Shorten the NY Gun Season?

[burmjohn]

Deer have been coping with that kind of stress for many many years... not having enough to eat is a far bigger problem.

Well, the male variety usually doesn't have to cope with any stress for many years at all, usually not more than a yr or so.

Funny but true.

[erussell]

Deer have been coping with that kind of stress for many many years... not having enough to eat is a far bigger problem.

Well, the male variety usually doesn't have to cope with any stress for many years at all, usually not more than a yr or so.

Funny but true.

Though I have been seeing bigger and bigger deer every yr, Not sure If its more people letting little deer go, Less hunters killing deer in general, or Im just becoming a better hunter. I have a feeling its a bit of all the above.

[kaeckerle]

shorten the season?!  I already feel that Im not out there enough as it is.  I hunt as much as I can and it always feel like I should of gone just one more day......  I think that it would help produce bigger bucks if the gun season were shortened, that is typically when the most hunters are afield.

[sweet old bill]

I would suggest that we look at the states that have the best hunting for deer and see what there season are like and also what bag limits  are. I sure see major difference with NY if you compare it to a Iowa. I would like to go back to one buck per hunter and tke it with either bow, gun / rifle , black powder or corss bow ( you know it coming ). I would also like us to have to report as we get our licence each year some on line questions to give real time info to the DEC. such as:

did you hunt the prior year, what location, number of hours spent hunting, total number of deer seen, by sex, did you take a deer.

this may help the dec from yearly saying we have the same total herd size in NY, and also start to reduce doe permits in areas that hunters who are afield are telling the DEC that they are not seeing and or taking deer.

[bubba]

shorten the season and double the fees.  That will weed out a lot of the bad guys.  geesh

[sweet old bill]

I have a life licence so that would still leave me. I was not trying to suggest we have more increase in the fee to hunt. But with the budget problems we may have to help yet again.

[nyantler]

We shouldn't have to give more... little of what we give now goes to what it is suppose to.. we would only be giving more to something other than the conservation effort

[gjs4]

I think we get so little in terms of support or knowledge from the state..not saying theyre that lazy..but believe theyre rather understaffed

[nyantler]

The only reason they care about you and me is because thats where they get their paycheck..

[Doc]

We shouldn't have to give more... little of what we give now goes to what it is suppose to.. we would only be giving more to something other than the conservation effort

Yeah, but you just know they will be back soon with another increase. And what are you going to do. You have 3 choices ... pay the money, hunt illegally, or quit hunting. Sounds to me like they have things pretty much their own way ..... they are definitely in the driver's seat and I think they finally have realized that.

[jasons75]

Here's an idea..... Don't cut the season but move a week or 2 of the over- all season to a new season in late spring or early summer.... Make that time bow/ xbow maybe restrict that to certain areas and private property.... I think that would help the pressure issue.... And give us all an additional opportunity.

[fasteddie]

Fawns are born late May / early June . You don't want to be shooting does too early .

[nyantler]

We shouldn't have to give more... little of what we give now goes to what it is suppose to.. we would only be giving more to something other than the conservation effort

Yeah, but you just know they will be back soon with another increase. And what are you going to do. You have 3 choices ... pay the money, hunt illegally, or quit hunting. Sounds to me like they have things pretty much their own way ..... they are definitely in the driver's seat and I think they finally have realized that.

So true.. I'll pay it.. but I don't have to like it..lol

[Doc]

Fawns are born late May / early June . You don't want to be shooting does too early .

Could become a very popular delicacy ...... roast unborn fawn. Yummy!! Shoot a doe and get some bonus fawns. ;D

[fasteddie]

Fawns are born late May / early June . You don't want to be shooting does too early .

Could become a very popular delicacy ...... roast unborn fawn. Yummy!! Shoot a doe and get some bonus fawns. ;D

Yeah , you could put one on your fried egg sandwich ! ')'>http://www.downsouthhuntingforums.com/images/smiles/picker.gif[/img]

[nyantler]

I think I just threw up a little

[Lawdwaz]

Fawns are born late May / early June . You don't want to be shooting does too early .

I've seen newborn fawns on May 1st. 

[Lawdwaz]

Fawns are born late May / early June . You don't want to be shooting does too early .

I've seen newborn fawns on May 1st.

You know......early in, early out!

[Daveboone]

I hunt primarily the western edge of the Tug Hill and Yates County near Dresden, have bow hunted but primarily gun and ML. I am actively outside in my deer woods year round. Many hunting acquantances of mine complaiined of no deer in these areas...Bull. There were plenty, and I had plenty of opportunites and made meat. Success is equal to the amount of time you spend in the woods, it isnt a video game or TV show. It is realistic NOT to shoot a deer every year, and more than likely. New York has a huge deer population. It is a detriment that hunters are allowed to take more than one buck a year- as many succsessful hunters do. That is one less deer for another hunter. I want to hunt the longest season possible, because it is my sport...I want to stretch the game out for the whole season.

[jasons75]

I didn't think of the fawns         Soooooooo make it buck only season.

[Larry]

only about 5% of hunters kill two bucks

[G-Man]

The reason the season is as long as it is is to take the number of deer the dec recommends(however they determine it) but the majority of the buck take is in the first two days. It seems everyone takes off opening day. so if you want to shorten the season you need to split it into at least 2 parts with a "cool down period" in between, thus giving you 2 opening weekends for gun! and early and a late! (of course if they do this it will probably be another tag/or licence to buy if you want to hunt both, more moneys for the state you know... just sayin') P.S. (if this happens i had nothing to do with it....)

[samb]

I'm against any changes in the season. I live in the country and hunt daily during all seasons for the most part. When I started hunting deer some 25 yrs ago the state land parking areas were filled with hunters campers and tents. Over the last several yrs hunters have dwindled to nothing, the hotels are empty accept for the first 2 days after that there is no one there for the most part.  The deer population has gotten younger but I feel that is due to the over issuance of nuisance permits to the large farms in the area.  With that said I drive 50 miles a day to work along 390 and see so many large mature deer hit by autos that I don't believe that the population is way down just that there are less hunters moving the deer and they seem to be going nocturnal as soon as they feel any hunting pressure at all.

[gjs4]

Can one of the stats wizards pull out some figures on hunter denisty for regions 9 and 8? Think that will paint a very vivid picture.

[Doc]

there are less hunters moving the deer and they seem to be going nocturnal as soon as they feel any hunting pressure at all.

Excellent observation! However, I might add that even the hunters that are out in the woods these days seem to be far less serious and dedicated than in years past. We seem to have a lot of 1/2 day hunters, or guys that cut their entire season to 1 or 2 days. Also, those that do actually go into the woods during the season seem to be sitters who park themselves in one spot all day (isn't modern-day, high tech clothing wonderful?). There is enough pressure and presence of hunters in the woods to allow the deer to understand there is a season going on, but they are all the hunters are stationery which allows the deer to find little areas of sanctuary and not move a bit until dark.

So your comment is spot-on. During the season, it is getting harder and harder to really appreciate just how many deer there actually are.