No early deer season for Southern zone muzzleloading

[hans g./UpS]

Just looked at NYSDEC's 2006 deer seasons.
Southern zone muzzleloaders are shafted as usual.
Perhaps the archers can make up NYSDEC's deficit.
I won't.

[rebAL]

I'm not sure that's a done deal yet but I don't doubt that will be the ultimate outcome.  Seems to me a compromise would be in order allowing private property owners to decide for themselves what type of hunting implement is allowed.  If tree sitters want to tie up state land that's one thing, but there's a whole lot of private land that should be open for early muzzleloaders if NYS really wants to cut  doe herd.

[tscott]

I don't understand the problem with an early muzzleloader season. I go back home to the Hudson Valley to hunt each year. I am a bow hunter as well as muzzleloader and rifle. There are deer everywhere. I cannot see in the southern zone where an early season muzzleloader season for doe,
would have a big impact on deer numbers... What's the problem?

[rebAL]

I don't understand . There are deer everywhere. I cannot see in the southern zone where an early season muzzleloader season for doe,
would have a big impact on deer numbers... What's the problem?

  The only problem as I see it is the bowhunters are more vocal & are using their superior numbers.  They have the lawmakers believing that muzzleloader hunters will ruin their best week of bowhunting with all the noise and trompng through the woods.  True hunters know this is B S but ignorant lawmakers are likely looking at the poles and there are more bowhuners than muzzleloader hunters.  Just another example of dumb & self-servingNYS legislators and greedy bowhunters.  I don't mean all bowhunters;  I mean their association with political ties.

[Qtip]

Being the old fart that I am (or should I say curmudgeon) I remember a much simpler time when bow season was the two weeks preceding the two week gun season. During gun season you could hunt with weapon of choice for your area. The problem arose when the DEC caved in to requests for more time for some groups.  Thinning of the deer herd was the reason given.  We have become divided.  The solution would be to just give out more doe tags as needed. I also believe the local population should get first dibs on any extra tags. Sorry if that seems greedy, but that's the way I feel. I've seen out of area and out of state hunters come around with doe tags while locals got refused. This to me is a kick in the butt. You live here, spend here, pay local taxes here and then get denied. I know there are other sides to the issue and some are valid; but everything must be weighed out. It is easier to conquer when we are divided.  I used to bow hunt. (shoulder injury) And I've heard them complain about turkey hunters, duck hunters, etc.  The outdoors do not belong to one group, we have to share and with that learn to respect others too.

Qtip
Soli Deo Gloria!

[WNY_Whitetailer]

I hunt with stick and string, slug gun, hand gun, black powder rifle and I like it just the way it is...I enjoy getting out in the real cold stuff with my bp rifle and having a go at it during the late ml season.  I also enjoy the quiet time in the woods during early archery season...

[woodsdweller]

i say amen. its not broke lets not fix it. nothing like early bow season quiet, no pressure and natural feeding patterns. gotta love the late black powder season. if you cant kill a deer then your not hunting. thats what it all about. have not seen anything wrong with the way it use to be. just glad to see the cut backs on dmps in our area. as far as i am concerned keep your dmps and ars to the personal preferance of the hunter.

[cpobb]

What a great excuse to pack up your BP gear and a tent (or what ever) and head for the north country for a three day weekend. There is a nice early BP season in the northern zone and tons of unspoiled state land to explore. Sure the deer are not coming out of the woodwork like in the southern tier, but as I see it, its the experience, not the carcass count that makes it all worth while. (Though I don't mind filling my freezer if I can!) There are several areas that you can take buck and/or doe and maybe bear to boot. I enjoy it soo much up there that I bought land and built a camp. Southern zone hunting is great, but theres nothing like being in the woods alone, just you and the deer.

[rebAL]

WNY...  Do you honestly believe that an early B/P season will make the archery season too noisy even though small game hunters are also out there?  There's nothing wrong with late BP season which runs concurrently with late archery season, but  If NY wants to increase deer hunting  opportunities and harest wouldn't it make sense to have additional season for BP hunters?

[rebAL]

i say amen. its not broke lets not fix it.

   The problem is the system is broke!  That's the whole point of trying to increase the doe harvest.  An early muzzleloader season should help fix the overpopulation of does and help with the $ex ratio. 

[woodsdweller]

what over pouplation of does are you speaking of? come over to the deleware co./greene co. area and show us an over abundance of does. dont you fellas like to see deer when you are out hunting. i spent 4 day up north last year and seen more deer in thoes 4 days then a week in the southern zone. we have lost the big picture people. its time spent with family and friends in the deer woods doing what we like to do and harvesting deer is why we are here. a throphy is in the eye of the beholder. try telling a youngster not to shoot a buck because someone else says they cant. they may have just spent 4 or 5 hours in a stand and all the excitment just went out the door and it may be the only buck they see that year. My grandfather would roll over in his grave with all this bs of QDM and AR talk. give it upand book a hunt in a mid west state and leave us alone. I pay for my deer tags like everyone else you shoot what you want and i will do the same.

slade cline

[htrjv]

Hi folks,  I had a meeting with DEC on 06-28-06 (Instructor 06-07 update).  Fewer doe permits will be issued this coming season, as DEC feels they have achieve their goals for managing the deer herd for the majority of the state.  Now having said that, certain areas will/might see an increase in the number of permits, due to overcrowding, or dimishing habitat.  In short, some will be down, and some will be up.  Overall the number of permits will be down.  Don't even get me started on Nuisance Permits.  Joe

[bubba]

I love the early and late season we get here in the North. I hunt with a bow starting 9/28 then the week before regular season is muzzleloading. I hunt both private and state land. That week is always a planned vacation for me and I spend it in the woods...

[yoscratch]

rebAL

"WNY...  Do you honestly believe that an early B/P season will make the archery season too noisy even though small game hunters are also out there?  There's nothing wrong with late BP season which runs concurrently with late archery season, but  If NY wants to increase deer hunting  opportunities and harest wouldn't it make sense to have additional season for BP hunters?  "

Are you Canadian (all the A's, like eh?)  Just teasing.

Hey - who is inviting me to stay at their place in the Adirondacks for early muzzleloading season???
 
 

[NoKness]

I like the late ML season. If I was going to change something I would like a Primitive ML season from dec 20-31.

[WNY_Whitetailer]

I like the late ML season. If I was going to change something I would like a Primitive ML season from dec 20-31.

That's interesting...and different.

[Leatherstocking]

I cannot see in the southern zone where an early season muzzleloader season for doe,
would have a big impact on deer numbers... What's the problem?

Posted by: tscott

To me that's the main reason for NOT having an early ML season. Why bother? If it won't affect deer numbers, it's not useful as a management tool. I hunt with ML also, but as far as I can tell, with the modern in-lines it's not that much different than hunting with a regular gun - so I am not convinced that there should be a special early season for it. If you enjoy hunting with a ML, why not use it in the regular season, plus the late ML season. I would prefer to see the late ML season extended later into December.

I do bowhunt also, and I do believe that there would be much less chance of getting a deer with the bow if there was an early ML season. It's not a matter of "who owns the woods for which time", it's simply a fact that killing a deer with a bow is much harder than with a gun -- any gun. 

That said, if DEC really wanted to have an early ML season in the southern zone to kill some does, "as a management tool", then the season could be in September - no biological reason it couldn't be. It would not conflict with the archery season and would allow the deer to get back into normal routines by the time archery starts. If it is for does only, I would think this should be acceptable to those who want the early ML season. Heck, I'd probably take advantage of it also, and try to put a little meat in the freezer early.