Senator Patty Ritchie 2012 Sportsmans Survey Do you have any ideas that will help improve the

hunting experience for you and other New Yorkers? more saftey If landowners guide hunters to hunt on their property they should not be allowed to use nuisance permits and charge for the use Alternate the doe season to everyother year to get the deer population higher, and put a size resrtiction on the bucks to at least 3 points on one side. qdm statewide i would like to see a horn limit for experienced hunters like your first 5 should be none resticted for new hunters and young ones but after your first five have a horn limit no quality deer management principles. Do something about the coyote population require that bucks must have 3 spikes on one side with a minimum length of one inch per tine. antler restrictions license fees are outrageous!!! I'm all for supporting conservation but it's becoming a little crazy when i have to pay almost $200 for mine and my sons licenses! Lower the fee's,that will help attract more to the sport longer early bow season a state bounty on coyates not at this time Allowing young hunters (actual license holders) legal excuse from school on three days a year. Also, SUBSTANTIALLY raising the fines for littering and dumping of trash. Our priceless natural environment in urban, rural and wild areas is being continually trashed by ignorant, uneducated filthy slobs who experience no real penalty for the damage they do. Littering fines have not even kept up with inflation. I'm sick of seeing refuse strewn from one end of the state to the other. more DEC in 6C poachers!!! Ways to help those with disabilities make it easier to hunt and fish with less restrictions and ways to make it easier to access equipment at an affordable price. earlier turkey season in spring. nys season begins far too late in the year antler restrictions and a shorter season. Bait bears to control their intake on deer. Longer seasons and increased bag limits on Canada Geese. ATV access to ALL state hunting land DURING OPEN HUNTING SEASONS. Less or no nusance or doe permits in area 6C We see less deer each year Allow longer hunting seasons based off the previous year. cross bow should be legal during archery season.. deer season in oswego jefferson and lewis counties should be eztended a nother full week in december. Allow timber harvesting within the adironack park, a) state puts people to work, b) state gains revenue, c) Wildlife returns, d) hunters return, e) hunters spend money, Revise the disable hunter regulations as they are too strict. I am permanently disabled but not "wheelchair bound". I am severely restricted in my ability to walk long distances yet I do not qualify as a disabled hunter. Require anyone who gets nuisance permits they must allow open hunting on their property. ask our dec officers to lighten up they are to tense No spikes open up goose season,,geese are becoming a problem muzzle to include columbus weekend crossbow during archery would be great Allow the use ofcrossbows during archery season. Sell extra permits after tags are filled. make the laws and penalties more strict for tresspassing and poching. Due to climate changes, they should have the duck/goose season shorter at the start and longer at the end

I would like to see an anlet restriction of atleast 3 point on a side. aslo, the state is generous enough with doe permits for archery, muzzleloader and reg. doe permits, there is no reason for the "nuisance permits" or DMAP tags. more doe tags and longer seasons cost of license to high, to many people hunt without End crossbows in NY yes up the limit on how many geese you can get a day

Out of state fees are much higher in other states. I paid these fees in other states, as well as in NY when I lived elesewhere, and I think theyt should be higher to help offset the cost of our management programs. The NYS DEC should be commended for the outstanding job that they do. Having travelled the entire country, and for that matter the world, I can say that you would be hard-pressed to find other agencies doing a better job, especially with the resources they have. From trout stocking, maps, camping and hiking, deer management... the lits of opportunities to get out in New york is endless, and teh DEC is tireless in their promotion of these activities. (I am typing in the tiny box provided so I do not have the luxury of proofing this. Please excuse typos and redundancies) i wish landowners would let more access to there property.too many land owners complain about the deer,then when you ask to hunt they say no ,or want to charge you a fee. Perhaps more (some) state/DEC advertising demonstrating a pro-hunt/sportsman's approach to NYS Eliminate youth day Do not have turkey and bow seasons open together, the guns going off spoils bow hunting continued logging to help the grouse popualtion antler restrictions support more hound hunting open state land to atv. i am 70 years old and can not walk like i used to Antler limits across the state would assist in NY becoming a hunting destination, rather than a slaughter house for out of state hunters. Lower big game hunting age to 12. Release more Pheasants Extend duck hunting season on the st. Lawrence river the use of bait there are alot of handie cap people who could use alittle help ?? year round coyote season they are over populated and the number of small game has decreased dramatically like rabbits and other small game stop all the extra permits !!! stop giving special privilege to people who want to hunt with something other than a gun More pheasant releases have a law that you cant shoot small bucks like spike or crotch horns , let the bucks grow up . then ny will get a better herd . Stop allowing the slaughter of all of the deer with the nuisance permits! They are abused severely !! We put far too much pressure on our deer herd by having very lengthy seasons. We should treat our deer herd as an asset vs a liability. More conservation officers and tougher policing of the rules. year round coyote season cut the price of the licence so everyone can afford to hunt. Get more people involved Since the state is already split into two zones (northern & southern) why not issue to different big game licenses. One for each zone.. This way hunters could get tags for each zone and it would bring in more money for the DEC.... Only my opinion and I do hunt both zones.... allow crossbows during the regular archery season increase areas with antler restictions to increase age of bucks LOnger bow season 7 shorter rifle season Open the Duck Seasons 1 week later and close it one week later on the St. Lawrence River area. Allow duck hunters to shoot geese any day the duck season is open.

