2012 NYS shotgun season commences!





Mady on shotgun season-eve,
with her "hunting stand" (a folding bar stool)
strapped to her back!

This morning marks the opening of the 2012 shotgun season in NY. As I write this there are countless fathers, uncles, brothers, and sons out in the woods sitting high in a tree waiting for the perfect buck to carelessly wander close enough to take down. 

But at the same time there are plenty of ladies out there too- my roommate Mady in fact is up the hill behind the house as I write (and I just heard 2 shots, not sure if it was her or a neighbor, but I hope it was her…love venison steaks!).

I’ve been asked several times my “stance” on hunting, and I’ve been reluctant to share because it can be controversial…but I think it’s time to share.
 

I’m not a hunter (or huntress?), but I’m not anti-hunting.
 

I don’t have the gumption to get up at 5am, crawl into the freezing cold woods and sit there up in a tree. I am NOT a morning person. I don’t have it in me to shoot a living, breathing animal. And I certainly don’t have the stomach to field dress and then butcher the animal. But, because I’m pursuing a career in wildlife management, I realize the necessity of hunting. The licensing fees help fund salaries of biologists (which I hope to be) and law enforcement officers, as well as funding conservation efforts across the state. The removal of animals via hunting/trapping/fishing helps to “cull the herd” and somewhat maintain populations. And actually, the white-tailed deer population is increasing, and numbers of hunters is decreasing across the state (Hunting and Trapping Participation in NY)… so there are actually less hunters out there, than can put a dent in the deer population! And for all you meat-eaters out there, wild game is delicious! It often is healthier and leaner than store bought red meat. We all like organic/grass fed beef right?

All of that being said, I wish everyone luck and safety- please keep control of your muzzle and know what you’re shooting at! Keep track of your hunting buddies, if you’re hunting in pairs, and for the LOVE of Mother Nature, wear some blaze orange! I don’t even know what the statistics are like for hunting related accidents, but there are more than anyone wants.

The image below is borrowed from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation hunting section of their site. This has all the information NY hunters need to know. Check it out!

2012 NYS deer bow/regular hunting seasons.

If you or someone close to you happens to bag a nice white-tail, send me a comment and I’d love to share your picture!

Tomorrow I will be accompanying a Region 4 wildlife biologist on a mission to collect biological information from harvested deer. I’ll be writing an entry on that outing soon, so stay tuned.

Have a great weekend!

(Oh, and I just received a text from the woods: those shots were Mady…she missed a 4-point. Better luck next time!)