Author Topic: Saturday Opener (Read 694 times)

tscott · « **on:** November 29, 2005, 06:16:58 AM »

I hunted every opening day of the southern zone from 1965 to 2004.
Shot a lot of deer. 40 years ago the woods were full of red flannel, and wool. Heck on the local highway there were no places to park and hunt for cars. Over the years this dwindled, hunter numbers shrank... Good for me! Over the past decade I saw few hunters. Virtually none since I moved to NC some years ago.
When the DEC proposed the Saturday opener, it took something from the NY deer mystique from me. I don't think a Saturday opener is going to start youngsters on the sporting life... Dad's do that!
I think I got a good 20 years left to hunt. What is the DEC doing to keep us seniors in the hunt? Hopefully not more handicapped access, although I support that effort, I'm not handicapped. I would have loved an early season muzzleloader. What would be the problem with a Monday opener for that?
Anyway my 40 year hunting partner told me the participation this opener (Saturday) was even lower than recent years... Virtually no cars out the first week. My question to the DEC, on whats being done for older hunters, was acknowledeged, but unanswered. I hunt high in the Blue Ridge tomorrow. Yippee!!!!

nyhunter863 · « **Reply #1 on:** November 29, 2005, 09:57:50 AM »

I agree that the Saturday opener will do absolutely nothing to get kids involved in hunting in NY. Few kids are interested in such a pastime with so many other things distracting them these days. I also think something has been lost with the Saturday opener. In years past I had a day or two to get myself ready, and the Sunday anticipation for the Monday opener was completely gone this year when I had to drive myself upstate the Friday night before, without having too much time for anything else left over. I have been hunting since the late 70's and hunter numbers are certainly way down. I doubt if they will ever recover. I think the main reason hunters are hanging it up is that it is just so darned hard to find a place to hunt. Yes, there is some public land, but I think I would give it up also if that was the only place I could hunt. Even if a place is found, it is becoming very rare that it will be on a property having more than 100 acres. This certainly takes away from the "nature" experience that hunting should be. In most cases the 100 acres of open hunting land will probably have more gun hunters on it than it should, which can lead to all sorts of unpleasant situations. To me it seems that one will need to join some sort of hunting club to have access to good hunting land. I really don't like this, because everyone I have ever known who joined a hunting club, soon left it also. Hunters just can't seem to get along with each other, nevermind none hunters for some strange reason! Having to join a club or an expensive lease certainly won't get many fathers to shell out even more money to get their kids involved, which proves that kids will not be getting involved no matter what the DEC thinks or wants! As hard as the DEC wants to keep hunters happy and enroll the young ones for the future, I really don't think the outlook is good. I think quite a few people still have the desire, but there are just way too many obstacles for the average guy to make it all worth the effort.

Leatherstocking · « **Reply #2 on:** February 11, 2006, 04:49:40 PM »

Very good points that both of you made in these posts. It is unfortunate, but I agree that the future of our sport does not look good, especially in NY. I really hope that NY passes the law that has been proposed, which would allow 14 year olds to hunt deer. In my opinion, that is the single most important thing that can be done to maintain interest in the sport.

At best, the Saturday opener is a token gesture to recruit youngsters. I agree that the parents, uncles etc must do it. But if kids get much past 12-14 years old, they are on to other things and will not embrace the hunting tradition. I feel that I am always struggling to keep my young guys (10 and 7) interested as I compete against the allure of video games and TV. I have some nephews that have shown some interest as well so hopefully I can do my part to recruit some youngsters.

Take a kid hunting and you won't be hunting for your kids..........

Inthewoods · « **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2006, 01:32:32 AM »

In my humble opinion the Saturday opener is a blessing to help out the hunters. The reason, at least round here from those I talked to, for having fewer people in the woods was that a lot of people were afraid the woods would have TOO MANY hunters in it. So a lot of people stayed home. Turned out good for me as I don't like crowded woods....and I scored by 8am.

The reason I think it is a blessing to open on Sat. is that it allows a lot of hunters to get out who have to work Mondays and can't get the time off. Having a Sat. opener AND Sunday hunting is a far cry from 20 or 30 years ago...i remember rushing off the school bus to get my gun and into the woods before it got dark....for a whole week till Saturday rolled around. Then had to wait till Monday afternoon again to hunt....My kids got it far better today than I did.