try shooting deer with 3 points on one side Better deals on lifetime licenses SELL TIMBER ON STATE LANDS THEN USE THE MONEY TO CREATE JOBS TO REFORESTATION ,WICH WOULD HELP ALL UPLAND GAME, THE DEER WILL SURVIVE ,THE SMALL GAME NEED THE HELP !!!! 3 point on at least one antler to minimize small deer take. Allow people who don't to buy a licence to let a licenced fill, as long as we stay within deer take limits set by the state Longer early waterfowl season Mirror the Western waterfowl season for the St. Lawrence River basin - North of Route 12 & 37 My father was disabled, I am aging, NY limit access to most of the land that is "state land" to people who can walk for 10 miles in an afternoon. State land should be accessable to all state residents. lower permit prices! Currently a hunter hunting in a camp with friends is done hunting as soon as he shoots a deer that probably was taken in a group effort hunting. If that person could have another's deer tags assigned to him he could continue hunting and assist the people who assisted him in his pursuit of deer. It would not cheat the state as the other tag was already purchased. It now creates a situation where if everyone holds strictly to the letter of the law - as each hunter bags his deer the group in camp becomes smaller and smaller until the least sucessful hunter is hunting alone with no one to "drive" to him. This is very unfair to the unsucessful hunter. run bow and muzzle loader together safety Antle rrestrictions and no DMP. But, (you can use your buck tag on a doe or a buck that meets the restriuction) And no rifle season during the rut stricter hunter safety courses BAN HUNTING Hire more DEC Officers!! New york state should have an on line hunter safety course for the kids. ower ower licenses so people can injoy it hire more dec patrol officers to hep reduce the level of illegal activity yes I think the first 3 to 4 days of the season should be residents only. I understand the state gets alot of revanue from out of state hunters but it would be nice to just see true new yorkers out there for the first couple of days I think hunters should stop fighting about they use to hunt with and enjoy being in the outdoors with family and friends antler restriction? and have a later deer season that run later into dec not earlier in oct open an early muzzleloader season in the southern zone,all the samerules for crossbows to run the same dates. lower lucense fees lower early goose season bag limits from 8 to 5 and raise regular season from 3 to 5 daily. Also, rifle season for dear should be shortened if not the whole season. less restrictive and illegal firearms laws, espeially relating to the unconstitutional nys pistol licensing requirements Continue to work public access and increase WMAs none Fully legalize the crossbow for use during archery season. Shorten the northern gun season and extend the archery season. Give archers their iwn season druning the rut. feed back from DEC officers when a question is asked would be nice! lowering the youth hunting age open ATV traiks back up in the adirondacks. there has been ALOT of bissnesses that have closed because of thiss need to go to 3 point antler restriction Get rid of nuisance permits and allow more doe permits. black powder hunting bucks only

more access to lands ADK park and private/farm land DMV law changes in order to register UTV antler point restricted to six and above to bring the buck population back up. The DEC needs to better manage it's money being taken in. Sportman's fee's going up but NOTHING to show for it. Checks & Balances for the DEC & NYS!

