Buying a license to operate the most dangerous piece of equipment (statistically) known to Americans is no problem. All one has to do is get a permit, study the book, be accompanied by an experienced driver and pass a road test. I also understand that the student must attend a 5 hour mandatory class in order to get their permit. This will entitle the licensee to operate a motor vehicle everyday of the year -- unlimited.

On the other hand New Yorkers who wish to hunt, a small portion of the year, must attend the required Hunter Safety Courses -- 12 hours of study to hunt with firearms -- and if we also want to Hunt with Archery Equipment we must attend an additional 8 hours of class time in order to be certified to purchase our Archery License. The next step is to purchase our yearly hunting license -- usually over the counter. The licensee must show identification, a class certificate for first timers and then make a payment to the issuing agent for the costs of the various hunting, fishing, and trapping license combinations. The licensee then receives and signs all paper work necessary to pursue the various game species in NYS. I purchased my licenses last week and had to sign my name about a dozen times. My total Hunting/Fishing License cost was $55.00. This will enable me to hunt deer, bear and small game. I also purchased stamps for bow-hunting and muzzle-loader (black-powder) hunting of deer and bear.

In order to hunt Turkeys in the FaIl or Spring one needs to purchase another stamp. The Sportsman License enables one to apply for a free deer management permit that the hunter can only take one or two antler-less deer, depending on the Deer Management Unit (DMU). Some hunters will pay an additional fee if they didn’t purchase a Sportsman License. It is my understanding that this year in DMU-3M (The Stewart Buffer) a hunter who is successful in filling both DMU Permits can apply in person to get an additional permit. Check with the nearest NYSDEC Office for more info and be sure to read the Regulations Guide before you venture out hunting. I won’t go into the different age groups and the many other regulations that one must know before venturing out into the woods, fields, mountains and waters of NYS. In some cases you need a “road map” of regulations to hunt the different regions of NYS because the regulations change and may be very different between the different NYSDEC Regions and also by town, county, the Catskill and Adirondack State Parks and Wilderness Areas. Fishing regulations can also be very complex so my best advice is to carry a binder or a small briefcase to keep all of your paperwork in order and read, read, read. Each year brings “new highlights of changes.”

As soon as the successful hunter harvests a deer, bear or turkey more paperwork will need to be filled out and the animal will have to be tagged with the proper paper tag as soon as the hunter and his quarry reach the road. You must be sure to “cross all of your T’s” and “dot your I‘s.” Be sure to know which Town that you are hunting in as this will be needed in one of the fields that need to be filled.

And then a report card must be mailed in to the NYSDEC. If you are getting the deer or bear processed at your favorite butcher you must keep the necessary tags attached and after the meat is packaged and frozen the law says that each package must be identified.

Preparing for the hunting season varies between individuals and families. Some folks hunt locally and others travel long distances throughout NYS, North America and the World to meet or travel with long time hunting buddies. Another ritual is buying supplies (locally and through catalog), equipment, guns, ammo, food, snacks, camping gear, sleeping bags, socks, archery equipment, trapping equipment, clothing, boots, tree stands, back-packs, fanny-packs etc. the list goes on. Then comes vehicle and travel expenses, trucks, cars, gasoline, car repairs, lodging, restaurants, boats, repairing the camp or camper etc. Hunters, fishers and trappers contribute billions of dollars to our local, state and US Economies. Additionally, state, local and federal excise taxes spin off into other benefits.

There are myriad types of hunting implements and this information could easily fill a book. The basic types are rifle, shotgun, bow (archery), muzzle-loader and handgun. Some hunters keep up with modern technology and purchase the latest equipment but there are still some who custom make their own firearms and archery equipment and then use it for a successful, fulfilling hunt. With some of our hunting implements there is very little difference in velocity and ballistics between modern day shotguns, muzzle-loaders, rifles and handguns used for deer hunting. Projectiles from some muzzle-loaders and “sabot” shotgun slugs exceed 2,600 feet per second. More on this important information in future columns.

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There will be a SPARC Public Meeting at the Little Britain Grange on Thursday, September 13, 2001 at 7:30 PM. The general public and SPARC supporters are invited. David Gordon, Esq. the Senior Attorney with the Riverkeeper will be the guest speaker. He will cover wetland issues re the I-84 Interchange project. Please come to the meeting and bring a friend. The Little Britain Grange is located on Rt. 207, 1.8 miles west of the Stewart Airport entrance in New Windsor. It is also just East of the Drury Lane and Rte. 207 Intersection. The NYS DOT and the Thruway will need permits from the NYSDEC and the Army Corps of Engineers to fill wetlands if they are to build their interchange project. Attend the meeting to hear David Gordon talk about the process and how the public can intervene. Ask all your questions and get the answers. There will be an upcoming public hearing. For the folks who may be new to the area the Stewart Park and Reserve Coalition (SPARC) is a diverse coalition of outdoor folks who are fighting NYS and Governor Pataki to preserve the 7,000 acres West of Drury Lane and Stewart Airport. It is also known as the Stewart Buffer Lands and the Stewart State Forest - where thousands of outdoor folks recreate annually for free. Admission to the meeting is also free and refreshments will be served.

For information, call 845 564-3018 or E mail at "mailto:sparc@frontiernet.net"

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“If guns and ammunition are outlawed -- only outlaws and criminals will have guns and ammunition.”

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Outdoor Liaisons appears every other week in the Times - Frank can be reached at the Times - email forthebirds39@earthlink.net or 845-562-0941.

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"When a large Beech Tree crashes to earth, somewhere in the Adirondacks, and
   no-one is around to hear it -- does it make a sound?"    
                    
                
 

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