In this week's episode of We Love Outdoors with Rich Davenport, your humble host wishes everyone a Happy Labor Day, and with this comes the unofficial end of summer, with the fall and the harvest just ahead. September marks the opener of NY squirrel season, a great activity to introduce youth to the sport of hunting, as the demands of silence, stillness, and scent-free efforts doesn't exist. September also means Resident Canada Goose season across NYS, with most waterfowl regions opening on Sept 1 through the 25th, with a 15 brid per day limit, with the exception of Lake Champlain area, where the limit is 8 birds per day. Long Island areas begin their resident goose season on Sept 7 through 30th.
The new deer season regulations discussed during the special broadcasts on September 1, means that on Saturday 9/11 opens a special firearms season in specific WMUs for antlerless only deer, and in the archery only areas, the same special season exists, running through 9/19/2021. This is not a statewide season, and only valid DMP or DMAP tags may be used. That is the limiting factor, and no additional DMPs are set for this season.
Statewide changes to deer season includes the change in hunting hours, with 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset adding a full hour to each day. This should increase harvest across the board, as this is the prime times for deer movement. Also statewide is the regulation requiring hunters wear safety orange or pink, either a cap or vest, 250 sq inches, solid or patterned, while hunting big game with a firearm, or accompanying someone hunting big game with a firearm. This is to address safety concerns with the added time for the hunt, where light levels are changing.
In other news, The Children in the Stream/ 4H Youth Fly Fishing program begins again on 9/7, and held each Tuesday from 7-8:30PM. Hosted at SUNY at Fredonia's campus, in the Costello Room of the Rockefeller Art Center. Open to children age 12 and up, including adults, but youth under age 12 may also participate when accompanied by an adult, this program is free, has no long term commitment needed, all materials are included and does include some field trips as well. Masks must be worn indoors during the classes. For more information, contact Alberto Rey, email alberto@albertorey.com, or call 716-410-7003.
Erie County should be holding their vote on the youth hunting local law this Thursday. Passage and enactment will not happen in time for parents to take their 12 year olds afield in WMU 9F for the Sept. hunt, sadly. And National Hunting and Fishing Day is September 25 at Elma Conservation!
Lyme disease exposure prevention is discussed with this new September season in play. EHD outbreak updates discussed, and state officials are monitoring for more detected cases. And the NYSCC has passed both resolutions that were considered during the August 28 convention.
Finally, your humble host discusses the slow death of science, as ideology and agendas pervert the method that determines what is, into the fear of what if and consequences of inaction, which are wholly false. Science is the ultimate interrogator and questioning is the essence of science to discover what truly is. This is what is being killed, and we must push back for science's sake.