Not only for hunting experience but for Outdoorsman of all types the Adirondacks has a gold mine of wood that is wasted every year the state could sponsor a heli logging operation to limit vehicle traffic, damage to the forest floor and harvest this timber I spend most of my year in the woods and have seen this timber go to waste. A one to five year responsible harvest plan would not only benifit the outdoorsman but the State of New York. I have spoken with many enviromentalist and they two have admitted that I am right but also admitted that they could not bring this topic up because it defeats their cause and their programs could possibly loose funding the fines and penalties for spotlighting and jacking deer should be much much harsher it is infuriating to those of us who play by the rules and they get a slap on the wrist Rahter than nuisance permits, how about a small tax break for farmers to allow hunters on their property to help control the population STOP POACHERS lower the age for youth to start hunting, decrease the number of nuisance permits issued ( 100 issued to a farm is ridiculous when it impacts neighboring hunters experience. I would like to see a 3 point rule enacted similar to the law in pennsylvania. open a bear season on tug hill Antlered restrictions and less gun hunting during the rut, follow the templet by midwest states that are known for producing larger bucks with more pope&young/boone&crooket entries allow hound hunting for bear Lower the age required to get a discounted sportsman license. It should go back to 65 where it was LOWER THE LICENSE PRICE Provide ATV access for disabled veterans like myself. Require blaze orange in NY ! Opening bear hunting to manage numbers in WMU 6N While I know finances do not allow, I would like to see the DEC provide regional seminars to sportsman. These could be presented by wildlife biologists and others. The topics could be quite varied... invasive species, wildlife management, silvaculture, shrub and edible palnt identification ect. These would go a long way with getting DEC and the sporting public positively involved with each other. Bear hunting in the spring alot of deer car accidents happen where hunting isn't aloud. the state needs to draw up a legal contract that will protect land owners. Hunt coyotes all year or extend the season make licences cheaper Too much State land is unvailable to hunt without a motor vehicle. lower the license fees. we are losing hunters every year because the fees are too high and more are being found hunting without a license because they can not afford it. ATV use Tags that can be written on easier 6 antler min. Hunting license are too high priced. More ATV Access to State Land lower the rates Reduce the cost to licenses Antler restrictions and a shorter gun season, we need to grow deer like the midwest Shorten the season statewide and do away with the Northers/Southern Zone thing. Combine them Open more land for hunting.

i would like to see the waterfowl season moved back by 2 weeks and extened 2 weeks at the end of the season extend bow season Coyote numbers need to be cut thsi year, I have a very heavy numbers in my area just below 49 in the Southern Tier near Utica NY. farmers with live stock are hard pressed to drive them off and several have been struck along thruway in that area as well bring back a doe day pass a law that mandates licence fees collected can ONLY be used for conservation purposes..and remains inaccessable to any other branch of government or use. People can not afford the permits. I have heard a lot of people say they would rather take a chance of paying a fine for hunting/fishing without a permit than to pay the cost of the permit. I tell my husband it is cheaper to buy our food at a store than to hunt for it! NY has made it so that lower incomes can not afford to hunt/trap for their own food....I find this very sad!!!!!! Allow for more Canada Goose to be taken - increase the bag limit. There are so many along the St. Lawrence River that the DEC stepped in to remove them. Let hunters do it, please. Allow ATV use I'm a huge supporter of crossbows because I'm paralyzed from the chest down and unable to hold up a rifle. I would also allow people that are handicap to hunt state land from a motorized vehicle. Permit logging on state forest land. The monies earned going to DEC. The new growth would provide better habitat and the logging roads better access. have antler restrictions?? Yeah, take all these idiot sonabitches who want microstamping on ammo, revoke their citizenship and send someplace far, far away. Greece of france would be a good place for them. Thios is the polite, printable version of what I think of those people. Make the Orange jackets manditory lower the price When issuing Doe permits, the only way one should be given is proof of a Buck tag of hunter.Why you might ask 1. more accurate count of Bucks taken not all hunters call in the Buck tag. @. keeps the Buck to Doe ratio at a more accurate level . 3. A accurate count of Buck and does taken for the year . longer seasons Antler restrictions state wide Lower excise taxes on firearms and ammunition, I know people who do not properly train in firearm usage due to the "expense". dec must work to improve deer herds on public lands and state forests,private land owners and farmers attract most of the deer herd A certain percentage of the body should be red or orange. Hunting with camouflage is dangerous with rifle or shotgun. no raod hunting longer bow season and shorter gun season. Also, one buck take per year regardless of bow/gun/muzzle loader Longer Bow Season yes-older diabled hunters should be able to use atvs to access hunting grounds with permit I think the hunting season is much too long LOWER THE HUNTING/FISHING LICENSE FEES work with land owners to allow hunting on there land with out fear of law suiet if someone is hurt. baiting!! license fee 6 point rule!! Licences in person only!! Longer late muzzeloading with an antler restriction/6pt+ Provide a list of person(s) that would allow hunting on private property with permission Fewer doe tags for two years. Let the DEC spend the money in the Conservation Fund on what it was intended for, RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT

