burmjohn

A new regulation that prohibits hunting or trapping of free-ranging Eurasian boars in New York State was formally adopted state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens announced today. The regulation is designed to ensure maximum effectiveness of DEC’s statewide eradication efforts. “Enacting a statewide regulation was important to support DEC’s ongoing work to remove this invasive species from the state and to ensure that it does not become established in the wild anywhere in New York,” said Commissioner Martens. “Eurasian boars are a great threat to natural resources, agricultural interests, and private property and public safety wherever they occur and DEC will continue to work to protect these resources and remove wild boars from the state.” Eurasian boars were brought to North America centuries ago and wild populations numbering in the millions are now present across much of the southern U.S. In recent years, wild boar populations have been appearing in more northern states too, often as a result of escapes from enclosed shooting facilities that offer “wild boar hunts.” Governor Cuomo signed legislation on October 21, 2013, which immediately prohibited the importation, breeding or introduction to the wild of any Eurasian boars. Furthermore, the law prohibits possession, sale, transport or marketing of live Eurasian boars as of September 1, 2015. The new law was an essential step in the state’s efforts to prevent Eurasian boars from becoming established in the wild. However, there are already small numbers of Eurasian boars on the landscape in New York. Since 2000, wild boars have been reported in many counties across the state, and breeding in the wild has been confirmed in at least six counties (Tioga, Cortland, Onondaga, Clinton, Sullivan and Delaware) in recent years. DEC is working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program to remove any Eurasian boars that are reported in New York. To date, more than 150 animals have been captured and destroyed. However, eradication is expensive, time consuming and requires a great deal of manpower. “Hunters have offered to assist our efforts by hunting for boars wherever they occur, but experience has shown this to be counter-productive,” Martens said. “As long as swine may be pursued by hunters, there is a potential conflict with our eradication efforts. Eurasian boars often join together to form a ‘sounder,’ the name for a group of pigs that can number 20 or more individuals. Shooting individual boars as opportunities arise is ineffective as an eradication method often causes the remaining animals to disperse and be more difficult to remove.” Hunters pursuing wild boars in locations where baited traps have been established by DEC or USDA can also undermine these costly and labor-intensive capture efforts. Shooting may remove one or two animals, but the rest of the sounder scatters and rarely comes back together as a group, thereby hampering eradication efforts. In addition to prohibiting take of free-ranging swine by hunters, the new regulation prohibits anyone from disturbing traps set for wild boars or otherwise interfering with Eurasian boar eradication activities. Hunting wild boar is still allowed at enclosed hunting preserves until September 1, 2015. The regulation does provide necessary exceptions for state and federal wildlife agencies, law enforcement agencies, and others who are authorized by DEC to take Eurasian boar to alleviate nuisance, property damage, or threats to public health or welfare. Anyone who observes a Eurasian boar (dead or alive) in the wild in New York should report it as soon as possible to the nearest DEC regional wildlife office or to: [email protected] and include “Eurasian boar” in the subject line. Because it is sometimes difficult to distinguish a domestic pig, pot belly pig or Eurasian boar based solely on a description, reporting of all free-roaming swine is encouraged. Please report the number of animals seen, whether any of them were piglets, the date, and the exact location (county, town, distance and direction from an intersection, nearest landmark, etc.). Photographs of the animals are especially helpful, so please try to get a picture and include it with your report. Full text of the regulation can be viewed on DEC’s Weekly Environmental Notice Bulletin for April 23, 2014, available at http://www.dec.ny.gov/enb/95072.html. This post has been promoted to an article

I think it says Aliens are coming. Pretty sure that dude is wearing a tin foil hat.

Weird Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

I agree a one size all dosent work here. Different environments, situations, and pressures. Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

I wish that was the case here. I'm all for OBR as well but just as ARs wouldn't work in all areas neither would OBR. Though it could help. Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

I agree its not as simple as just ARs but its better then nothing at all. Especially for the areas I hunt... Education along with ARs for 3H have done wonders. The biggest educational impact has been ARs itself, people now see what happens when you let them grow. Ideally the end all be all is to have some more mature bucks with a balanced age structure. Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

As much as I respect jeremy Hurst and the amount of crap on his shoulders because of budget cuts what he posts via DEC are not his views they are the DECs views. Meaning what he us essentially told to say which sucks but it is what it is. Off topic slightly but if you ask if ARs accomplish their intended goal, protect yearlings and spread out the age structure, there is no way he can't say no because they do. Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

Proper age structure. Who said population control. And no its not just hunter satisfaction. Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

Steve will never leave, he is my AR buddy.

Those GoPro's are hard to judge, no view finder unless you have it linked to your smartphone.

NICE! have fun man.

Man that sucks there are a few bayliners that seemed like are in really good shape right near me to check out too. What if the boards and stringers are in good shape on those? I checked reviews on them, they seem OK. Everything else is either out of my range or to old for me to be comfortable with.

So its like having a wife or girlfriend.

