jrm

A friend has invited me on a pheasant hunt in NY. I've hunted deer and coyote in the past, but never any birds. It's on a private preserve. Three main questions: 1. My 12 gauge is a SxS. Is that appropriate for pheasant, or do I need something that holds more than two rounds? 2. How much ammo should I plan to bring for a day in the field? 3. Do I need a NYS hunting license (this is the first year I didn't get one)? I seem to think so, but also thought there was some exception for private preserves. Thanks in advance. Any other tips would be appreciated.

It's a function of the safe act, and a big "FU" to pistol license holders. When your pistol permit is revoked or denied, you not only have to surrender all pistols, you also must surrender all guns, whether or not they are subject to licensing. So, while the certification (and things like "hunting/target") is administrative, the revocation of your license under administrative grounds does trigger an actual law that calls for the surrender of all guns. Oddly, it doesn't appear to disqualify you from ownership of long guns nor is it likely to trigger a NICS denial. Theoretically, you could go out and buy new rifles the day after you surrender the old ones. Who knows, this is uncharted legal ground on a law written and passed by idiots.

Many believe that the NRA has given up on NY. Others argue that they provide support for more local groups that fight the fight here. The courts here do not present a favorable environment. Cuomo's "safe" act was pushed through in the dead of night, is flawed in so many ways (not just being unconstitutional), yet it was essentially upheld in court. Licensing restrictions have been challenged in the past and have be upheld by the courts. The insane disparity from county to county in licensing requirements, rules, process, cost, etc. is inherently unfair - yet it has stood up to legal challenges. Seems the only way to fix anything is to get away from the anti-2A state and federal district courts and get SCotUS to rule. Unfortunately, they have denied most recent challenges. With the current court makeup, it is probably not a good idea anyway. Then again, look at Heller. DC lost. Then re-wrote the law to say the same thing in a different way. These anti-gun locations will fight the courts tooth and nail. Do you really thing NY and/or NYC will stand by and honor national reciprocity? It will take years of court battles and wrongful arrests to actually implement it (if ever passed). We had a glimmer of hope in the last gubenertorial election... Cuomo could have been defeated. It wasn't so much that he was re-elected... simply no one came out to vote against him. What was it... 20% voter turnout. Forget the NRA - if gun _owners_ in this state simply turned out in any numbers, we could have sent Cuomo packing. Voter apathy. We all need to keep fighting the fight. It is a difficult road in this state and organizations like the NRA don't want to waste time and money fighting in an environment where the people continue to elect gun-grabbers.

You are right. It makes no sense. I think they do it just to be a-holes. Pretty sure that NYC restriction is only a few years old. I used to have some friends from the city who would shoot with my on Long Island. Then there was a time when they became nervous about leaving NYC, due to the new rule. Not sure if the rule was new, or if the city just indicated they were planning on enforcing it. Pretty sure the theory is to make it as difficult as possible to buy/own/use the gun. If you can't go shooting at a range or have to jump through hoops to go hunting, maybe you will give up the hobby altogether.

If you can find any other information on this, it would be appreciated. Short version: There was a case about a year ago - Osterweil. He lived in NJ, had a NJ pistol license and owned land in NY. NY does not recognize the NJ license and refused to issue him a non-resident license. He sued and won. The result is NYS must now issue non-resident permits to people with property in NY. I tried this within NY. I have homes in two counties. My main residence is where I have my license, which is restricted. The county where I have my second home is well known for being very pro-2A and issues unrestricted licenses. Their application clearly states you MUST be a FULL TIME resident in that county to qualify. I looked into getting a license in that county using the Osterweil case. A neighbor is a NJ resident and can apply for an unrestricted non-resident. However, I am limited to the administrative restrictions enforced by my county. A perfect example of how screwed up NYS laws/rules are. The pistol license people were nice and understood my logic. They were also very sure the judge would deny my application. That's a big problem because for the rest of eternity I would have to indicated I was denied. I'm not going to pursue it unless I am sure of a positive outcome. Depending on the county, they may be more understanding for a NYC license holder, since that is a premise license. If not, a county is generally going to view your license as a NYS license and not be willing to issue a second license.