antler restriction inthe whole state If Bait Shops are buying certified minnows we should not have to carry a reciept. Shorten the rifle season in the northern zone. Licences cost far too much. More people might hunt if they could afford the licence fees. cheaper licenses antler restrictions shorter seasons

In my opinion, the cost of the licenses is going to reach a break point for NYS revenue. I dont know that cost, but at a certain point more people will just elect to "take their chances" as opposed to paying the high cost for the license. Its a hard fight to convince new hunters to partake in the sport when they have to pay upwards of $100 for a sportsmans license, purchase the firearm, purchase the ammo, and then be so restricted when hunting on state land (for those who own minimal property). The more you nickel and dime peopl, especially in this economy, the more they will turn to other avenues, out of necessity. if nothing else. Thats my two cents. cut back pricing on licenses start the season later in the year and go later....maybe shorten it just a little longer season Not sure of what would be a good solution but something needs to be done to ethics and hunting and fishing. I see and hear of way to much disrespect of land, the animal, and all parts of the system. Allow Bow hunters to carry a handgun during season for protection against bear or other aggressive wildlife !!! No nuisance permits in St. Lawrence County, especially the town of Fine, Deer herd is very small. Allow xbows durring regular archery. Youth Duck hunting is a farse, not special time should be allowed for that activity. Regular season is fine for everyone. if you have Q C permits your land be open to all hunter No doe kill by bow or blackpowder in the Northern Zone especially area 6J. Heavily penalize repeat offenders A little more leniency for hunters by DEC officers CROSSBOWS ARE A TRESSPASSERS BEST FREIND. EXTREMELY QUITE AND ABLE TO REACH OUT AS FAR AS 100 YARDS remove the early muzzleloader season in the northern zone to allow arhcers the privacy to hunt without having gun hunters in the woods at the same time stop management permit for nny to bring the herd back up lower liscence fees Open up the Brasher state forest to 4 wheelers I feel that nuisance permits given to farmers take away the chances of them allowing people to use their lands. many deer are shot and left in the field each summer by these farmers. Allow registration of utv's I do not feel it is appropriate individuals can access SEVERAL - often as many as 8-10 tags or more if they get tags signed over to them - for deer - this is ridiculous and needs further monitoring. I feel the deer population is dwindling and what some people define as being a sportsman is in reality being a game hog. It takes the enjoyment out of it for people just looking for outdoor recreation and teaching their children to be a respectful hunter with respect for nature being the priority. I also feel the seasons are too long - people who do archery through the end of rifle have nearly three months of hunting. do away with nauisense permits period it is a waste of a natural resourse. the big farmers could lease hunting rites and make money instead of killing and buring deer. I would like to see NYS Open the Nortern Archery season Sepst 1st and push the gun opener to Nov. 1st. DEC does a great job. Reduce cost .