Lake Boating, anyone have a bowrider? Thoughts on brands? Have been keeping my eye out for a 17 footer as a starter boat on craigslist for a few months. Found a few bayliners, my uncle says they are OK no frills boats, most them are merc's for the engine.

Youth Turkey Hunting Weekend Set for April 26-27 As part of Governor Cuomo's NY Open for Fishing and Hunting Initiative, the 2014 spring turkey season opens May 1 in all of upstate New York lying north of the Bronx-Westchester County boundary and the annual youth turkey hunting weekend is April 26-27, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens announced today. The youth turkey hunt is open in all of upstate New York and Suffolk County. "Approximately 100,000 turkey hunters will take to the field this spring, making it a very popular activity," Commissioner Martens said. "Governor Cuomo recognizes the importance of offering this special opportunity for junior hunters. The Youth Turkey Hunt is an excellent chance for young hunters to spend time afield with experienced adult hunters to learn about conservation first-hand, gaining the necessary knowledge and skills to become safe and responsible members of New York's hunting community." Important Details for the Youth Turkey Hunt on April 26 and 27:Hunters 12-15 years of age are eligible and must hold a hunting license and a turkey permit. Youth 12-13 years of age must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or adult over 21 years of age with written permission from their parent or legal guardian. Youth 14-15 years of age must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or adult over 18 years of age with written permission from their parent or legal guardian. The accompanying adult must have a current hunting license and turkey permit. The adult may assist the youth hunter, including calling, but may not carry a firearm or bow, or kill or attempt to kill a wild turkey during the youth hunt. Shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to noon each day. The youth turkey hunt is open in all of upstate New York, north of the Bronx-Westchester County boundary and Suffolk County. The bag limit for the youth weekend is one bearded bird. This bird becomes part of the youth's regular spring season bag limit of two bearded birds. A second bird may be taken only in upstate New York, north of the Bronx-Westchester County boundary, beginning May 1. All other wild turkey hunting regulations are in effect. Other Important Details for the Spring Turkey Season, May 1-31, 2014:Hunting is permitted in most areas of the state, except for New York City and Long Island. Hunters must have a turkey hunting permit in addition to their small game hunting or sportsman license (if purchased before Feb. 1) or hunting license (if purchased after Feb. 1). Shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to noon each day. Hunters may take two bearded turkeys during the spring season, but only one bird per day. Hunters may not use rifles or handguns firing a bullet. Hunters may hunt with a shotgun or handgun loaded with shot sizes no larger than No. 2 or smaller than No. 8, or with a bow and arrow. Crossbows may not be used for the spring 2014 turkey season. Successful hunters must fill out the tag that comes with their turkey permit and immediately attach it to any turkey harvested. Successful hunters must report their harvest within seven days of taking a bird. Call 1-866-426-3778 (1-866 GAMERPT) or report harvest online The state's enacted 2014-15 budget, signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo, includes language authorizing the use of crossbows for hunting under certain circumstances. DEC will draft regulations soon and will implement the new law in time for the fall 2014 hunting season. Hunters cannot use crossbows to take wild turkey during the 2014 spring season. For more information about turkey hunting in New York, see the 2013-14 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide or visit the "Turkey Hunting" pages of DEC's website. New York has an extremely safety-conscious generation of hunters, largely due to the annual efforts of more than 3,000 dedicated volunteer sportsman education instructors. DEC suggests hunters follow the cardinal rules of hunting safety: assume every gun is loaded, control the muzzle, keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot, be absolutely sure of your target and what may be beyond it and don't stalk. Set up with your back against a large tree and call birds to you. To find a sportsman education class in your area, visit the DEC website or call 1-888-HUNT-ED2 (1-888-486-8332). Governor Cuomo's NY Open for Fishing and Hunting Initiative is an effort to improve recreational opportunities for sportsmen and women and to boost tourism activities throughout the state. This initiative includes streamlining fishing and hunting licenses, reducing license fees, improving access for fishing and increasing hunting opportunities in New York State. In support of this initiative, this year's budget includes $6 million in NY Works funding to support creating 50 new land and water access projects to connect hunters, anglers, bird watchers and others who enjoy the outdoors to more than 380,000 acres of existing state and easement lands that have gone largely untapped until now. These 50 new access projects include building new boat launches, installing new hunting blinds and building new trails and parking areas. In addition, the 2014-15 budget includes $4 million to repair the state's fish hatcheries. This year's budget also reduces short-term fishing licenses fees; increases the number of authorized statewide free fishing days to eight from two; authorizes DEC to offer 10 days of promotional prices for hunting, fishing and trapping licenses; and authorizes free Adventure Plates for new lifetime license holders, discounted Adventure Plates for existing lifetime license holders and regular fee Adventure Plates for annual license holders. Citizen Science Opportunities:DEC Seeks Turkey Hunters for Ruffed Grouse Drumming Survey - Turkey hunters in pursuit of that wary gobbler in the spring are ideally suited for monitoring ruffed grouse during the breeding season. Turkey hunters can record the number of grouse they hear drumming while afield to help DEC track the distribution and abundance of this game bird. To get a survey form, go to DEC's website or call (518) 402-8886. To participate in DEC's Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Survey or other wildlife surveys, visit the "Citizen Science" page of the DEC website. This post has been promoted to an article

Aye. Also data is now up on the DEC site.

