Access and Game in Dutchess

[mike rossi]

Land acquisition proposal  which will be managed in a way which will encourage good game populations. Public comment (letters!) is needed for this to happen, or happen without getting watered down, follow the links:

 

http://www.fws.gov/news/ShowNews.cfm?ID=5ADDF227-9597-C7C7-43B1FCF22605691B

 

 

[shawnhu]

You know Mike, you can easily just post a link to one thread instead of making 50.... Might help in organizing conversation on the topic.

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

[mike rossi]

This is not going to happen over night.... The Region 3 forum will not get buried, but this thread will - the longer it is up top the better chances more people will act. Never the less, the post is of interest to people who live or hunt in region 3. This acquisition is also going to benefit small game hunters in particular, explaining why I also put it here. This acquisition will also benefit people who hunt north, south and west of Dutchess county, because it will provide habitat for migratory game birds such as mourning doves, woodcock, snipe, rails, ducks and geese.  

 

Any time land acquisition by the federal government is proposed, there is opposition. This purchase would take place without state money - so its a good deal. Never the less some will naysay..... Either people with ambitions to develop the land for real estate or extraction industry (gas, oil, coal, etc)... Or by locals who already are using it as public land or do not want out of town people on it.... 

 

Even if it is acquired, if hunters do not speak up, there will be motion to not allow hunting. Generally, hunting is allowed on federal national wildlife refuges, with a few exceptions. I am not aware of the FWS not allowing hunting on this potential refuge. However, as usual, if antis speak against it and hunters remain silent, there will be little other than a controlled deer hunt and maybe not even that..... Or, there will be no controlled deer hunt until the herd gets so large the FWS says screw the antis, but that will be it a controlled deer hunt... So get your letters in.... 

[diplomat019]

what if this comes to light and then they say no hunting allowed? I read over the link and it said nothing about hunting in it unless i missed it. There are some wma/state lands in that region. I dont want to lose them.

[mike rossi]

what if this comes to light and then they say no hunting allowed? I read over the link and it said nothing about hunting in it unless i missed it. There are some wma/state lands in that region. I dont want to lose them.

 

There is indeed mention of hunting in the link. Read it more closely and follow the links. 

 

The instances when refuges are closed to hunting are either because they are biologically sensitive or lobbying. This is not a biologically sensitive area, but lobbying  against hunting is a sure thing. 

 

Keep these generalizations about National Wildlife Refuges in mind: 

 

The majority of NWRs do allow hunting.

 

 A large part of the National Refuge System has been, and still is, acquired with duck stamp funds.

 

The FWS recognizes hunting as a legitimate, priority public use of NWRs.

 

The FWS  lists six priority public uses of National Wildlife Refuges:

 

1. Hunting

2. Fishing

3. Bird Watching / wildlife watching

4. Research

5. Nature Interpretation / education, which means guided tours to learn about wildlife and ecology

6. Wildlife Photography

 

The FWS also defines "legitimate uses"  and "illegitimate uses". Legitimate uses are not necessarily priority public uses, but are still sometimes allowed on a case by case bases, some examples are sharecropping, grazing, logging, and trapping. 

Edited January 21, 2016 by mike rossi

[mike rossi]

I think at this stage we should not be discussing hypothetical scenarios, and we should be letter writing in support of this proposal.

 

But I should correct my earlier post. With the new England cottontail being indicated as a target species, there might be a restriction against hunting hares and cottontails. That might irate some hunters who run beagles, but it shouldn't. The NEC has a good chance of recovery to populations that will sustain hunting. As the NEC recovers, other subspecies of cottontails, as well as hares and other small game will increase in abundance as well.  

 

Local trappers who currently have a monopoly of the area might be put off by the prospect of drawing for a permit every season. However, most of the trapping by permit areas I know about don't issue the quota of permits year after year. Often, its only one trapper. 

 

Although part of this refuge is in Dutchess County, this proposal is for a refuge to be called "The Great Thicket" which will span six states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, as well as New York.

 

Submit Public Comments by March 4, 2016. First read the Draft Plan and make your comments relevant to that draft. Mention in your comments that: Hunting is a Priority Public use of National Wildlife Refuges, and that sustainable hunting practices should be allowed within the proposed refuge.