Hunters should be able to help other family members or hunting buddies get their tag filled by participating in hunting activities. let you take a 4 wheeler on state land to drag a deer out go back to mailing in deer filled tags. it is much quicker More deer numbers, antler restrictions for larger bucks, lower ages for youth hunters, extend the length of the archery season like all the other states have Heavy fines for road hunters antler restrictions for all of ny state to create a hunting destination state like in the mid west portion of the country Impose an antler size restrictions in certain Northern Zones and shorten the seasons to enable the area to produce trophy whitetail deer. People will flock to the area to hunt, as has happened in other states. DEC has focused on quantity over quality for too long. Using Crossbows during regular Archery Season. get rid of the cormarants stop nuisance permits, would like to see stiffer penalties for tresspassers on private property during hunting seasons up to and including loss of hunting privlages Higher penalties for poaching. If you are caught poaching your license should be terminated. It's not fair to the animals or the other hunters. in certain areas require hunters to take a Doe to earn a Buck Tag to bring herd ratios to proper levels EXTEND DEER SEASON INTO DEC FURTHER, MAKE CROSS BOWS LEGAL DURING ARCHERY SEASON less doe permits and nuisance permits are not good at all April turkey season More access to private land would be a big improvement. Perhaps a class or certificate that proves you're responsible. A state/DEC sponsored program that would open up private land for public hunting use, similar the what is in practice in the midwest/western states. Put an antler restriction on Bucks. Make it illegal to shoot a buck 3 points or under. Restrict the doe permits. The deer populations are nearly non existent now in a lot of regions in northern New York. I use to see dozens every night hunting, I'm lucky to see one now. Eliminate the perception of politicians that hunting in NYS is a revenue/jobs generator. The duck hunting season in Northern New York should go until at least Jan. 10th lOWER THE SENIOR AGE TO 65 YEARS OLD LIKE EVERY OTHER ORGANIZATION IN THE USA. Open up the camping areas of the State Parks for use during hunting season at the same rates as summer, but be able to pay rate at gate if there is a available unreserved spot. Not all parks allow that and most hunters don't carry their laptop, real hunters prefer to rough it and use this time for getting away from the "ratrace". no taking of small bucks do away with dmps get the herd back Take a look at the mid western states, being in the military I have hunted in 6 different states NY is by far the worst at game management. We need longer Archery seasson that encompass the rut, shorter gun season and seperate muzzle loader into one season after rifle. Also include an antler restriction like PA currently has. The buck to doe ratio is very poor due to the young ones getting killed. I think if farmers get nuisance permit they should be made to let other hunters not just hired hands some of the permits. Discontinue doe permits int he 6A area. Antlerd deer less than 3 points on one side should not be taken open more land to everyone The deer herd needs to be closely monitored. I don't believe this is being done now. You need to have checking stations like other states to be more accurate. What about discounts on licenses . The price is outrageous because i buy everything hire more dec officers !!!!! too many poachers , too much land to cover!

increase dec law inforcement in lieu of nuisance permits extend hunting season New York offers a discount for residents that are more than 40% disabled. Why don't they offer the same discount for veterens that are more than 40% disabled that are NOT residents? antler restricions on public land would make for a better deer herd and also make it safer because hunters have to further identify their target to make sur it has enough points on it and not just shoot because its a buck. Expand the bear season to tug hill. They are becomming a bother lower thr price of permits and more people would hunt Let hunters use ATVs on trails on NYS land and all land that NYS owns the recreation rights. Allow crossbows during bow seasons and all firearms seasons and "bow only" areas. Consider lowering the "500' rule" to 250' for bows (including crossbows). Stricter reporting of harvest, maybe a mandatory check in for the first few days of the season like neighboring states apply eliminate back tags displyaed for southern tier Yes !! A definitive crack-down on out of season poaching !! DEC & Gov. is anti hunting only in it for the $, other states are pro hunter, appreciate and encourage hunting. DEC & Forest rangers are truely anti sportsman. We need agood supplier of sporting goods like Gander Mtn.....bass Pro.....it would also draw more Canadian money...We don't even have a good marina in Massena on the river....bat/tackle etc. Stop giving out Doe tags and nuisance permits. Make a week of regular gun season crossbow only and charge for another stamp like they do for muzzle loaders and bow. There should never be a season that allows hunters to harvest a doe or a buck. People are being killed because they are meat hunters and with both tags shoot at movement and not positively identifing their target. Example: Buck or Doe I would like to see more areas with antler restrictions Dove season We are killing to many deer. Every year we see fewer and fewer deer. If one has an archery, muzzleloader, and big game tags, then one person is harvesting three deer. Then add DMP or nuisance permits then the take even more. Numbers are just to low. Tags should be limited to archery OR muzzleloader plus big game. protect gun owner rights rifle zone for southern zone shut down the late muzzle loader season on does in certain areas so the deer herd is not depleted to the point hunters will not hunt because there are to few deer, thus said they do not buy a license.

