Happy New Year from We Love Outdoors with Rich Davenport! The second season officially kicks off with your humble host recapping the inaugural Holiday Deer Hunt in NY's Southern Zone, which ended January 1, 2022. The first Holiday Deer hunt was marked with a virtually snow-free season, making the concern and controversy over snowmobiling and loss of revenue a laughable point. Instead, the added economic push was delivered by hunters, a welcome development in the face of zero activity from the trails. Hopefully some due diligence is being done by the DEC to separate any reported deer harvests during this 7 day season, as to paint a picture needed of success, impacts to the herds, and also numbers taken during this 7 day season in EHD afflicted areas, as to better relay population impacts to concerned hunters across NY.
The second split of duck season in the western waterfowl zone also ended this weekend, on January 2, 2022, which continued the frustration many waterfowl hunters have since the new season setting SDM process was adopted 3 years ago. Two more seasons to suffer through, as the process took everything into account except waterfowl migration timing!
If you still wish to chase deer, Westchester and Suffolk Counties continue their archery only big game hunting, with Suffolk also offering a special firearms season through end of January. And the House of Reps has passed a law providing Federal help on the CWD containment and prevention front. Waiting for passage in the Senate.
While big game hunting is winding down, small game hunting still is a great option through end of February, with coyote hunting open through March 26. But most are turning their attention to ice fishing, waiting for Mother Nature to do her thing. Segment 2 is sponsored by Chautauqua Reel Outdoors, and they have a full line of ice fishing gear, live bait and auger blade sharpening service, now we need some ice. Several ice fishing derbies and tournaments are either starting up now, or about to get started, which will offer anglers a fun chance to win some money while ice fishing this year.
Open water fishing although still a ways off, is also gearing up for the 2022 season, with the Sunset Bay Walleye Shootout Tournament info being released just before New Years. This event will by July 15 and 16, 2022. Captain's meeting on July 14, and awards breakfast July 17. Southtowns Walleye tournament runs from June 11-June 19, 2022 and registration for that derby has just commenced.
2022 also brings some important dates and events, as well as several comment periods for regulatory proposals. Be sure you comment on the fishing regulation proposed changes, and submit comments by February 6, 2022. Additional proposed changes include updates for PFOS and PFOA in Super Fund regulations, and the draft scoping plan from the Climate Change morons is also released for comment.
Finally, ill winds are blowing for the wind industry, as a new Federal Lawsuit has been filed against Vineyard Wind Project, over improper siting and environmental impact studies and endangered species, ignoring laws that protect these endangered species, laws that protect commercial fishing, and much more. Even public trust is violated by these acts, as costs to get nothing but damage are an astronomical waste of money. Right whales, a species that only 400 are estimated to be left in the oceans, will be forced into extinction, to get electricity that will cost nearly $21,000.00/ kW once construction and output realities are factored. We have far more effective and less costly options to pursue, and no, folks, Carbon Dioxide is not a problem, it is plant food!
