Am I wrong?

[RangerClay]

So I get a letter from the DEC asking me questions if I did or did not participate in their Youth Waterfowl Weekend last fall and why.  So I answer their generic questions then write a letter explaining why I didn't take her on their weekend.  It was because I had to buy a duck stamp and register with HIP.  Now I don't duck hunt, it's not my thing, but because of Duck Dynasty my 12 year old daughter wanted to shoot ducks.  Hey, I would go shoot penguins if that would get my daughter interested in hunting. But my beef is, if I cannot hunt ducks on the youth weekend with my daughter why do I have to but a duck stamp and register with HIP.  It's like making a deer hunting mentor buy a doe permit that he cannot use on the youth deer weekend.   So I wrote them a letter and told that they should drop that requirement.  Am I wrong?

[jjb4900]

pretty much the same as having to buy yourself a movie ticket or pay for the cost of admission for yourself at an amusement park that you have no desire to go to..........it's about making the kids happy, not always about cost or what makes the adult happy. HIP is free and the cost of a Duck Stamp is well worth the price of admission to get out hunting with a kid....but, that's just me.

Edited March 11, 2015 by jjb4900

[NFA-ADK]

No

 

[jjb4900]

well, you're not wrong for requesting they drop that requirement and explaining why......but I do think you're wrong for not sucking it up and taking her, the opportunities to take her out on the youth hunts when she is showing an interest will fly past a lot quicker than any changes to the law.

[stoneam2006]

I think we just had this similar question asked with youth deer hunting and mentoring....

[jjb4900]

I think we just had this similar question asked with youth deer hunting and mentoring....

I knew I used my first reply somewhere else, that must have been it.

[stoneam2006]

Realistically it's a good point....think about it another way...i take my 4 yr old hunting even tho he cant and won't be carrying a firearm should I have to buy a licence for him to be out there...it's almost same point... my wife now wants to come for the walk also...does she need a licence too?

Edited March 12, 2015 by stoneam2006

[wheelieman]

I believe under 16 does not need a stamp, It only takes a few minutes to register for HIP online

[wheelieman]

http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/wfregsbrochure14.pdf

The part where under 16 does not need it is in the first column half way down,

Edited March 12, 2015 by wheelieman

[jjb4900]

Realistically it's a good point....think about it another way...i take my 4 yr old hunting even tho he cant and won't be carrying a firearm should I have to buy a licence for him to be out there...it's almost same point... my wife now wants to come for the walk also...does she need a licence too?

the mentor / adult who is taking a youth / inexperienced hunter out, in my opinion, should absolutely be required to be licensed........but, I see no benefit in them being required to hold a duck stamp, but at the very least be a licensed hunter.....having someone tag along who is not participating in the hunt in any way other than as an observer is totally different.

[jjb4900]

http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/wfregsbrochure14.pdf

The part where under 16 does not need it is in the first column half way down,

but the adult needs one, and I believe that is part of the original posters complaint.....page 2 right above the map.

Edited March 12, 2015 by jjb4900

[stoneam2006]

That was in no way directed at you just so uk...and yes I also believe that as a mentor u should be experienced...but could be a grandfather who no longer hunts but has the grandkids for the weekend and wants to take them out....i believe it should have to have held it before but If not carrying a firearm should not be required to hold a licence at the time....what about a father who can't bow hunt for some reason but kids want to does he have to buy bowhunter licence?

[jjb4900]

That was in no way directed at you just so uk...and yes I also believe that as a mentor u should be experienced...but could be a grandfather who no longer hunts but has the grandkids for the weekend and wants to take them out....i believe it should have to have held it before but If not carrying a firearm should not be required to hold a licence at the time....what about a father who can't bow hunt for some reason but kids want to does he have to buy bowhunter licence?

prior experience and a hunters safety certificate should really be all that's needed..........but, the way I feel, opinions on all else aside, if I had to choose between spending $50 bucks or whatever it cost as opposed to telling my child I'm not taking them, I would spend the money and not give it a second thought....

[stoneam2006]

prior experience and a hunters safety certificate should really be all that's needed..........but, the way I feel, opinions on all else aside, if I had to choose between spending $50 bucks or whatever it cost as opposed to telling my child I'm not taking them, I would spend the money and not give it a second thought....

