New York State Conservation Council, Inc.

Excerpt from September, 2009
          During one of my meetings earlier this year with Senators Valesky, Schneiderman and Aubertine, it was decided that Senator Valesky would arrange a tour and meeting with sportsmen in his area for Senator Schneiderman. Senator Schneiderman became the Chair of the Codes Committee this year; he is from Manhattan and has been dealing with gun issues from an urban perspective. I had brought up the fact that the legislation he was sponsoring would hurt the sportsmen and gunowners from all over the state. Senator Schneiderman said he would hold off on pushing the gun bills until he had a chance to get more facts. 
          On August 10th Senator Valesky held a field trip for Senator Schneiderman to meet and talk with sportsmen / gun owners in Valesky's area. Before the meeting, which was held at the Oneida Sportsmen's Club, I participated in a tour with the Senators and Senate staff to an archery/gun shop (AJ's Archery in Cazenovia). At the shop many questions were asked about the procedures for sale and licenses to buy guns, mainly handguns. One of Senator Schneiderman’s concerns was how handguns are purchased and end up in the hands of criminals and gang members. I believe that the issue was answered very well with the explanation that law-abiding gun owners are not going to sell or give their licensed guns to criminals or gang members. There was also discussion about lowering the age to hunt big game with a bow to 12 years old. I feel this also did some good, as Senator Schneiderman was surprised to learn that our state has a minimum draw weight for bows to make them legal to hunt big game with, so that anyone who cannot pull and shoot a bow with a 35 pound draw weight cannot hunt big game. He said he wished he knew that in 2008 when he opposed the bill. 
          The next stop was the Oneida Sportsmen’s Club and the range, where the senators and staff received demonstrations about muzzleloaders, handguns, rifles and shotguns and talked with the group of concerned sportsmen. Senator Schneiderman also had the opportunity to shoot both .50 and .54 caliber muzzleloaders. Then down to business of lunch and the meeting, where we were joined by Senator Aubertine. 
          Senator Schneiderman was very receptive to the comments made by everyone in attendance. Hopefully we have educated him and staff about some issues that would affect those in rural areas differently than those who live in cities. I would like to see Senator Schneiderman become an ally to stop the anti-gun legislation that hurts only the law-abiding gunowners. This could become a reality if he continues to communicate and work with sportsmen and Senators Valesky and Aubertine. Charlie Pace, a member of the Conservation Fund Advisory Board, was instrumental in setting up the visit to the archery/gun shop and the sportsmen’s club, and brought his own guns for demonstration as well.


Excerpts from June, 2009
          4-H program and industry leaders were recognized at the 10th Annual Banquet & Auction of the New York State 4-H Shooting Sports Program, held on April 18, 2009 at the Roaring Brook Resort in Lake George. The New York State Crossbow Hunters Association was the recipient of the 2009 Empire State Award, which is presented to a New York company or organization that supports 4-H Shooting Sports and the world of the outdoors.  Bill Hilts, Sr. accepted the award on behalf of the Association.  The group will be working to further the opportunities for youth to learn more about the historical and current crossbow applications in the New York program through a pilot program that will begin this summer.
          The New York State Legislators Sportsmen’s Caucus held their 2nd Annual Sportsmen’s Breakfast, hosted by the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses and the National Wild Turkey Federation, in the Concourse of the Empire State Plaza on April 29, 2009. This was an opportunity for sportsmen to talk and meet with those legislators who protect our rights.
          On the same day, SCOPE held its Gun Legislation Day. Hundreds of sportsmen and women from many different organizations, including the NYSCC, attended. Legislation that the concerned sportsmen went to Albany to oppose had been voted on and passed in the Assembly on April 28th. Those travelling to Albany turned their attention to the Senate with hopes of having that legislation stopped by the Senate. Many Senators and their staff heard the message that sportsmen were opposed to the anti-gun legislation passed by the Assembly.
          What are our salt water anglers complaining about? In March, DEC announced new limits for recreational fluke fishing, to comply with federal mandates to reduce harvest in 2009. The season would be open from May 15 till June 15 and from July 4 to Aug. 17, with a limit of two fish 21 inches or larger.  However, other northeast states have different size and catch limits. New Jersey has a 6 fish limit, with a minimum length of 18 inches. In Connecticut the limits are 3 fish 19.5 inches. For the most part, the waters these anglers fish are the same, just the fishermen are coming from different states. In 2008 New York filed a federal lawsuit challenging the methods and data used to manage coastal fluke populations. The lawsuit claims that the National Marine Fisheries Service violated federal law by using outdated and scientifically unreliable statistics to establish fluke harvest limits along the Atlantic Coast, resulting in inequitable treatment of New York anglers. For example, in 2008 an angler on the New York side of Raritan Bay could land four fluke per day with each fish measuring at least 20.5 inches long, while someone on the New Jersey side of the bay could land eight fluke at only 18 inches long. The lawsuit is still pending.

