state land in finger lakes for small game

[breethwithme]

Where can u hunt small game on state or public land in the finger lakes area more around cayuga and seneca area? I have some friends land i hunt on its great for deer but not so for small game. Is there any part of Montezuma refuge that allows it? The nysdec web site is worthless as a tit on a nun.

[breethwithme]

I had a guy post some good info on where the state lands are but it still dosnt say wether small game is allowed. I'm mainly looking to hunt the Montezuma refuge but can't find any info on the hunting besides deer.

[mike rossi]

Because the refuge is not managed by the DEC, it wont be on their website, you need the refuge's website or link to it off of the US FWS website.

 

There is  Montezuma state wildlife management area and Montezuma  National Wildlife Refuge. You can hunt on both, but on the national wildlife refuge there are additional restrictions and a lottery drawn permit is required , look at the refuges website for info. Everybody defines small game differently - if you mean waterfowl there is a controlled hunt on the refuge and trapping is allowed but you have to submit a sealed bid, the better units I am told, fetch over a grand for a season. I am not sure, but I would imagine that there is a controlled deer hunt from time to time on the refuge to control populations. There is also an  landowner cooperative program run out there. I believe the finger lakes national forest allows hunting AND the Finger Lakes are navigable waters, therefore outside of local ordinances you can hunt in the water.

 

Now I have a question. You have quite a bit of public opportunity out there. People from other areas with abundant public access also have the same question about where to hunt, do you have any insight as to why so many people don't know where to hunt?

Edited December 21, 2013 by mike rossi

[Daveboone]

The Finger Lakes National forest provides pretty good small game hunting potential. Lots of hardwoods, and some managed open fields. There is a FLNF office that has maps of different terrains, etc. Generally, the entire forest is available for hunting. I cant remember the road the office is on, but I am sure you can google it. Other than that, there are gobs of state land around, from Howlands Island to the north, to multiple parcels between and down to Geneva, Cortland, , etc. Montezuma has a visitors center also, off route 5. I don't believe small game hunting is allowed, but not sure.

[breethwithme]

I found a thing on the dec website that said small game is allowed after the third Sunday in dec. Till the last day of feb. On the refuge i asked at the main office years ago and they said it wasnt allowed now its saying it is. But that's all I could find. Deer hunting I knew was allowed they shot 78 deer this year on the refuge. And I think nobody knows where to hunt cause the state don't let anybody really know where to go like I said you read one thing they tell you another can't keep track of it all the time.

[cdmckane]

In Cayuga County, you have the Summerhill, Frozen Ocean, and  Bear Swamp State Forests that are open for hunting.

[breethwithme]

I will look them up thanks.

[mike rossi]

I found a thing on the dec website that said small game is allowed after the third Sunday in dec. Till the last day of feb. On the refuge i asked at the main office years ago and they said it wasnt allowed now its saying it is. But that's all I could find. Deer hunting I knew was allowed they shot 78 deer this year on the refuge. And I think nobody knows where to hunt cause the state don't let anybody really know where to go like I said you read one thing they tell you another can't keep track of it all the time.

 

About the bold above. The DEC and the FWS have a certain amount of obligation to be transparent about hunting opportunities, and they are, but it is not acceptable to direct hunters to game nor to be be precise about stocking locations/dates/times.... Likewise it is a poor conservation practice, and is not ethical, nor wise, for hunters to promulgate precise hunting locations over the internet.

 

Part of the responsibility that goes with being a  hunter, is keeping yourself updated with the law - it shouldn't be a surprise if one property that was in the past closed to hunting is changed to open for hunting and more commonly, the vice versa...

 

Again: The Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. I know that in most years there are what as known as controlled waterfowl hunts which require registration in a lottery to get a permit. I also believe you must have proof of having completed the waterfowl identification course. There may or may not be other hunting on the refuge but I do not know if there is, the way to find out is through the FWS, not the DEC. The FWS has a website with links to Montezuma NWR including hunting opportunities.