Charts on the DEC site are not up just yet, this press release just came out.

Here is the post in case you miss/missed it. http://huntingny.com/forums/topic/22453-ny-dec-2013-deer-harvest-results-are-in/

Hunters harvested approximately 243,550 deer during the 2013-14 hunting seasons, nearly equivalent to the statewide take last year, state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens announced today. “Governor Cuomo’s NY Open for Fishing and Hunting Initiative offers many hunting opportunities statewide for sportsmen and sportswomen for the growing population of deer,” said Commission Martens. “Throughout the state, hunters play an essential role by helping to maintain healthy and ecologically sound deer populations.” The 2013 deer take included approximately 128,850 antlerless deer (adult females and fawns) and about 114,700 adult bucks (1.5 years or older), both estimates being within 4 percent of the 2012 take (see table below). Hunters in the Northern Zone walked out of the woods with roughly 32,300 deer, including 19,500 adult bucks. In the Southern Zone, excluding Long Island, hunters took 208,300 deer, including about 94,200 adult bucks. To compare these harvest estimates with other past seasons, go to: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/42232.html. This year marked New York’s second Youth Deer Hunt, held over Columbus Day Weekend. During the Youth Deer Hunt, 14 and 15-year-old junior hunters could take one deer, antlered or antlerless, with a firearm when properly accompanied by a licensed and experienced adult mentor. An estimated 8,860 junior hunters participated in the Youth Deer Hunt, resulting in 1,275 deer taken (728 adult bucks and 547 antlerless deer). A photo gallery showcasing successful junior hunters is atwww.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/85926.html. More Antlerless Deer Need to be Taken This year’s harvest shows a continuing trend of concern to DEC deer managers. In many Wildlife Management Units (WMUs), including portions of southeastern New York and the Lake Plains region of western New York, harvest trends indicate that deer populations are too high - above levels recommended by local stakeholder groups who live, hunt or manage land in those areas. Even with very liberal opportunities for take of antlerless deer, not enough females are being taken to reduce populations to desired levels. In these areas, DEC and hunters must begin considering new ways to the increase antlerless deer take to achieve deer populations that are compatible with ecosystem health and consistent with the public’s interests. Older Bucks Becoming a Larger Portion of Adult Buck Harvests Hunters took a record number of bucks (approximately 55,300) aged 2.5 years or older in 2013. These older bucks, which many hunters desire, accounted for 48 percent of harvested adult bucks statewide in 2013, compared to only 33 percent (45,350) in 2000 when New York’s deer population peaked, and only 28 percent (about 33,000) in the early 1990s. In part, this is influenced by the overall size of the deer population, which in much of the state is larger than desired. Although mandatory antler restrictions in 11 WMUs in southeastern New York are a contributing factor, many New York hunters outside those areas are voluntarily choosing not to take young bucks, thereby letting these bucks get another year or two older before they are taken. Deer harvest data are gathered from two main sources: harvest reports required of all successful hunters, and DEC staff’s examination of nearly 16,200 harvested deer at check stations and meat processors. Statewide harvest estimates are made by cross-referencing these two data sources. Much additional information about the 2013-14 deer harvests, including charts and maps describing the harvest, is available on DEC’s website at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/42232.html. Governor Cuomo’s NY Open for Fishing and Hunting Initiative is an effort to improve recreational opportunities for sportsmen and sportswomen and to boost tourism activities throughout the state. This initiative includes streamlining fishing and hunting licenses, reducing license fees, and improving access for fishing and increasing hunting opportunities in New York State. In support of this initiative, this year's budget includes $6 million in NY Works funding to support creating 50 new land and water access projects to connect hunters, anglers, bird watchers and others who enjoy the outdoors to more than 380,000 acres of existing state and easement lands. These 50 new access projects include building new boat launches, installing new hunting blinds and building new trails and parking areas. In addition, the 2014-15 budget includes $4 million to repair the state's fish hatcheries; and renews and allows expanded use of crossbows for hunting in New York State. This year's budget also reduces short-term fishing licenses fees; increases the number of authorized statewide free fishing days to eight from two; authorizes DEC to offer 10 days of promotional prices for hunting, fishing and trapping licenses; and authorizes free Adventure Plates for new lifetime license holders, discounted Adventure Plates for existing lifetime license holders and regular fee Adventure Plates for annual license holders. This post has been promoted to an article

We planted a few when we did corn, I was able to take about 6 home that were not smashed by the deer/bear for the kids. I would say only about 30 pumpkins came out of the seeds we planted but we were not expecting much.

Also if you look on the facebook, the post below the one you referenced says: "Figured it's about time we pull out all that turkey footage from last year."

More info here: http://huntingny.com/forums/topic/22296-2014-huntingny-spring-turkey-classic/