Attached please find a letter which we issued to Commissioner Grannis today to the DEC. This was a joint letter worked on by NYB and the New York State Muzzleloader Association. The NYSMLA & NYBH have been in meetings for the past several months now.
This partnership was long overdue and a necessity in order to come up with a reasonable season structure for the southern zone that everyone could live with.In March, it was proposed to Gary Socola verbally that in order to have an Oct. 1 opener in the southern zone, bowhunters would have to give up 1 weekend for a youth firearms season and also make room for a 1 week early muzzleloader season which will be held within the early archery season. You will recall this is the same proposal which was given to NYB back in 2004 and 2005 and was soundly defeated.
Gary believe's that the same proposal would be defeated once again but bowhunters would be used as the scapegoat and in the end they would still be left out in the cold concerning their lost season time. Bowhunters and muzzleloader hunters are not at odds with one another, having the DEC sandwich our individual seasons between the regular firearms season allows the DEC to put us at odds. The attached proposal allows for the DEC to achieve its goals, the muzzleloader organization to achieve their goals and for bowhunters to regain our lost hunting time.
This proposal was given a considerable amount of time and effort by both organizations and was not taken lightly. Every aspect was looked at from every angle in order to come up with a justification of why this should work for all sportsman. This proposal however is not perfect but NYB and the NYSMLA believe it is something that all sportsmen can live with and furthermore, it will allow the DEC to expand on their management goals.Please use this letter when you speak to support our proposal. In the coming days we will issue comments as questions arise.Hoping everyone has a safe and successful season this fall.
Regards,
Wm. J. Brookover
5336 Lincoln Rd
Ontario,NY. 14519
"BlackPowder" Bill President NY Muzzleloaders Assn. http://www.nysmla.org/
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Dear Commissioner Grannis, September 11, 2009New York Bowhunters (NYB) and the New York State Muzzleloaders Association (NYSMLA) havedeveloped the following southern zone big game season compromise that encompasses the desires of bothorganizations as well as that of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
The DEC Bureau of Wildlife desires to increase the harvest of antlerless deer in their effort toeffectively manage the whitetail deer herd in NYS as well as allow for a weekend of early hunting opportunity for junior big game firearms hunters. The NYSMLA wishes to have an early “primitive”muzzleloading season and NYB seeks to restore lost hunting opportunity that occurred with the implementation of 2005 big game restructuring regulations. We highly recommend that the DEC implement the following big game regulations in the southern zone.
1. Open the 23-day regular firearms season on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
2. Open the early archery season on October 1st, ending on the Friday prior to the beginning of the regular firearms season.
3. Allow for a weekend of junior (ages 14 & 15) big game hunting opportunity on the weekendprior to the opening of the regular firearms season.
4. Open a 5-day antlerless-only “primitive” muzzleloading season on the Monday prior to the beginning of the regular firearms season, ending on the Friday prior to the beginning of the regular firearms season. The DEC follows a progression of weaponry in the northern zone, starting with archery season,muzzleloader season and then progressing into the regular firearms season. The above proposal follows the precedence already set by the DEC.
Definition of a “primitive” muzzleloader:
A rifle or musket with a smooth or rifled barrel loaded through the muzzle and shooting a round patched ball. It will possess a side lock in the form of an external hammer design (serpentine, cork or hammer) that either holds a rope (slow match) or flint or has a hammer that fires a percussion cap. It will also possess a flash pan, touchhole or nipple which is situated on the side, top or bottom of the barrel with sights that are open or peep in design (no optics allowed).
Sincerely yours,
Gary J. Socola -------------------- President Bill Brookover - President
New York Bowhunters, Inc.--------------------------------New York State Muzzleloader Association
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