mike rossi

Sweeney tied up the crossbow bill, a chairmen tied to the antis might tie up every pro-hunting bill... Pete Granis was a notorious anti- trapper when he was an assemblyman from NYC, during which he sponsored numerous anti trapping bills. He was later appointed commissioner of the DEC by Governor Idiot Spitzer... That was only a few years ago, remember?

In my opinion, and people (the ones I spoke to anyway) in the DEC do NOT agree with me, is that they will all die. The survival rate will be zero... Even if 5 or 10 percent over-wintered, what percent reproduction do you think you would get from those survivors? Point is, even if they do over-winter, but cant raise a brood, what good is it? Only way to know for sure is with a telemetry study. Wildlife science has new tools to follow animals. Radio Telemetry was once done with an antenna. Then it was done by satellite. The latest is by using cellular signals. I think its been done so many times nobody wants to keep repeating experiments yielding the same results - the birds die...

Did you guys see the post on here a couple days ago someone made about the habitat management on Three Rivers Multiple Use Area? That is being done all the time on WMAs by the DEC. That practice certainly does maintain habitat characteristics needed by a variety of game and non game species. It wont benefit wild pheasant however, because they need vast areas of contiguous habitat. The DEC has identified a grassland focus area within several counties which have the potential to sustain wild pheasant. Maintaining 30% or so of a 1,000 acre land tract in grassland and early successional forest, as in Three Rivers, pays huge dividends for a variety of wildlife, but pheasant and some other grassland species need millions of acres or at least hundreds of thousands of acres, of contiguous habitat. The pheasant plan and the grassland focus area plan is a larger scale and is a viable strategy for pheasant, however. There are many funding sources for wildlife management and private organizations do as much wildlife management as the DEC and FWS. It frustrates me that CFAB and the NYSCC interfere with the appropriate us of the conservation fund and thereby also prevents the DEC from taking full advantage of up to $20 million annually from the Pitman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson Acts. As a matter of fact, those organizations supported Cuomo's proposal to reduce sporting license fees under the rational that the conservation fund was too large... Despite that, there are a variety of other funding sources which (Thankfully) CFAB and the NYCC have no say so about. (Although they try at least with the EP Fund). Besides work on state WMAs, there are many projects on private lands and federal lands within the state. As far as survival & recruitment, I would say Doe Whacker's estimate of 30% is way high for any bird whether it is a turkey or a robin. Also as far as I know, the original birds stocked in the US were in fact wild birds from Asia. Doe Whacker also mentioned Spruce Grouse and I believe he was alluding to funding. Sportsmen have this misconception about the statutory mandates of the DEC only covering game species. The DEC is required by law to conserve all species, not just game species. There is as much, or more funding - and staff, for nongame, threatened, and endangered wildlife as there is for game species. Hopefully we established the distinction between wild pheasant restoration and stocking birds. Either bird is an introduced species, but a beneficial introduced species not a deleterious introduced species. As for the sporting qualities of released birds, it depends on the skill of the persons raising them; how, where, and when they are released; and to the ethics practiced by the hunters.

I don't believe this can move forward without approval from the DEC. Whether it will be approved or not is a different story. Don't quote me on this, but I think I remember that about a decade ago birth control was used in New York to contain raccoon rabies and that effort was also sponsored by the Humane Society.

You know when Columbine happened, President Bush did the same exact thing which Obama did after Sandy Hook - in a matter of hours Bush proposed knee jerk gun legislation - remember? That is beside the point. In this state or any state, we really cant vote in 100% republicans, therefore it should be obvious that sportsmen friendly DEMOCRACTS, are much, much, more important than pro-sportsmen republicans. That is if you want action, rather than the illusion of action, consider the importance of bipartisan support...

If we assume that it is possible to vote out Sweeney, are you equally willing to vote out Mark Grisanti? My next question is do you believe the chances are good that the person who replaces Sweeney in Long Island will be better in respect to hunting and/or second amendment rights? My third question is Who will replace him as chair of the en-con committee? I am not familiar with how the committees are formed, nor how the chair person is selected, do you? I do know that one gentleman from downstate on the en-com committee didn't know what a muzzleloader was and had to ask seconds before voting. I will give him credit for at least asking when he doesn't know, which is probably better than some of those ego-maniacs...

