New York State Conservation Council, Inc.

# 11-10  Sullivan 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 Sullivan County have overwhelming support for improving buck hunting in their local area;

Whereas the DEC implemented antler harvest restrictions in 2006 in Sullivan County in two units and the sportsmen of Sullivan Federation are happy with the program and would like to expand the program to include the remainder of the county contained in Unit 3A;

Whereas the expansion to include Unit 3A is also supported by 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 this region;

Whereas sportsmen, with the support of their communities, requested the DEC improve buck hunting by implementing yearling buck protection for unit 3A in 2005, 2006 and 2009, and the DEC did not adopt 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, on a 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:  David Hartman, PO Box 191, Grahamsville NY 12740
                 845/985-0087

Big Game Committee comments:  3A – basically the same verbiage limited to WMU 3A and their proposal states it includes AR’s as part of the program. Votes: 5 support / 7 opposed / 2 abstain

Legislative Committee comments:  Support.  For our support, the resolution will need wording change in “Be it resolved”: take out the whole thing and use the same as Schoharie County, which reads: “BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED; that the NYSCC shall support an alternative deer harvest strategy that may include antler harvest restrictions, to achieve a greater level of maturity and numbers among bucks of certain area deer populations.  And that such programs be supported and implemented in the NYSDEC Wildlife Management Units that have the SUPPORT of the local NYSCC member county conservation or sportsman federations.”  Would like to see 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.

# 12-10  Ulster 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 and practices are almost 100 years old and do not reflect recent advances and techniques rapidly emerging from the science of 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 currently needed for better overall 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, have demonstrated strong local 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 the sportsmen of New York who hunt in the affected WMU’s are satisfied with the antler restriction program and furthermore would like to expand the program to include the remainder of the county that includes WMU 3A;

Whereas the expansion to include Unit 3A is also supported by Sullivan 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, NYS Chapter of the Quality Deer Management Association, Ulster County Farm Bureau, Greene County Farm Bureau, and Schoharie County Farm Bureau;

Whereas improved buck hunting could serve to promote hunter participation and enhance long term hunter satisfaction;

BE IT RESOLVED that the NYSCC support 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 in Wildlife Management Units that have the support of local hunters, such as WMU 3A;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the DEC embrace, coordinate and promptly adopt such strategies where stakeholder interest is over 50%.

Contact:   Jay Martin, P.O. Box 275, Accord, NY 12404    845/626-7659    captainjaymartin@yahoo.com
                  Jim Smiseth    845/687-0738
                  Willard “Bill” Smith    845/647-7246

Big Game Committee comments:  basically the same verbiage limited to WMU 3A, and their proposal states it includes AR’s as part of the program.  They also want DEC to recognize any stake holder interest above 50% (simple majority) be the controlling percentage. Votes: 5 support / 7 opposed / 2 abstain

Legislative Committee comments:  Support.  For our support, it will need wording change in “Be it resolved”: take out the whole thing and use the same as Schoharie County, which reads: “BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED; that the NYSCC shall support an alternative deer harvest strategy that may include antler harvest restrictions, to achieve a greater level of maturity and numbers among bucks of certain area deer populations. And that such programs be supported and implemented in the NYSDEC Wildlife Management Units that have the SUPPORT of the local NYSCC member county conservation or sportsman federations.” And remove the second “be it resolved” about interest over 50 %. Would like to see 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.