And Yet Another Threat to Bowhunting

[Doc]

In New York State, there is a change in the bow season that I think represents a serious change of attitude from the DEC regarding how they view bow hunting.

The change is that the bow season will be moved from October 15 to October 1 (good news) and there will be a new muzzleloader season established that extends for 1 week starting on the 2nd Satuday of October (bad news). Then the archery season resumes. The good news is that we have gained some season length. The bad news is that we have lost a week of prime pre-rut season. This is not a week of "either or" season, but will be a muzzleloader only season. I suspect we will find the hunting a lot more difficult and an awful lot of our scouting negated by this introduction of muzzleloaders right before the rut.

That isn't even the worse news. Several articles discussing this change have mentioned the fact that this is being done primarily to increase the antlerless deer harvest. The accompanying comment was that bow hunters are now viewed as primarily buck hunters and are not very effective in controlling doe harvests. Now, think about that for a moment. That is quite a statement. That means that they feel that we have been monopolizing some prime hunting times and they are not getting their moneys-worth in terms of deer harvest. With that attitude, more replacements of bowhunting time slots can be justified for future intrusions into prime bow-hunting times. Under that kind of justification, perhaps in the future, there may be regular gun season intrusions into our season. Not possible? Well, I would have considered this move to be "not possible" too. Already I have heard from one source that this 1 week muzzleloader season is being considered for expansion at some future date once this new season has been evaluated for effectiveness in antlerless harvests.

Yes, this is only in New York so far, but I wouldn't be too smug if I lived in other states either. As herds grow to levels where the various game management organizations become concerned along with declining hunter numbers, more and more states will be looking at the prime pre-rut and rut hunting slots for more effective ways to trim herds.

It's beginning to look like the anti-hunters aren't the only ones posing a threat to bowhunting.

Doc

[NY911Bowhunter]

Re: And Yet Another Threat to Bowhunting

Fellow Ny'ers!

This is true - apparently DEC is bowing under "pressure" - and letting the up and coming popularity of the modern, rifle like, long range, scoped, muzzleoaders take over the archery season.

But sure....they thow us a "bone" and let us get out there earlier when there aint crap going on in the woods!

DEC will not even let bowhunters take to the woods during this special ML season - propostrous!!!!!

NOW IS THE TIME TO SPEND YOUR 15 DOLLARS AND JOIN THE NY BOWHUNTERS!!!!! They are putting 100 percent of their resources into fighting this silly proposal!

[Doc]

Re: And Yet Another Threat to Bowhunting

I am glad to hear that some archers are fighting this, and I will be putting my money where my mouth is by joining and supporting the NY Bowhunters.

That said, I'm afraid that I still don't hold out a lot of hope. It is my understanding that when proposals get this far along (especially ones that are supported by the DEC), it is usually a done deal. I suspect that the various archery lobbys within the state are no match for something that is supported by so many gun oriented hunters. I also suspect that many of the bowhunters will not necessarily be against this change. Many are also muzzleloader hunters. Also, judging by the meager response to this post, I think that a lot of archers are not really the died in the wool bowhunters who would be willing to fight against this take-over. I hope I am wrong.

Doc