 

Montezuma Wildlife Management Area / Howland Island Wildlife Management Area are not the same as Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge; and are managed by the DEC and the DEC should be contacted about hunting opportunities there. Generally hunting is allowed on WMAs by standard WMA regulations, but not always and even some that are open to hunting have special regulations - more restrictive than the standard WMA regulations.

Edited December 23, 2013 by mike rossi

[breethwithme]

Montezuma refuge dose own all that land they put signs up where they own land and its on every piece if land. I know what land they own I just can't find information on if u can hunt small game I/e rabbit,squirrel. I know deer and waterfowl are ok. But the tough question is small game. It should b there responsiblity to let people know. They sure will let you know if your doing something wrong. Makes me think they don't just so they can hand out tickets for revinue. I understand its small game and not a lot of people do it anymore like deer and waterfowl but if the let u know where to hunt them how much harder would it b to do small game also.

when the people fear the government there is tyranny. when the government fears the people there is liberty. Thomas Jefferson

[Duck_the_Dog]

I wouldn't even worry about the refuge, there is a TON of DEC managed land within an hour of the refuge. Northern Montezuma and Howland Island are a couple WMA's that were already mentioned. If you go to DEC website and go to the state lands interactive mapper (SLIM) page, you can find detailed maps with satellite images and any special regulations for each property. I have found a lot of new hunting spots this way. The refuge has so many extra hoops to jump through, it's really not worth it with so much other open land available.

sent from somewhere out there....

[mike rossi]

I just looked at their website, it indicates waterfowl and deer. Nothing about small game - then again it does allow trapping by sealed bid and I didn't see that either. I would call them. If they do not allow small game hunting you can try and work with FWS to get it. You can also become active with the Refuge Friends - however you might be the only hunter in the group - but maybe not. It shouldn't matter anyway, but it prolly does, lol...

 

Keep in mind, every time a hunting opportunity is proposed on a NWR the HSUS weighs in to oppose it. Much of the refuge system was acquired with duck stamp revenue. Some refuges were purchased with almost all duck stamp monies, others partially with duck stamps, and a few were not purchased with hunters dollars. I am not sure about M. For example, I think Iroque near buffalo was bought with something like 80% duck stamp monies. How the land was funded shouldn't have a bearing, but in case you decide to argue that card, make sure the property is in fact a duck stamp land - else you will end up with egg on your face... Fact is in recent years some refuges charge an entry fee or non hunters buy a duck stamp as an annual pass. The number of non hunters who pay entry fees each year is large, its not a small chunk of change. Far more of them then duck hunters, even post duck dynasty. Which brings something else up that you said, I don't think there are more waterfowl hunters than upland small game hunters in NY. I would be almost sure that is the case nationwide - every year more mourning doves alone are harvested then every species of duck and goose combined. I wish you good luck!

[breethwithme]

www.dec.ny.gov/regs/3970.html this is the link I found about montezuma hunting small game. And other animals

when the people fear the government there is tyranny. when the government fears the people there is liberty. Thomas Jefferson

Edited December 23, 2013 by breethwithme

[mike rossi]

I see that, under Section 90.4, there is some small game opportunities, though it has special regs more restrictive then the state regs. I stand corrected, I didn't think the dec webpage would have specific info about a NWR. I would still check with the refuge if I was you, they might have parking spots designated for hunters  or require you to sigh in/out or who knows what..... Thanks for the link...

[breethwithme]

[quote name="mike rossi" It dose have something but it just don't give much information on it. I can find info all day long about deer and waterfowl. I know nobody in central ny small game hunts amymore but they shouldn't shut it down completely.

when the people fear the government there is tyranny. when the government fears the people there is liberty. Thomas Jefferson

Edited December 24, 2013 by breethwithme

[bowslinger]

summer hill is good spot i hunt there alot do most my small game and big game hunting there