In this episode of We Love Outdoors with Rich Davenport, your humble host welcomes autumn and officially says good bye to summer, but with the fall comes the harvest and hunting seasons are about to kick into high gear. Lots of regulatory action this summer, with the hunting age initiative that all counties except Erie and Rockland have embraced and passed their local laws to permit 12 year olds and up to hunt deer with firearms. We hope Erie County will be joining the rest of the real world soon. The Executive public hearing was held last week, just awaiting a signature.
Your humble host also updates everyone that hunting seasons are starting up, with early archery big game hunting starting today in the Northern Zone, and on Oct 1 in the Southern Zone. Visit the DEC website for all the specific seasons, especially pheasant and waterfowl, where maps and zones and season demands differ wildly that with other game animal seasons, like ruffed grouse or cottontail rabbit.
The special Columbus Day Youth Hunt for deer that gives youths an early shot at whitetail deer with firearms begins Oct 9-11. And your host advises to pay attention to the shooting hours rules, as only the big game hours were changed. Small game hunters still have shooting ours from sunrise to sunset, including fall turkey seasons, while waterfowl hunting is 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset. Make sure you know and don't believe all shooting hours were changed. That impacts big game hunting ONLY!
The EHD outbreak continues in eastern NY, with some limited confirmation also showing near the finger lakes region. DEC is seeking observations from bowhunters, as to better account for loss of animals in population estimate updates. Another insect-borne disease, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), which is spread by mosquitoes and impacts both deer and livestock like cattle and horses, is being watched closely in the WNY southern tier. Mosquitoes have been confirmed positive in Cattaraugus County, prompting county health officials to request emergency mosquito control in the form of aerial spraying, which was to start last week, but weather pushed it back. Impacted areas include Conewango, a portioin of the village of Leon, towns of Napoli, Coldspring and Randoplh. The 4 day effort happens between 6PM-10PM, and residents in impacted areas are advisd to remain indoors during these periods, including bringing pets inside and closing all windows. Safety data sheets on the pesticide being used are available from NYS Dept of Health.
Updates are also provided concerning the regulatory proposal for counties to opt out of the upcoming southern zone holiday hunt - not a good idea, and snowmobile corridors are now in jeopardy on account. Landowners do not like the allowing of a county legislature or executive to dictate what their lands may and may not be used for, with promises of denying the snowmobile trails made as a consequence to adopting this mess.
Your humble host also provides updates to this past weekend's National Hunting and Fishing Day festivities, and the scam of renewable energy, something more and more people are becoming wise to, which bodes well if we can make sure the GINOs (Greenies In Name Only) false hoods are fully exposed. It is slowly happening, folks. Cheers!
