Will they ever allow hunting at Mendon Ponds Park?

[Core]

Anybody in Monroe county knows public land is very sparse here. I would even say it's a uniquely bad area compared to the rest of WNY, with a veritable dead zone of public land to hunt within nice driving range of the city. I'm aware of:

1) Braddock bay (small)
2) Oak Openings (small)
3) Perinton town land (but must be a resident for a limited number of permits)

Mendon Ponds is huge, must be packed to the gills with deer, allows horse back riding and lots of other stuff, but no hunting of any kind. Has it ever? Is there any sort of a push for it? I imagine cars are hitting deer all the time near there.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Will never happen. Too many rich people around the park that are tree huggers. That stretch of 65 is notorious for having some of the highest deer collision numbers around here. Seems like every couple of years someone dies in a deer related crash there.

[moog5050]

I seriously doubt it.  We hunt near the park and interruptions from those hiking through the park and off on to our private parcel is annoying - apparently these hikers don't know what posted signs mean.  I cant imagine the traffic you would see hunting in the park.  Heck, Phade had to get down to tell some young lovers to relocate from setting up their "picnic" 20yds from his stand on our land.  lol

[kpkot]

8 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

 Heck, Phade had to get down to tell some young lovers to relocate from setting up their "picnic" 20yds from his stand on our land.  lol

meanwhile he has it all documented on one of his hundreds of cams where they relocated and what they did

[Padre86]

They need to at least open a small window for bow hunting...the deer #'s in that area are getting out of control due to lack of hunting pressure.  I'm sure they'll allow it at some point, but there is going to be a lot of grief and anger from some of the park's visitors.

[WNYBuckHunter]

4 minutes ago, Padre86 said:

They need to at least open a small window for bow hunting...the deer #'s in that area are getting out of control due to lack of hunting pressure.  I'm sure they'll allow it at some point, but there is going to be a lot of grief and anger from some of the park's visitors.

Its been that way for a long long time. It won't change.

[Padre86]

5 minutes ago, WNYBuckHunter said:

Its been that way for a long long time. It won't change.

Maybe...

 

I remember hearing about a similar issue in some suburban, upscale neighborhood in Martha's Vineyard; the deer were plentiful, but the local homeowners were against any sort of hunting (and the local laws reflected that sentiment).

Then the deer got so plentiful that they started transmitting diseases and ticks and tore into soccer mom's gardens....and a limited season was implemented.

 

I think there is a tipping point, even for the most ardent of anti's...we just haven't gotten there yet.

[phade]

Let's just say she wasn't a mounter.

Lots of people trespass off the park onto the private property - the worst of whom are shed hunters.

Moog me and our hunting buddy are very fortunate to hunt in that area. But, knowing the wealth around it, adding hunting to the mix would make trespassing an even bigger issue. Some of the trespassing situations are obnoxious as noted.

[Core]

Thanks for the posts. So, it does indeed sound like a treasure trove, but nothing in the pipeline yet for hunting. Would be an epic spot!

The 2016-2017 guide says the NY DEC bought more land this year, but I can't see anything on the horizon in this area for new land.

[Nomad]

Never will happen. My buddy hunted a spot right next to it, one of those rich guys wanted the deer gone due to all the crashes. It was unreal hunting , he has videos that look like those hunting shows, deer just pouring into  the fields .

The guy wanted the county executive to open park to,hunting, as the deer use it as a refuge .

She said no way, and then he closed his land that hunting .

The town of Webster has a lot of deer and a town bow hunt on it, but you have to be a town resident . I killed the very first deer in the first town hunt many moons ago .

Edited August 20, 2016 by Larry302