 West of Hosmer Road, between Townline Road and Hoffman Road. Hunting by landowner permission only! 84 East of Hosmer Road, north of Hoffman Road. Hunting by landowner permission only! 98 East of Hosmer Road, between Haight Road and West Somerset Road. Hunting by landowner permission only! *Contact NYS Park managers at the respective parks to apply for a permit. **For information about special permits at Zoar and Harwood WMAs, please contact DEC's Buffalo Office at 716-851-7201 or DEC's Allegany Office at 716-372-0645.

The federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp expires in June, so each fall you need a new duck stamp. They are doing some complicated internet purchasing system that might change it once implemented, but for now, it expires in June. As for the choke, if you cant find a manufacture's find out what "after market" chokes are compatible with your gun. You can call Mossberg or the choke companies themselves. Or its probably online as well. After market chokes are not necessarily easier to find than manufactures. Make sure its steel- proof as you know, don't assume it is.

Fish and wildlife agencies nationwide are under increasing pressure to respond to calls and situations related to problems with wildlife. Yet many agencies receive no funding for these activities--it simply constitutes an added-on, unfunded responsibility. Furthermore, there are varied opinions and divergence in public opinion, and even among agency personnel, regarding common dilemmas related to wildlife problems, funding, and public expectations. What level of involvement should fish and wildlife agencies have in managing nuisance wildlife? Dennis Hamilton, Creative Commons License A scientific survey conducted for the Northeast Wildlife Damage Management Research and Outreach Cooperative (hereinafter referred to as the Cooperative) helps wildlife professionals better understand public attitudes toward and expectations regarding management of problems caused by wildlife in the Northeast United States. The ultimate goal of this project is to help state fish and wildlife agencies develop sustainable nuisance wildlife management strategies and viable solutions--in short, to help ensure that agencies are allocating their limited resources and funding based on the priorities and programs that best meet the needs of their constituents. The Cooperative was established in 1999 as a partnership between state and federal wildlife agencies and universities in the Northeast, including Cornell University and Penn State. The Cooperative consists of, and the survey was conducted in, 13 Northeastern states. For this study, Responsive Management obtained a total of 3,962 completed interviews overall. The states surveyed, with the number of completed interviews, are Connecticut (307), Delaware (302), Maine (300), Maryland (300), Massachusetts (303), New Hampshire (308), New Jersey (302), New York (311), Pennsylvania (302), Rhode Island (305), Vermont (320), Virginia (301), and West Virginia (301). The study entailed a scientific telephone survey of residents of those 13 Northeastern states (random digit dialing sampling with supplemental cellular telephone numbers in representative proportions). The study culminated in a full report with state-level data. Two versions of the final results are available: • a complete pdf newsletter summarizing the results and highlighting important findings • the full report of the study, which includes state level findings, can be accessed on our website here Responsive Management is an internationally recognized public opinion and attitude survey research firm specializing in natural resource and outdoor recreation issues. Our mission is to help natural resource and outdoor recreation agencies and organizations better understand and work with their constituents, customers, and the public. For more information about Responsive Management, visit www.responsivemanagement.com. READ ON: http://www.responsivemanagement.com/download/newsletters/RM_NE_Nuisance_Newsletter_2013.pdf http://www.responsivemanagement.com/download/reports/NE_Nuisance_Wildlife_Report.pdf

Here is some good general info that will help new waterfowlers on LI. I caution about what is said at 19:09 however. I agree with setting up in a crosswind, but the illustration indicating a duck's vision is inhibited as portrayed is not true. Closer a bird gets , the better it sees and birds have almost a 360 degree field of vision. Also, the way he shows the boats is a little misleading too - boats need to be dug in, with the exception of layout boats, you don't float around or along the bank...

Correct, never heard of Dave. And also I meant training day, not handlers clinic - the clinic is to prepare for different levels of navhda "tests". As far as the spinone, the age or experience of the dog is irrelevant to numerous issues with both the method AND how the method is being applied. The check cord / planted bird conundrum is what I have a problem with. Later in the vid they do show a few dogs who appear to be finished and steady to wing, shot, and kill, and retrieve (at least in very controlled , canned hunt situations). However, those training styles ruin more dogs than they finish and of the ones they don't ruin the progress is delayed or tainted with a variety of issues. The "pro" will then blame the dog, the breeding, the owner, or the dogs history.... I would have never worked that spinone that way in the first place. (I wouldn't use that method on any dog) The method failed and the "pro" trainer was not skilled enough to adjust so that the dog succeeded. A method that sets the dog up for failure; pressures & confuses the dog; and a trainer who cant salvage the opportunity is a bad combination and all too common in the world of training hunting dogs... And that's precisely what happened...

Here is an unfortunate example of what I have been alluding to. If you view this video at 2:26 you see a spinone , a pointing breed being trained improperly and the issues with overuse and improper handing of "libbies" (incubator hatched game birds or pigeons which are released or "planted"). If the OP took his setter which is pointing flies and butterflys 24/7 and implemented this training style his pup would degrade not improve. No polite way to put it - this handlers clinic is the blind leading the blind... All too common in the universe of dog training... http://youtu.be/vmh4DyX30Mw