If the ranks of hunters are diminishing it's cause dads aren't getting their job done....a LOT of kids these days don't even live with their dads....how can we expect the tradition of hunting to progress and multiply if it's not getting taught? The hunter population is only following suit with the divorce rate. A lot of kids these days are far lazier than 20 or 30 years ago also...why go freeze in a tree stand and maybe shoot a deer when they know they can stay warm and watch TV, play video games or chat on the computer? A lot of dad's are too spineless to make kids learn and do things like this cause they are wrapped up in giving a kid their free will. I'm glad my dad made me learn gun safety and hunting ethics....My kids are learning the same.

I posted on another website the inquirey about creating a new forum there...Kids in the Woods....a pathetic response was recieved....from a group of hunters who "say" they are kid concerned.....We got no one to blame but ourselves really...

Leatherstocking · « **Reply #4 on:** February 12, 2006, 02:54:34 AM »

IntheWoods,

I have no problem with the saturday opener. At first I didn't like it because I always enjoyed that last weekend of bowhunting in prime rut time and I enjoy the last weekend of preparation and relaxation prior to the Monday opener. I can live with it though (I guess I'll have to :lol: )

My point is that it will not accomplish what the bureaucrats say it will. It does more to provide convenience for the guys who mostly just hunt weekends (which I appreciate because I am one of them), than it does to get youngsters interested. I think most guys who are serious hunters took their kids out of school that Monday anyway (I know I never went to school on that Monday once I was of age :grin: )

str8shooter48 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 12, 2006, 03:17:09 AM »

What is the date of the opening of gun season this year? Is there a a simple formula like it used to be? The first Monday after the 15th.

I have to apply for my vacation within the next two weeks.

RCL · « **Reply #6 on:** February 12, 2006, 04:44:15 AM »

The Saturday before Thanksgiving

Actually it says the third Saturday of November

http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/guide/futuredeer.html

str8shooter48 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 12, 2006, 08:26:15 AM »

Quote from: RCL

The Saturday before Thanksgiving

Actually it says the third Saturday of November

http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/guide/futuredeer.html

ThankYou

woodsdweller · « **Reply #8 on:** February 13, 2006, 03:06:11 AM »

ok if you want a sat. opener then lets put a youth program in place first. My daughter at 11 and my son at 9 are ready now. lets get them while they are still young. my children shoot better then some men i know. My 7 year old daughter would shoot the eye out of a chuck at 30 yrds. it angers me to watch hunting shows and read articles with childred at 6 harvesting deer or turkey in other states. i hear all the dec talk about youth i say put out or stop the talk. if not then give me back the monday. if they can pass the hunters safty course then whats the problem.

there brain storms are a joke. lets put out coydogs in the 70's and 80's that has caused a major explosion of now day yotties and everything suffers for it. i have to travel out of town to run my beagles because all the rabbits are living in town under everyones tool shed the deer pouplation in the catskills is at an all time low in my life time. grouse no longer fly out from under your feet but 50 yrds. out with no chance of harvesting them. no lets just change the dates around to look like we are hedding somewhere. i wish they could just say where we are hedding.

at least they heard our pleas and cut out the dmps here. its a start.

tscott · « **Reply #9 on:** February 13, 2006, 05:54:38 AM »

Why not an early season Muzzy hunt for the whole state... The muzzleloader is a great training tool for young hunters. What happened to last years early MZ hunt? I now hunt mostly in NC, after 40 years in NY.
I don't see as many deer in NC as NY, but the early muzzleloader season here has had no impact on my ability to get quality bucks. The DEC does flawed research. They respond to what people who are angry say, rather than taking a close look at what has been successful in other states. Heck an early muzzleloader season extends deer season during the best part...
I'd go back to the old homestead in the valley, and hunt with my grandchildren, and children... I've changed my opinion of the Sat opener..
I could care less now. I have seen a significant drop in quantity / quality..in NY!
Base the research on what has been successful, and run the seasons and bag limits accordingly... Oh by the way is there anything done for us older hunters, that prefer hunting to football and beer...