More big game hunting begins on Saturday (Oct. 16) - (From the NY Big Game DEC )

[HuntingNY]

From the NY Big Game DEC Mailing :

Many deer and bear hunters have been waiting, full of anticipation, for this coming Saturday (Oct. 16) which kicks off the start of bowhunting season in the Southern Zone and early muzzleloader season in the Northern Zone.

Approximately 30% of NY deer hunters participate in the early bow season in the Southern Zone and roughly 15% participate in the Northern Zone muzzleloader seasons.  Last year, opening weekend of the Southern Zone bow season accounted for about 12% of the total early bow deer harvest, slightly more than any other weekend during the bow season.  Even more pronounced, last year in the Northern Zone, almost 50% of the early muzzleloader deer harvest occurred during the first two days of the seven-day season.

For those of you looking to expand your use of state land or state managed lands for big game hunting or other recreation, DEC has been developing new mapping tools and updating existing tools to help you plan your adventures.  Our Mapping Gateway (www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/212.html) includes links to map data that can be viewed with our State Lands Interactive Mapper or with Google Maps or Google Earth.

For example, I've used the State lands Interactive Mapper to verify Wildlife Management Unit boundaries, to plan backcountry deer hunts in the Adirondacks, to scout potential areas for waterfowl hunting, and to find Conservation Easement properties closer to home for grouse and turkey hunting.  For the backcountry hunts, the mapper helps me locate primitive camping sites, identify state land boundaries and trail access, and it lets me view topography and satellite imagery to select the best hunting spots. 

Additionally, you can use the mapping gateway to find a lot of other great information including:

    * public fishing access points

    * over 2,400 miles of trails

    * license sales agents

    * state campgrounds

    * accessible recreation destinations

    * boat launch sites

    * ecological zones of NY

These are handy tools and they are getting better all the time.  I think you'll find them useful as well.

Come this Saturday, I'll be in a treestand watching the sun rise, enjoying the sights and smells of Fall and waiting for a nice doe to fill my freezer for another year.  I hope you have the opportunity to hunt this weekend too.

Jeremy Hurst

Big Game Biologist