New York State Conservation Council, Inc.

# 7-10  Delaware County
This resolution PASSED at the NYSCC Annual Meeting on September 18, 2010.

Whereas there has been a sustained effort on the part of sportsmen who already have mandatory antler restrictions in their counties to impose them on Delaware County;

Whereas Ulster County has proven that the Council’s help is not mandatory for implementation;

Whereas Delaware County Federation has continued to oppose the restrictions in our county which comprises WMU’s 4O and 4P by an overwhelming majority vote;

Whereas the data coming out of the areas that were in a 3 year pilot program has had mixed reviews and should continue to be studied;

Whereas the most negative potential effects of the restrictions are not always quickly experienced and need time to be appropriately studied;

Whereas there is no biological need for mandatory antler restrictions;
Whereas buck take from those areas that were supposed to recover in 3 years have not recovered, and after 3 years one of the WMUs was still down 39%;

Whereas hunter satisfaction that was supposed to rise with implementation has actually fallen. Dissatisfaction has risen double and triple the rate of satisfaction.

Whereas Pennsylvania has seen an annual 4% DECREASE in the number of nonresident licenses sold since the implementation of mandatory antler restrictions;

Whereas Pennsylvania has seen a buck harvest drop from a 2001 pre-restriction harvest of 203,247 to a 2007 harvest of 109,200 after it had 6 years to start a recovery;

Whereas New York does not have a penalty that fits the offense. In New York it is a minimum $250 fine and $75.00 surcharge with up to $2,000, 1 year in jail and a revoked license;

Whereas New York has by no means tried other alternate ideas to achieve the goals of the mandatory antler restriction advocates;

BE IT RESOLVED that the NYSCC oppose the implementation of mandatory antler restrictions in Delaware County’s Wildlife Management Units 4O and 4P. 

Contact:  Dan Owen, 4935 Co. Hwy 35, Sidney Center, NY  13839
                 607/265-3750 dowen@mkl.com

Big Game Committee comments:  Delaware’s resolution revolves around the issue of “home rule” where the organized sportsmen of an area should have the determination regarding issues such as AR’s.  If other areas want to implement AR’s based upon their local support, then Delaware asks that for the same reasons the Council oppose any attempt to implement mandatory AR’s in 4O and 4P where the county organization is on record as opposing them.  Votes:  7 support / 3 oppose / 4 abstain

Legislative Committee comments:  Support.  Many of the “whereas” statements are debatable and are not needed, as they will create controversy. The “be it resolved” is what we support; when a county federation asks the NYSCC to support or oppose an issue in their county, it should be done.

# 8-10  Nassau County
This resolution FAILED at the NYSCC Annual Meeting on September 18, 2010.

Whereas deer populations in New York State, especially buck numbers, are currently substantially down from previous numbers in many areas and the herd must be restored;

Whereas New York’s basic deer management strategies regimes are almost 100 years old and do not reflect recently emerging advances and techniques provided for by scientific deer management;

Whereas the deer herd should be restored in a balanced and biologically sound way by increasing the buck to doe ratio by increasing the numbers and age of the buck population;

Whereas implementation of new deer management techniques and harvest regimes could substantially increase deer hunter participation and satisfaction, and ultimately provide a better and more efficient tool to achieve the levels of annual deer harvest needed for better herd management;

Whereas there is growing interest among New York hunters to refine their role as deer herd managers and expand their hunting opportunities and satisfactions, including the opportunity to pursue and take more mature bucks and create adult sex ratios that are in balance with deer herd health;

Whereas certain areas, such as Ulster County, Sullivan County, Greene County, Delaware County, Schoharie County and other areas have overwhelming support for improving buck hunting in their local area;

Whereas the DEC implemented antler harvest restrictions in 2005 in Ulster County in two units and in 2006 in Sullivan County in two units, and sportsmen are happy with the program and would like to expand the program to include additional counties;

Whereas the expansion to include additional units is also supported by Sullivan County Federation of Sportsmen, Ulster County Federation of Sportsmen, Greene County Federation of Sportsmen,  Schoharie County Conservation Association, Dutchess County Federation of Sportsmen, Suffolk Alliance of Sportsmen, Nassau County Fish and Game and QDMA;

Whereas improved buck hunting could establish a statewide precedent and have far reaching implications;

Whereas improved buck hunting will benefit all New York hunters who wish to hunt in these areas;

Whereas sportsmen with the support of their communities requested the DEC improve buck hunting by implementing yearling buck protection in 2009, the DEC withdrew the proposal and other remedies have not been successful in accomplishing this requested change;

BE IT RESOLVED that the NYSCC position be that an alternative deer harvest strategy that includes antler harvest restrictions needed to achieve greater levels of maturity among the buck segment of the deer population be implemented in wildlife management units that have the support of local hunters, such as unit 3A, 4G, 4R, 4S, 4O, 4P and 4W on an unit by unit basis and that NYSCC advocate for and support regulation and legislative change to implement said position including conveying said support in writing to the DEC.

Contact:  Charles A. Bevilacqua, 3 Albert Avenue, Syosset, NY 11791
                  516/921-1429-H

Big Game Committee comments:  3A/ 4G/ 4P/ 4O/ 4R/ 4S/ 4W – basically the same verbiage and areas but their proposal states it includes AR’s as part of the program.  Interestingly enough, the submitting organization is not part of these listed areas. Same discussion points as #10 and #11. Votes: 5 support / 7 oppose / 2 abstain

Legislative Committee comments:  Oppose:  In “Be It Resolved”, should not have support of local hunters. It should have support of the local NYSCC member county federations. We should support our voting members. Also, it should not include a WMU where the County Federation is opposed to antler restrictions. Should have the date listed when the buck harvest rule became effective, not just list “100 years of deer management.” Many changes have been made over the years, but no change has been made in regard to the 3” rule for bucks.