Sounds like you are in NYC. Different rules apply there vs the rest of the state. I don't know for certain, but it is my understanding you are very limited. Friends in NYC with a pistol license claim they are prohibited from going to a range in Nassau or Westchester. They must stay within the city. Again, it's hearsay based on what I have been told. Even if true, I have no idea how enforcement works. I know Nassau and Suffolk both have a "handbook" that spells out the do's and don'ts. Check NYC to see if they have something similar. Something in writing from the city is your best bet. if you are just applying for your license, it might be best to leave the question alone for now. Don't make waves and give them an excuse to deny. Keep in mind that some of the NYC uses may be "law." Unlike other NY counties, NYC gets to make its law on this. In the end, it is little difference between law and administrative restriction. Violation of either can result in loss of your license. Defending yourself from charges is expensive and difficult to win in NYC.

Seems it is... from the website: "This system does not process recertifications for New York City, Nassau County, Suffolk County or Westchester County permits. If you currently have a New York City, Nassau County, Suffolk County or Westchester County permit, you must follow the requirements that are in place in your county, rather than use this recertification system." Guess those counties are so far up Albany's backside, that it is felt they can ream us much better at a local level than they can with an Albany mandate.

It looks like all the info you need can be found here: http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/nonrslicform.htm That doesn't sound right (especially for any populous state in the northeast). Based on a document on a NJ State website: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/hunted/chapter_1.pdf "Do not trespass. It is against the law to enter private property without permission, even if the property is not posted or fenced. All land in New Jersey is owned by someone." "Always secure permission before hunting on private land."

I asked this question a few years back at both my hunter ed and bow ed classes. In both cases I was told it is perfectly legal. that was after an odd look and the above question. my answer was "why not?"

Regarding the altitude, what is considered high vs low? I'm not in the valley, but there are plenty of nearby areas which are higher. I'm at about 2100 ft ASL.

Thanks for the info. I was born with a red (opposite of green) thumb so all this is new to me.

I forgot about that late frost. So this would be considered "normal" or expected due to this season's environmental factors?

Hoping some of the knowledgeable folks on this forum can help me out. Two seasons ago, I had several fruit trees planted to start a small "orchard." Plum, pear, apple plus some blueberries. We made sure to plant a few of each for those that needed cross-pollination. The entire area has been fenced in. Last year we saw some fruit. Very little, but we didn't expect any until this year (due to when the trees were originally planted). Still, almost all the trees had something. There were also plenty of blueberries (considering the size of the plants). Fast forward to this year. There is not a single fruit on the trees. Not a hint of anything... I thought I would see at least a small apple or pear. There we a few blueberries, but they never grew to full size or ripened. What is also odd are the several "wild" apple trees on my property. They normally have plenty of fruit growing (most of it higher than an animal such as a deer could get to). It may not be the best for eating, but there is usually plenty of it. This year, I literally found one small apple on one of the trees. This is all in the northern catskill area. I realize the drought may have affected things, but this situation seems very strange. Any ideas?

According to Lucky Gunner (internet retailer): According to Target Sports (internet retailer): According to "Ammoland.com" (2015) From Syracuse.com (July 2015) So it seems that the answer depends upon whom you ask. Retailers are split on the answer. The Gov's office believes the 2015 MOU keeps the internet sales prohibition, while those who accepted the MOU believe the opposite. It seems the memo was like a little league participation trophy. Everybody won, and no one lost. If you find a deal and the retailer will ship to you, go for it. It's been a while since I read the text, but my recollection is that the law put the onus on retailers not consumers.

I have had a mulberry tree at almost every home I lived in. Recently planted one on my upstate property. Was hard to find one as they don't seem to be very common up there. A mulberry looks like a blackberry that grows on a tree. It also tastes much like a blackberry - the taste is simply not as strong. Lot's of uses. My family has always loved them. The trees tend to grow well and need little maintenance. Even a relatively small tree can yield quite a bit of fruit. They can end up being nice shade trees. The one downside is the "dye." The berries can stain skin, clothes - anything. Birds that eat the berries can leave purple droppings. Not an insurmountable problem, but one to be aware of.