Here is a link off the DEC website. Talk to the people listed, they are suppose to be stewards of YOUR money... http://www.dec.ny.gov/about/566.html

Remember the geographic equity testimony during the budget hearing by leaders of several groups entrusted as stewards and spokesmen for all NY sportsmen. Looks like they and that lawmaker from Lake George didn't stop the Finch acquisition with the EP Fund. They did get their boat ramps in Harlem and other locations on the Hudson River too, and with a grant not tied to the conservation fund nor the environmental protection fund. Governor Cuomo recognized the 20th anniversary of the NYS Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). The EPF offers wide ranging benefits to communities around the state and plays an important role in preserving the state’s natural resources and habitats. After years of severe funding cuts, the Governor secured and increased funding for the EPF for this year by $19 million, bringing the Fund to a total of $153 million. Places like Boreas Mountain in the former Finch Pruyn lands in the Adirondacks (pictured) are protected, water quality improvements made, and waste management and reycling are increased through EPF funding. http://bit.ly/1bcHbOA

There are only 63 senate districts are much more evenly spread throughout the state. The assembly districts are more numerous and many are clustered in the greater NYC area. We don't have many friends in the greater NYC area. Sweeney is one friend we do have down there, and he happens to be the chairman of the assembly en-con committee. Plus, he is a democrat, so he can build bipartisan support which is essential to getting bills passed. Sweeney is an asset, not a liability to the NY sporting community.

You had better stay up on this, we may be fighting for it in a few years...

I support put and take pheasant hunting, however it doesn't belong in the same discussion as wild pheasant restoration. Social and economical arguments can be made to support both pheasant stocking AND wild pheasant restoration. The neighboring states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania; which both have put N take stocking programs; also have wild pheasant restoration programs similar to New York. As a matter of fact, NJ, which ironically traded wild pheasants for Missouri wild turkeys in the 1980s, is presently doing trap N transfer of its own wild birds from the Bergen Meadowlands to farmland and grassland areas within its borders. There is no benefit to trap N transfer of wild stock when there isn't enough suitable habitat and there is not sufficient regulatory mechanisms to preserve, if not expand suitable habitat. Besides,when habitat is restored, it isn't always necessary to use trap N transfer anyway, because the birds stock themselves. Suitable habitat is essential. The decline in wild turkeys the last 10 to 20 years very well might be linked to the population contracting after it expanded temporarily into marginal habitat. In the past wild turkey habitat was characterized as deep woodland, especially mountainous areas. Birds were released in those habitats based on that belief. It turns out that todays knowledge indicates wild turkeys thrive in broken farm land or mixed grassland/woodland habitats. The birds may have maintained temporarily good populations in the mountains, but populations may have began to contract. The moral of the story is the first step is increase habitat, second protect it with regulations, third maintain it by brush hogging, mowing, logging, grazing, prescribed fire, and possibly planting desirable vegetation. Until all that is in place and the birds are given time to repopulate on their own, it is premature to think about trap N transfer... NY stocks brown trout and rainbow trout. Both do not reproduce well, are not native, spread diseases, compete with with native fish, and probably (?) hybridize with relatively rare, native brook trout. (Hybridization of a struggling species contributes to its decline). I don't believe I have ever heard anything from sportsmen about the negatives of stocking non native trout...

Who do you think are the people in charge?

Most senators and assemblyman voted for the safe act than did not. Grisanti, who co-sponsored the crossbow bill, is a republican, and the senate equivalent of Sweeney, that is he is also the chair of the encon committee in the senate house. He also voted for the safe act. And, last year, like Sweeney did with the crossbow bill, held pro-hunting legislation in the suspense file for two years until the bill expired. I was interested in the passage of that bill, so instead of attacking Grisanti I am trying to persuade him. NY incumbants are not likely voted out; or leave chair positions; and nearly all voted for the safe act, so this discourse is getting ridiculous.... Like being at a federation meeting minus the stinking smoke...

I think the article says that the HSUS is contributing $30,000 or something like that? If this goes through and succeeds,it will set a precedent in other areas and become an excuse for the HSUS to solicit even more donations and generate more publicity for itself and birth control. This is developing into a partnership between the town, the hsus, the dec, and Tuffs University. Partnerships are not unusual at all and are very, very common in natural resource management. Furthermore, this would be part of the DEC's statuatory mandates. The DEC might decide the use of birth control is not a sound idea, however.

The climate, soils & topography differ, but the needs & biology of wild turkeys and ruffed grouse doesn't, so I think the same fundamentals apply throughout a species range. For example the soils in one region might support oak and in another aspen. But the practice of maintaining uneven, but young forest, for ruffed grouse doesn't change whether its oak or aspen... It might get a little trickier if you are talking Merriams wild turkeys Verses Eastern wild turkey, were the same species split into distinct races to occupy different habitats 1,000 miles apart, but statewide the same basic principles apply. Contact your favorite conservation organization and ask them to set up a seminar in your area.