Agreed

[jjb4900]

take it from me, I got 2 years worth of youth hunts out of my daughter before she became interested in other things........a great 2 years that I'm glad I didn't miss.

[Doc]

I suspect that the DEC wants enthusiastic, knowledgeable, hunters to be filling the slot of "mentor". Perhaps the license requirement is a guaranteed attempt to do that but I can't think of any alternatives. Remember that a mentor is not to be confused with a "baby-sitter". There is a reason why you are out there accompanying a youth hunter. The hope is (and admittedly that all it is, is a "hope") that at least one of the two of you will be experienced in hunting, safety, and game identification. It may not be any guarantee, but I do think it is a worthwhile requirement that works most of the time.

[dbHunterNY]

Nope... I agree with your logic.

[Twax10]

Imo, HIP takes 5 minutes of your time and the $15 is well worth the trip with your daughter. Plus that $15 you pay for a stamp goes towards wetlands conservation. Thats a small amount to give up and a lot of good to be done.

[mike rossi]

I suspect that the DEC wants enthusiastic, knowledgeable, hunters to be filling the slot of "mentor". Perhaps the license requirement is a guaranteed attempt to do that but I can't think of any alternatives. Remember that a mentor is not to be confused with a "baby-sitter". There is a reason why you are out there accompanying a youth hunter. The hope is (and admittedly that all it is, is a "hope") that at least one of the two of you will be experienced in hunting, safety, and game identification. It may not be any guarantee, but I do think it is a worthwhile requirement that works most of the time.

 

I was thinking somewhat along the same lines. I think the objective of the youth waterfowl season is to develop lasting participation in waterfowl hunting. 

[dbHunterNY]

I think the bottom line is recruiting more to the sport and tradition of waterfowl hunting.  in any case if he didn't have to buy a stamp he'd be more willing to go with his daughter.  say it takes a couple years of him not buying one.  it's highly likely that at that point he'd buy a stamp to fully participate.  then you'd have a couple stamps purchased for years down the road instead of the case now, which is none.  youth weekends are about promoting youth to hunt.  while many of you said he should just eat the cost of going with his daughter, equally, why shouldn't NYS be expected not to eat the cost of his stamp to pomote youth hunting?  I'd look at it in terms of investment in future hunters that will buy stamps or tags down the road, even if he never buys a stamp. 

[Twax10]

With all due respect that isn't the state sticking their hands in peoples pockets like they do in so many other ways. For one this is a Federal Duck Stamp. And two its $15 a year that goes towards conserving habitat for the birds and keeps you (and your kids) hunting them for years to come.

 

Did I mention it's $15 a year?

[mike rossi]

With all due respect that isn't the state sticking their hands in peoples pockets like they do in so many other ways. For one this is a Federal Duck Stamp. And two its $15 a year that goes towards conserving habitat for the birds and keeps you (and your kids) hunting them for years to come.

 

Did I mention it's $15 a year?

 

They raised the price now to $25. Still a heck of a bargain. 

[Twax10]

They raised the price now to $25. Still a heck of a bargain.

I stand corrected Mike I did see that. I still feel the same though.

[jjb4900]

I think the bottom line is recruiting more to the sport and tradition of waterfowl hunting.  in any case if he didn't have to buy a stamp he'd be more willing to go with his daughter.  say it takes a couple years of him not buying one.  it's highly likely that at that point he'd buy a stamp to fully participate.  then you'd have a couple stamps purchased for years down the road instead of the case now, which is none.  youth weekends are about promoting youth to hunt.  while many of you said he should just eat the cost of going with his daughter, equally, why shouldn't NYS be expected not to eat the cost of his stamp to pomote youth hunting?  I'd look at it in terms of investment in future hunters that will buy stamps or tags down the road, even if he never buys a stamp. 

I think the bottom line is that all else has to be put aside for the benefit of the child..........if someone feels that strongly against it then write letters, start petitions, boycott in whatever way you want, but why make the kid suffer? when my kids wanted to go, I didn't think about the anything else other than taking my kids hunting.......The Commissioner of DEC could have wiped his a$$ with the money I spent and I wouldn't have cared. 

[grampy]

Gun.... $500.00

Ammo.... $30.00

Camo for 2.... $250.00

License... $50.00

Food.... $50.00

Transportation...$40.00

Seeing a kids face light up on their first hunt.

Priceless!