New Bill gives hopes to crossbow hunters

The Crossbow Coalition has been collecting crossbow letters of support to classify crossbows as archery equipment.

New Crossbow Bills Introduced: Recently Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner and Senator Jen Metzger introduced crossbow bills. These bills are not full inclusion but they offer significant movement toward it.

What do these bills A7627 ( Woerner) and S5818 (Metzger) do?

• Changes crossbow to the bowhunting privilege from the muzzleloader privilege.

• Replaces the special longbow season with a special archery season and adds crossbow.

• Alllows 12 – 15 year olds to hunt with a crossbow.

• Authorizes those 55 years or older to use a crossbow in a special archery season.

• Authorizes those physically unable to draw a longbow as determined by a physician to use a crossbow in a special archery season.

• Allows youth (properly certified) to hunt small game and wild upland birds with a crossbow.

• Changes the term bolt to arrow.

• Removes the 200 lb. maximum draw weight and the minimum 17 inch width restriction.

• Repeals the prohibition on the use of mechanical devise with a bow.

• Authorizes DEC to adopt regulations authorizing the taking of wildlife with a crossbow and to include such regulations in the hunting syllabus.

• Reduces the setback to discharge a crossbow to 150 feet consistent to a long bow.

The Crossbow Coalition has been collecting crossbow letters of support and has submitted over 4000 of them to Assembly and Senate so far. If you have not submitted one since January, they ask you to please download one from their website, fill it out and mail it, or scan and email it to them so they can turn it in to the legislature.

Even though these ideas seem to be common sense, it is important to call your legislator and ask them to support A7627 and S5818 classifying crossbows as archery equipment. In the past years, any crossbow legislation died from lack of vote. The head of the Conservation Committee has used his power to thwart public support and let these bills die without coming to a vote! Check online to find contact information.

Remember that the New York Bowhunters, Inc. has opposed any law that would give a measure of equality to crossbows. Apparently they want to keep ar

chery hunting by “degree of difficulty” similar to an Olympic sport. The reality is that they want to keep the numbers of hunters at a minimum and eliminate any competition to “their” season.

If You Care, Leave It There: The DEC reminds people to keep their distance and not to di s t urb newborn fawns or other young wi ldlife as many animals are in the peak season for giving birth or hatching young. Each year the DEC issues this admonition to people yet many people are ignorant of the facts.

Finding a fawn deer lying by itself is fairly common. Many people assume that young wi ldl ife found alone are abandoned, helpless and need assistance for their survival. In nearly all cases this is a mistake, and typical ly human interaction does more damage than good. If you see a fawn or other newborn wildlife, enjoy your encounter, but for the sake of their well being, it is important to keep it brief and maintain some distance.

Most fawns are born during late May and early June. While fawns are able to walk shortly after birth, they spend most of their f irst several days lying st i l l. During this period a fawn is also usually left alone by its mother except when nursing. People do occasionally find a lone fawn and mistakenly assume it has been orphaned or abandoned, which i s ver y rare. In such a case, fawns should not be picked up. In fact, if human presence is detected by the doe, the doe will delay its next visit to nurse. Human scent can also put the fawn at risk by attracting predators to the site.

A fawn’s best chance to survive lies in being raised by its mother. Fawns nurse three to four times a day, usually for less than 30 minutes at a time, but otherwise the doe keeps her distance. This helps reduce the chances that she will attract a predator to the fawn. The fawn’s protective coloration, near lack of scent and ability to remain motionless al l help it avoid detection by predators and people.

For more informat ion and answers to frequently asked questions about young wildlife, visit the DEC website at: http:// www. dec. ny. gov/ animals/ 6956. html.

SHORT CASTS

Vernon Rod & Gun C l ub Kid s Fi shing Derby: The Vernon Rod & Gun Club will host its annual Kids Fishing Derby on Friday, June 14 from 6 – 8 p. m. The location will be the Rod & Gun Club property on Stuhlman Road across f rom Vernon Downs. The event is for kids age 1 – 15. Hot dogs and drinks for the kids wil l be provided and there will be prizes for all kids. The rain date will be June 21.

High Water Lake Ontario & St . Lawrence River: We hope it’s not déjà vu, but so far 2019 is looking like 2017 on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Off icial warnings f rom NYS or other sources as well as indiv iduals indicate that the rising water levels on the St. Lawrence or areas of Lake Ontario could be as bad or worse, than the disastrous high water levels of two years ago.

Already many boat launches are closed, many docks are und e r wa t e r, ma r i na s are closed, and a zero wake, 5 mph speed limit along the Lake Ontario shoreline has been imposed. The water level is reportedly two inches above the f lood level of two years ago. Massive amounts of water are f lowing down from the Great Lakes and there is no easy answer since simply opening the dams at Massena would inundate Montreal downriver.

Just be aware of the situation, check your specif ic destinat ion, and be prepared to be f lexible with your plans. The only bright side is that the fishing was excellent in 2017, if you could get out to fish.

Ant i - Hunting Bi l l: A bill currently in the NYS legislature would ban any hunting contest , compet it ion, or tournament that takes wildlife for prizes or entertainment. The penalty could be up to a year in jail and a fine of $ 500 - $2000 per violation! This sets a dangerous precedent and could lead to many legal inroads to restrict hunting.

It also bans the fundraisers such as coyote hunts, the camaraderie of turkey hunt contests, or recognition of conservation organizations such as the NYS Big Buck Club. It would also ban even friendly wagers between friends over who gets the biggest buck. Sportsmen are urged to contact their elected representatives as well as the governor’s of f ice and tell them to oppose Assembly Bill 722 and Senate Bill 4253.

Black Pond Off Limits: Black Pond WMA, a.k.a. Eldorado island on eastern Lake Ontario has been a popular spot for beach goers. In recent years there has been some rowdy behavior in the evenings and damage to the fragile sand dunes. Curfews and frequent patrols seemed to curtain the parties and limit use to families wanting a pleasant beach experience. However, after a questionable public comment period the Region 6 DEC has effectively banned people from using it from Memorial Day to Labor Day. By law the main use of Wildlife Management Areas is for wildlife.

In the familiar rhetoric of the DEC they claim that people can still use it – if they are willing to walk from the outer parking lot for an extra mile or two to experience wildlife while protecting the area. Other than this pretense of access, they might as well have just closed it of f entirely and let the Canada geese and gulls have the place to themselves. People are wondering what will be next.