DEC announces ‘Holiday Deer Hunt’ for bow, muzzleloaders during Christmas break in Southern Zone - newyorkupstate.com

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The state Department of Environmental Conservation has announced the adoption of a new regulation to establish a “Holiday Deer Hunt” by extending the late bow and muzzleloader hunting seasons for deer from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 in the state’s Southern Zone.

The new Holiday Deer Hunt will take effect at the end of this year and will not apply to the Northern Zone.

“As part of our ongoing efforts to capitalize on the growing interest in hunting, we’re excited to announce that beginning this December, the Holiday Deer Hunt will provide new opportunities for New Yorkers and visiting hunters to venture afield during a time when families and friends are gathered together for the holidays and students are home on school break,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos in a news release announcing the hunt. “The extended season is also a great time for younger hunters to go afield with experienced mentors and nurture their knowledge and skills as responsible members of the hunting community.”

The new season provides an additional seven days of late season hunting with bows and muzzleloaders. Crossbows will also be allowed as the DEC classifies them as a muzzleloader. Hunters must purchase a bowhunting or muzzleloading privilege to participate in the late bow or muzzleloader seasons and may use all deer carcass tags valid during those seasons.

The expanded hunting season will only apply to New York’s Southern Zone. In the Northern Zone, deer may already be moving to wintering areas by late December, DEC said.

“Hunting seasons that occur when deer are migrating or are already concentrated in wintering areas could result in localized overharvest,” DEC said in the news release. “In addition, DEC will adaptively manage this new program and assess any potential impacts to other outdoor recreational activities or localized deer herds.”

Last September, DEC requested public comment on the proposal and more than 3,000 comments were received. See a summary of the comments and the DEC’s responses in the February 17 issue of the New York State Register.

“DEC biologists anticipate many families may take advantage of this new opportunity. Given the requirement for use of primitive weapons, biologists do not anticipate a significant effect on deer harvest or local deer populations,” DEC said.

The New York State Snowmobile Association was opposed to the new season for several reasons, saying it would shorten the snowmobile season by a week and would have “a direct negative impact on rural areas” that depend on revenues from the popular winter sport.”

“Many small businesses depend on snowmobile activity for their livelihood. This proposal will result in a one-week delay in that economic activity starting,” said Dominic Jancangelo, executive director of the Snowmobile Association, in an interview last fall. “We estimate that losing one week of snowmobiling in New York’s Southern Zone may cause a loss of up to $13 million in direct spending by snowmobilers and a potential $1 million dollar loss in sales tax revenue.

“The snowmobile industry has been hurt by the last few years of low snow and frequent winter rain. The businesses associated with our activities are feeling this impact and many are just hanging on.”

In addition, adding an extra week of hunting could have negative impacts on the relationships snowmobilers have with private property owners for access and interfere with snowmobile clubs’ efforts to prepare and put up signs for safe snowmobiling on trails, Jancangelo said.

The state Snowmobile Association had recommended the DEC delay its decision, conduct public hearings on the proposal and as an alternative try it out a pilot program in the lower Hudson Valley/Catskills area.

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February 18, 2021 at 01:19AM
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DEC announces ‘Holiday Deer Hunt’ for bow, muzzleloaders during Christmas break in Southern Zone - newyorkupstate.com

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