Snowshoes

[pauplander]

I didn't want to drive to Tug Hill.  Are there any hare in Delaware county?

[bigpaul]

My Camp is called "Snowshoe Lodge", but I haven't seen one here in 25years.  The pines grew, coyotes and bobcats all take their toll.  I haven't heard of any around.

[pauplander]

That is a shame…btw where is a lodge or B&B in sw del. county that is good?  Any good restaurants you could recommend?

[PREDATE]

That is a shame…btw where is a lodge or B&B in sw del. county that is good?  Any good restaurants you could recommend?

Hancock House. Good food and lodging. Sporting goods shop next door

[Early]

bigpaul is right: We used to hunt/kill a lot of snowshoes in Delaware County. As the lands we hunted were added to the Forest Preserve and thereafter grew to mature forest, the hare population dropped off markedly. You might explore a bit by driving roads between Downsville and Roscoe (Brock Mt...Campbell Mt...Fuller Hill...Morton Hill, etc) after a fresh snow to look for hare tracks.

[mike rossi]

bigpaul is right: We used to hunt/kill a lot of snowshoes in Delaware County. As the lands we hunted were added to the Forest Preserve and thereafter grew to mature forest, the hare population dropped off markedly. You might explore a bit by driving roads between Downsville and Roscoe (Brock Mt...Campbell Mt...Fuller Hill...Morton Hill, etc) after a fresh snow to look for hare tracks.

Is that a Loyalty-based belief or one you given your own mind to? Old growth forest supports a different menu of animals, true. But the DEC doesn't even have the political support from the sporting community  and very often faces resistance from CFAB to use the conservation fund for habitat work on WMAs - the lands which are rightfully supposed to undergo habitat management. As a matter of fact, just this past year, the sporting community AND sportsmen advisory boards supported Governor Cuomo's proposal to lower fees for sporting licenses thereby increasing the burn-rate of the state conservation fund and lowering the potential for federal conservation funds. Those state and federal funds could be appropriately used to acquire, restore, or maintain snowshoe hare habitat outside the Forest Preserve on other lands designated as WMAs.

 

If the sporting community was sincere about conservation they would not oppose maintaining a significant amount of old growth forest and would cooperate with the DEC's green initiatives. They do not, which is proof positive this forest preserve rhetoric is all about driving and shooting all over the state and boosting the right wing agenda, reelecting conservatives & republicans, and NOT about conservation of snowshoe hares. There is plenty of land already designated as WMAs and plenty of money to both acquire more acres and fund a more ambitious small game habitat program. That would include expanding WMAs in snowshoe hare country and managing them for snowshoe hare. Obviously the political support of the NY sporting community does not exist for that, but that doesn't deter them from citing the  snowshoe hare and other legitimate  conservation concerns whenever it is consistent with any part of their overall agenda regarding the forest preserve or anything else.

[Terry]

A little bit of a thread hijack, but does anyone know of some land on Tug Hill that offers good snowshoe hunting? Private message me if you would like.

[Early]

Mike, your reply has me scratching my head...!!