Excerpt from July, 2008 
          Great news!  After more than eight years of NYSCC members working to get the age reduced to allow junior hunters to hunt big game, the New York State Assembly and Senate have finally passed legislation to do just that. This could not have happened without much help from a lot of people. I would like to thank everyone who made this possible. First we had support from the majority of the sportsmen, clubs, county federations and from many organizations that make up the NYSCC; we had support from the Farm Bureau, 4H Shooting Sports, FWMA, CFAB and DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis, who not only worked to put this legislation together as a Department bill, but also talked to many of his acquaintances in the Assembly and Senate.  We had the support of the Commissioner of Ag and Markets, Pat Hooker, who also talked to some of his acquaintances in Albany. Then we had the support of two special people who not only sponsored this legislation, but also convinced many of their colleagues to vote for it: I would like to thank Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte and Senator Dale Volker for their tireless efforts. We also had many co-sponsors or multi-sponsors in the Assembly who spread the word. I would like to thank NYSCC Legislative Team member Bob Brown for giving me a hand in Albany. We needed to educate many Assembly and Senate members as to exactly what this legislation would do and would not do. Many had the idea that this bill would allow youth the opportunity to get guns and use them for crimes on the streets. I was also surprised at how many did not read the bill; they saw the words “hunting” and “14 and 15 year olds” and decided to oppose it, until we discussed what was in the bill. I for one am glad this has passed, after spending 22 days in Albany this year and meeting with most of the Assembly and some of the Senate about this legislation. Most of the legislators and their staff were very nice to work with, and I received an education of Albany politics. In the Assembly, nothing gets voted on unless the Speaker or his staff says it’s ok. In the Senate, the final say of what gets voted on comes from the Majority Leader or his staff.  The majority of the Senators and Assembly people can be in favor of a bill, but it will never get passed without the support of the Speaker and the Majority Leader. In both houses there were holdups in allowing the bills to go to a committee or committees for a vote. In the Assembly, we met with the Speaker’s staff and worked out last-minute problems before bill A11033 was allowed to go to the Codes Committee, then Ways and Means, then the Rules Committee, and finally to the floor for a vote. Assembly bill A11033 passed with a final vote count of 123 in favor and 15 opposed; the vote from the floor was 92 to 14.  Later, absentee votes were added, for the final count of 123/15. As we came to June 23rd, the final day of the Senate’s scheduled session, the Senate companion bill S8228 was being held from the Rules Committee by the Majority Leader’s staff person, who controls the Committee’s agenda. After spending much of that day trying to contact the person responsible, or Senator Bruno, without success, I was glad to hear that the Senate’s session was extended another day. Finally, on Tuesday, I caught up with the staff person responsible for not allowing S8228 on the agenda. He said that S784 (the canned hunt bill) should also go up for a vote, if S8228 was allowed to go through. After a discussion with him about the differences of the two bills and pointing out that S8228 was extending education, while S784 was full of false statements and a step to abolish hunting, and that the Council would not change its position of opposition to S784, he agreed to allow S8228 on the agenda for Rules. A short time later, the third and final Rules Committee for the day was held, and included S8228, and not S784.  At 7:00 PM the Senate passed bill S8228 with a vote of 61 to 1, with the only one to oppose it being Senator Duane.
          Bills A11033 / S8228, when signed into law by the Governor, will take effect immediately and be in place for the 2008 hunting season. They will allow a 14 and 15 year old to hunt big game when he or she is accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or youth mentor who is 21 years of age or older and has three years of big game hunting experience, is licensed to hunt big game and is designated in writing by the parent or legal guardian. The parent, guardian or mentor must maintain physical control over the junior hunter. “Physical control” means that the proximity of the minor to the parent, guardian or mentor is such that verbal directions and instructions may be given while maintaining constant visual contact. Then while accompanying a junior big game hunter the parent, guardian or mentor and the junior big game hunter must wear a minimum of a vest or cap visible from 360° and made of  blaze orange or 50% camo blaze orange, and neither may hunt from an elevated stand.
          This legislation will also allow a person over 21 to take a 12- and 13- year-old youth small game hunting, changing the previous requirement that only a parent or guardian could accompany the junior hunter. This bill also creates a trapper mentoring program for youths under 12, allowing them to accompany and assist a licensed and experienced trapper prior to completing the mandatory training required for them to purchase their own trapping license.  The changes to these laws will allow our youth to be educated by experienced adults and hopefully continue the heritage of hunting and trapping for their lifetime.
          Following is information on the sponsors for Assembly Bill A11033, sponsored by Francine DelMonte.
 ♦ Co-Sponsors: Sweeney, Gunther, Lupardo, Fields, Sayward, Titone, Destito, Stirpe, Gabryszak, Gianaris, Gordon T, Reilly, Magee, Magnarelli, Schimminger, Schroeder, Lavine, Christensen, McEneny
 ♦ Multi-Sponsors: Alessi, Amedore, Bacalles, Barclay, Brennan, Burling, Cahill, Calhoun, Cole, Cook, Crouch, Duprey, Englebright, Errigo, Finch, Giglio, Hawley, Kirwan, Kolb, Koon, Lancman, Lifton, Molinaro, Morelle, Oaks, Ortiz, Quinn, Rivera P, Scozzafava, Seminerio, Spano, Townsend, Walker, Zebrowski.