DEC Announces Habitat Management Workshop for Private Landowners Learn Tips on How to Manage your Land to Benefit Wildlife New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will conduct its first Habitat Management Workshop for private landowners on Saturday, August 24, 2013, at the Hanging Bog Wildlife Management Area in New Hudson, Allegany County. The workshop will feature presentations from biologists and a brief field trip to help private landowners learn how to manage their property in a way that benefits wildlife. Over the years as our forests continue to mature, there has been a drastic decrease in shrubland habitat in New York," said DEC Regional Land Manager Emilio Rende. "Many species of wildlife rely on this type of young forest habitat for food, cover and breeding areas. Since much of the land in New York is privately owned, private landowners have become primary stewards of our wildlife and woodlands and can play an important role in helping to maintain critical wildlife habitat." Local private landowners are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to learn property management strategies that benefit wildlife and various programs available to help. To register, please contact Emilio Rende at 716-372-0645 or at via email. The workshop is co-sponsored by the New York State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), the Ruffed Grouse Society and the Quality Deer Management Association. Space is limited to 30 participants, so please register soon. There is a registration fee of $10, which includes refreshments and lunch. Please make checks payable to the New York State Chapter of the NWTF. The deadline for registration is Friday, August 16th.

Good point, who the heck sets things up like they are anyhow? LOL...

Maybe there is a pissing contest going on between a few lawmakers and they are shoving back and forth? IDK...

I reread the article, not just the tone of it, lol... It does quote the mayor as saying most residents would NOT oppose lethal means.

Grisanti represents the senate district around Buffalo. The districting, Gerry-mandered or not, is supposed to be set up quote "ideally" so that each of the 63 districts represents 312,550 people. How many sportsmen out of 312,550 people in the Buffalo area are willing to vote against Grisanti, a republican, and staunch supporter of crossbow use? Sweeney is a democrat assemblyman who represents the Long Island area. I don't know how many assembly districts we have, but each district is to "ideally" represent 128,652 people. How many sportsmen out of 128,652 people in the LI area are willing to vote against Sweeney, a staunch opponent of crossbows? Even if it was feasible: would it be wise to vote out Sweeney considering he is from a down state district, is generally pro hunting, and is a democrat? Voting out a down state, democrat who supports hunting would be very, very foolish... And to do it over crossbows? The Reality: We need bipartisan support for hunting and until NYC succeeds from the state, the support of down state law makers is essential... Sweeney supports hunting, is a democrat, and represents down state. Plus he chairs the assembly environmental conservation committee.

When you say he is in their pocket it sounds like you are implying they are either buying him or they are seen as a threatening voting force for his seat in LI or members of his party. With 1,000 members I find any of that hard to believe. I don't doubt what you are saying about him guiding policy consistent with the wishes of the NYB. But in light of the above paragraph, I believe that is because in his own judgment that he agrees with the NYB's positions.

Using sport hunting under relaxed regulations is great, but baiting introduces the issue of CWD and other diseases. Also, I am reserved about hunters with a utilitarian mind set, using relaxed regulations, in close proximity to the same public which expressed a preference for non lethal control methods. That same public wouldn't relish trap and slaughter either, but IMO that is the best management practice.

The article doesn't say if shooting guns or bows can be done safely or not. If it cannot be, they should live trap and slaughter as many as possible before implementing birth control. Birth control is not "green" and I will leave it at that... Another problem with birth control is that the population will remain high for a relatively long time and during that time the deer will continue to be a nuisance. Problem with trapping, is the animals wise up and begin to avoid the traps. At that point the use of birth control may be necessary. In any event, after the population is reduced or eliminated the town should install deer proof fencing and fragment travel corridors to prevent recolonizing.

I didn't think I was arguing with him or his post was argumentive. I think we sportsmen, as a group, are very prone to tunnel vision and I just think something else is more likely than the scenario he is suggesting. Another thing, there are no term limits in the NY legislature, we need to work with the senate and assembly chairs of the environmental conservation committees , that is Grisanti and Sweeney respectively. No term limits and I don't see them getting voted out or leaving their chairman status. Regardless of your stance on crossbows, we wont move ANY pro hunting legislation without the cooperation of Grisanti and Sweeney... I don't think it is wise nor time well spent in criticizing two we cant vote out and time is better spent building positive repore with them. But heck, if you guys in your thirties want to keep the tradition of complaining at "Federation Meetings" and reading and rereading the same things in the sporting magazines until you have grand children, have at it, many before you have done this until the day they died... Like I said, its a tradition. Meanwhile over the decades the antis continue to develop a more sophisticated conservation ethic...

You Betcha! Beavers will take a small trickle of water without much habitat significance and turn it into an oasis for a variety of fish and wildlife by building a series of 5 or more dams. They will raise young every year and boot them out the second year and so several miles away the impoundments multiply as well as the beavers, muskrats, water birds, fish, and herps. Some of those dispersing beavers, muskrats, Canada geese, etc. might become nuisances elsewhere, and they can be dealt with elsewhere as well. The best management practice for the dispersing beavers, is the same as for the original beavers, a water control device or a "beaver deceiver". Best for two reasons. First and foremost is the ecological services derived. Second and least is there is a high rate of recolonizing after the original beavers are removed.