Trout (DEC)

Spring trout fishing season begins Saturday in New York State.

The State Department of Environmental Conservation stocks nearly 1.9 million trout in waters statewide, beginning in March and lasting until early June.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “Since DEC updated regulations in 2021 to allow a catch-and-release season in the fall and winter months, anglers have the opportunity to fish for inland trout year-round. Even so, April 1 has a special meaning for anglers in New York as the date signifies the start of a season full of promising fishing opportunities.”
April 1 marks the opening of the harvest season after year-round fishing was greenlit on most streams in 2021, with the implementation of an October 16 to March 31 “artificial lures only, catch-and-release’ season.

Last year, the DEC added a new feature to its official HuntFishNY app called The Tackle Box. Fishing regulations, boating access, and stocking information are all available in a map-based interface from the convenience of a smart phone. Other features include driving directions to state boat launch sites and an offline feature that allows a user to access information when cell coverage isn’t available.

The HuntFishNY app, which includes the Tackle Box, is free of charge and available through the App store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) for anyone to download on their tablet or smart phone.

State DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos discusses annual statewide burn ban (March 2023)

The annual statewide burn ban  starts March 16 and runs through May 14.

State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos said the DEC has enforced the annual brush burning ban to prevent wildfires and protect communities during heightened conditions for wildfires.

He said the open burning of debris, like leaves and brush, are the largest cause of wildfires in New York State and that it was a pervasive problem until the burn ban was instituted in 2009, “Which dropped the prevalence of these spring fires by 40%. You think about the cold weather, obviously the snow is here, the snow will be here next week. Nonetheless, we’re at the point of the year when much of the state will become exposed to the elements. It’s very dry. The temperatures heat up. The conditions become ripe for these kinds of fires. And once these fires start in backyards, they can really take off.”

Seggos said the goal is to protect lives, property, and the safety of first responders.

The regulations allow residential brush fires in towns with fewer than 20,000 residents during most of the year, but prohibit such burning in spring when most wildfires occur.

Backyard fire pits and campfires less than three feet in height and four feet in length, width, or diameter are allowed, as are small cooking fires. Only charcoal or dry, clean, untreated, or unpainted wood can be burned. People should never leave these fires unattended and must extinguish them. Burning garbage or leaves is prohibited year-round in New York State.

The DEC will post the Fire Danger Map for the 2023 fire season on DEC’s website once there is a moderate risk anywhere in New York.burn

Forest Rangers, DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs), and local authorities enforce the burn ban. Violators of the State’s open burning regulation are subject to criminal and civil enforcement actions, with a minimum fine of $500 for a first offense.

State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said 2022 had the lowest number of hunting-related shooting incidents since record-keeping began. DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers investigated nine hunting-related shooting incidents in 2022, including one fatality.

Seggos said, “This record year for safety is a testament to the DEC expert staff, volunteers, and local hunting clubs that work collaboratively to teach safety to hunters of all ages. I commend their efforts and for all hunters who safely and responsibly contributed to our conservation efforts this season.”

Four of the nine hunting-related shooting incidents that occurred in 2022 involved two-party firearm incidents, while the other five were self-inflicted. The one recorded fatality occurred due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound by a turkey hunter.

All identified shooters were experienced hunters with an average of 30 years of hunting experience. The DEC said this emphasizes the need for all hunters to remain vigilant when heading afield.

They said each incident could have been prevented if those involved followed the proper hunting safety rules.

All first-time hunters, bowhunters, and trappers must successfully complete a hunter, bowhunter, or trapper education safety course before being eligible to purchase a hunting or trapping license or bowhunting privilege in New York State.

DEC-trained and certified volunteer instructors have taught hunters and trappers to be safe, responsible, and ethical since 1949.

The DEC encourages hunters to remember the primary rules of hunter safety, which include:
– Treat every firearm as if it were loaded;
– Control the muzzle, keep it pointed in a safe direction;
– Identify your target and what lies beyond;
– Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire; and
– Wear hunter orange and pink.

Point Gratiot Park

Two Dunkirk area locations have been added to the New York State Birding Trail.

State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos said the addition seven new locations bring the total number of birding trail locations across the state to 332.
The two locations in Dunkirk include the Dunkirk Harbor and Point Gratiot Park.

The DEC said birdwatching has become one of New York’s fastest-growing recreation and tourism activities. They manage the New York State Birding Trail in collaboration with partners that include the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The statewide trail network includes promoted birding locations that can be accessed by car or public transportation.

The New York State Birding Trail map is available at www.ibirdny.org and provides valuable information on each site such as location, available amenities, species likely to be seen, directions, and more.

State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said the program allows mentored 12 and 13-year old hunters to harvest deer with a firearm or crossbow.

Last fall, more than 9,400 youth hunters, representing nearly 9,200 families, were eligible to hunt deer with a firearm or crossbow and youth hunters submitted more than 1,800 deer harvest reports.

The DEC conducted a post-hunting survey that found 82% of youth hunters and 87% of their adult mentors were moderately or greatly satisfied with their youth big game hunting experience. Additionally, no hunting-related shooting incidents, violations, or license revocations involving 12- and 13-year-old hunters occurred during the first two years of the pilot program.

In 2021, legislation authorized 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt deer with an experienced adult mentor in eligible areas of the state under a three-year pilot program. The law required DEC to analyze results of the pilot program each year and report its findings back to the State Legislature.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said the Holiday Deer Hunt allows families to hunt together when students are on break from school and many adults have time off from work.

The regular firearms season in the Southern Zone includes a late bow and muzzleloader season until December 20 and December 26 to January 1.