I believe there should be antler restrictions state wide to promote a better age structure to New York States deer herd. There could be a 5 year trial run to give the sportsman that don't believe it would help see that it in fact does. My people state they do not agree with this restriction because it would discourage young and new hunters to the sport. I believe it would only increase the amount of interest in the sport, by allowing older and bigger antlered deer to become visible. There could also be a clause in the law for say young hunters. If the new hunter under a certain age (15 or 16) and younger able to shoot a buck of any size antler this would help ease some in the shift to antler restricition in the state especially the Northern zone. Just my position. Thank You!!!!!! more bow hunting only palces in norther NY & longer bow season lower the license fees have the northern zone deer season last until the southern zone season ends MORE ACCESS TO LAND, MORE EDUCATION, MORE DEC INVOLVEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC

I would like to see gun season in the northern tier coinside with the Southern tier, to give better oportunity to bowhunters like myself. There's not much opportunity in the northern tier when the bow season is 2 weeks long and overlaps with muzzleloading season. Additionally, if the state is going to proceed with making antler restrictions in certain WMU's, why not just make it a law for the entire state. I would be for a statewide antler restriction. If need be, the DEC can issue extra doe permits for that year to make up for an approximate number of bucks that wont be taken. Use of Atvs on truck trails to expand hunting areas try and attract hunters outside NY lowering fees and patroling bette. Support our traditional hunting clubs more by allowing them to exist. yes---shooting ranges should be made available Horn restrictions. Hunters should shoot spikes and only bucks with atleast 3 on 1 side or 12" spread. Make hunter orange mandatory-Pennsylvania's hunter orange laws would be a great model. Keep ATV's completely off public lands. Gate more of the roads on state forest land and wildlife management areas-provide parking areas next to the highway so people have to walk and are not allowed to hunt from their vehicle or drive a motor vehicle past me while I am hunting productive cover. Reduce the minimum age for modern firearm big game hunting to 12 years old to match small game and bow, even if you require a mentor at this age. Do everything possible at the legislative level to prevent habitat fragmentation and protect water quality. I would like to see the northern zone deer seasons end one week later as originally proposed-last year there was no snow during the deer season! Yes - My age group is not getting any younger and its hard to get back to the places you use to hunt with a ATV, the state needs to let people use ATV's to access hard to get to areas. Not everyone owns a horse and if you look I think there is a lot more ATV's sold in NY then horses. Don't take regulatory authority away from the DEC. On thequestion regarding nuisance permits my response was the 2ND answer. I would just like to add if the DEC monitored/put more restrictions on them they could be a benefit to a farmer, but the way I have seen and heard of them being used I currently say eliminate them. Several sportsman and women have told me, and I agree, the northern zone deer season is too long. Most would like to see northern zone season to be the month of November only. I would like to see NYSE DEC implement a plan for out of state hunters to get a three day or five day hunting license. I believe that right now an out of state hunter has to pay an exorbitant rate for a license even if they only have a couple of days to hunt. Short term licenses should be made available for non residents. I have family members who have moved out of state that are avid hunters, but only have a couple of days to come up and hunt. Allow deer and bear baiting later seasons Most of the land that NYS has purchased in the Adirondacks is unaccessable to motorized vehicles. This makes majority of the land unused due to lack of trails and roads. Better access would draw more hunters & fishermen. Elimate Doe Permits completly and elimanate nuisance permits. Stop importing animals such as coyotes, wolves, bobcats and rattle snakes Same as above. Issue a permit for older people with difficulty breating to drive four wheeler on state owned land. More private land to hunt from or a data base for land to lease I think a special week should be set aside for pistol hunting. Either a week by itself or at the same time as muzzle loading or archery season. Pistols have a limited range less than most compound bows, all crossbows, and much less than any muzzle loaded rifle. This would give pistol hunters more opportunity to participate and encourage pistol owners to get out more often as well. It also would increase out of state pistol hunting enthusists to hunt in New York. Stop the in-fighting amongst ourselves - such as bowhunters against crossbows. hard card license like pistol permit, lower license fees