The Holiday Deer Hunt is an extension of the late bow and muzzleloader season, running from December 26, 2022, to January 1, 2023. Hunters must possess a bowhunting or muzzleloading privilege to participate in the late bow or muzzleloader season, and they may use all deer carcass tags valid during those seasons.

Seggos said these late seasons are also a great time to get venison for consumption or to donate venison to others. Every late season deer hunter has at least one tag for antlerless deer, with either-sex and antlerless-only Bow/Muzz tags, and unfilled regular season tags which can also be used for antlerless deer during the late seasons.

State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos said ‘Operation Safe Harvest‘ is part of a statewide initiative to ensure all hunters are following the State’s hunting laws and safety guidelines while afield.

Environmental Conservation Officers will be patrolling and conducting a variety of field operations to help ensure a safe and enjoyable big game hunting season.

In addition to statewide enforcement, Officers educate hunters on New York’s hunting laws and safety guidelines, both in the field and as instructors for the New York State Hunter Education Program.

New York State continues to prioritize hunter safety year-round and the 2021 hunting seasons in New York were the safest ever, with the lowest number of incidents since record-keeping began.

DEC Law Enforcement is also reminding hunters they are key partners in protecting New York deer from Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Chronic Wasting Disease continues to spread in other states, and hunters are key to preventing CWD introduction to New York. CWD is always fatal to deer. If introduced, it could spread rapidly and be practically impossible to eliminate once established.

Hunters can help protect New York’s deer herd from CWD by following these tips:
– If hunting any type of deer, elk, moose, or caribou outside of New York, it must be deboned before bringing it back. The DEC will confiscate and destroy illegally imported carcasses and parts, including whole deer and deer heads;
– Do not use deer urine-based lures or attractant scents, as these could contain infectious material;
– Dispose of carcass waste in a landfill, not just on the landscape;
– Report any deer that appears sick or is acting abnormally; and
– Hunt only wild deer and support fair chase hunting principles.

The regular firearms season for deer and bear in the Southern Zone runs through Sunday, December 11, and includes participation from approximately 85 percent of New York’s 550,000 licensed hunters.

Bat Week is held October 24 through 31 to raise awareness about the critical role of bats in the environment.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said bats spend the winter hibernating in underground cavities where relatively constant, warm temperatures protect them from harsh outside winter temperatures above ground. He said human visitation in the winter to these “hibernacula” disturbs the bats, and is especially harmful since the arrival of white-nose syndrome, a fungus that has killed more than 90 percent of bats at hibernation sites in the state.

Seggos said if bats are disturbed during hibernation, they raise their body temperature, depleting crucial fat reserves. This stored fat is the only source of energy available to the bats until the weather warms in spring and insects become readily available. The more frequently bats are disturbed, the less likely they are to survive the long winter months underground without eating.

The DEC reminds the public to follow all posted notices restricting access to caves and mines. If explorers do venture out and discover bats hibernating in a cave, the DEC urges them to leave quickly and quietly to minimize disturbance.

Anyone entering a northern long-eared bat hibernation site from October 1 through April 30, the typical hibernation period for bats, may be subject to prosecution. Details about the protection of the northern long-eared bat can be found on DEC’s website.

For more information about bat week, visit https://batweek.org/

The State Department of Environmental Conservation said in-person, instructor-led hunter education courses are being offered throughout the state during September and October. Bowhunter education, trapper education, and waterfowl hunter education courses are also available, and all in-person courses are free and offer hands-on experience.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said the DEC has offered safety courses since 1949. He said with hunting licenses now on sale, first-time hunters and trappers are encouraged to sign up for certification courses soon to reserve a spot, as these courses can fill quickly.

All in-person courses require students to review course materials and complete homework prior to attending the classroom and field session. Proof of the completed homework is required to attend the in-person part of the course.

The homework materials and more information about the DEC’s Hunter Education Program can be found here: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7860.html

By USFWS Mountain-Prairie – Canada goose on Seedskadee NWR, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69188087

Hunting seasons for squirrel and Canada goose has begun in New York State.

State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said the early hunting season is designed to “reduce or stabilize wildlife populations in particular areas. By participating in these seasons, hunters help manage wildlife populations toward socially and ecologically desirable levels while enjoying time outdoors with family and friends.”

The September Canada goose season occurs in all goose hunting zones except the Western Long Island zone. All upstate areas are open from now through September 25. The September season includes liberal bag limits of eight to 15 birds per day depending on zone, extended shooting hours, and other special regulations to maximize hunter success. Additional details on waterfowl hunting regulations, season dates, hunting area boundaries, and bag limits can be found on DEC’s website.

The September goose hunting season is designed to help reduce or stabilize resident Canada goose populations. Resident Canada geese are those that breed in the U.S. and southern Canada, unlike migratory populations that breed in northern Canada. Typically, resident geese are the birds commonly associated with nuisance situations in urban and rural areas. Over the past 25 years, New York’s resident Canada goose population has grown from an estimated 80,000 birds in 1995 to more than 340,000.

As the population has grown, season lengths and bag limits were relaxed and hunters have successfully stabilized the population. The DEC said the September season is an important opportunity for hunters, as regular Canada goose seasons have been restricted to 30 days and bag limits reduced to one bird in most areas to protect the more vulnerable migratory geese. Resident geese look the same as migratory geese, making it difficult for the public to distinguish between the two populations.

For more information on the differences between migratory and resident geese and how these birds are managed, read the article “Canada Geese in New York–Residents or Visitors?” in the August 2019 issue of DEC’s Conservationist magazine.