NY has the potential to share in other states successful quality deer management if appropriate regulations are put in place such as antler restrictions allowing for older class bucks. I feel if this occurred people would be willing to travel into NY state to pursue these larger class deer generating more license revenue and local business. leagalise baiting or out law food plots offer landowners a release of liability if they open their lands to sportsmen Instead of " Nuisance permits, make the people let Hunters onto thier land to harvest the deer that they want taken. Elimiminate late muzzle loader and bow hunting to increase the deer population Crossbows should be legal during all seasons. Have DEC actively engauge in better proven QDM programs and catch up with the rest of the world Antler restrictions. Extend bow season and shorten rifle season. GIVE ALL RETURNING COMBAT VETERANS A LIFE TIME SPORTSMAN LIC. TheDEC should focus more on wildlife poaching than harrassing snowmobilers on Oneida Lake every winter. Someone in the Town of Cicero Enforcement is using the DEC to do their work. But they harrass the snowmobilers unmercifully. I'll be more than happy to expound on this if you would like. 17 officers wasted over 10K the year before last, writing 48 tickets, most of which here thrown out. WASTEFUL! yes Limit hunters to 1 antlered deer per year regardless of method harvested, a more concise and defined hunting and fishing regulations, partial on-line hunter training courses with the last 4 hrs being class room instruction, a weekend a year for women hunters that can be structured like the current youth days we have currently. none I can think fo As global warming i believe season changes should be in place State wide antler restriction program. open crossbow throughout the season less use of atvs More co-op land the quality of deer in new york, over 90% of bucks killed are 1.5 years of age, there is not enough mature bucks out there to make hunting fun i spend lots of money ever year too go out of state to shoot a mature deer State land needs to be more accessable to handicapped people, thru use of ATVs make hunter orange mandatory Allow the Crossbow use during the archery season because older persons such as myself are experiencing arthritis problems in the shoulders and are no longer able to pull a recurve or coumpound bow. If you want to keep the older sportsman in the field to enjoy the hunting experience, the cross bow must be allower during archery season, while the temperatures are still fairly mild. Eliminate Doe permints

Yes. Why is it that more and more bird strikes are occuring and we haven't "up'd" the limit of mirgratory geese during the regular season? Seperate topic. Effective deer managament entails that not all the deer are killed in one area. Yet, certain parts of state wildlife areas are ALWAYS off limits. This doesn't make sense in true deer herd management. Perch River is mostly where I hunt and one can not hunt certain areas due to establish procedures. Why can't we rotate the hunting areas? Put some areas off limits that normally are open and open the other areas that haven't been open in decades. Seperate Idea. I am a dog lover. I owned them all my life. Yet, certain trapping laws have become extremely restrictive in regards to using connibear traps on land. How many hunters were shot and killed in the North Country during hunting season? Yet, we don't make it mandatory to wear hunter orange. Two dogs are killed and we permanently outlaw certain traps on land? Again, doesn't make any sense to me. Stop allowing archers earlier access to the woods than gun hunters. It ruins the season for all! make the licenses easyer to fill out not at this time

I retired from the national guard here in NY. while I was in I could get a free hunting/fishing license. now that I am retired the state says I can not get a free one unless I am over a certain percent disabled. I am only 20%. So no go. I feel that if any one is willing to put in at least 10 years, the state should be willing to give at least a free hunting license not only while they are in,but, after they retire. Too many deer are lost due to wounding, much more emphasis need be put on tracking wounded animals, many hunters give up way too soon. More ATV access to state lands put crossbow in the regular archery season Obey all firearms safety rules, always wear a fall restraint device when your feet leave the ground, and always behave in an ethical manner and insist your hunting partners do also. Allow 4 wheeler use on state lands ONLY to hunt and/or fish. Any damage to land or foliage would be riders responsibility. More news of the positive things done by the DEC ANTLER RESTRICTIONS... Handicapped areas for hunting Deer etc would be nice drivable areas Cars 4wheelers etc more pheasant release programs The present size of the deer herd is way low. Can something be done about it. Nuisance permits have killed the herd to much.

why can't we ride ATV's on EXISTING ROADS in state forests'? It will never be allowed in the Park but why not outside ? What is wrong w/allowing locals to drive their ATV to their hunting spot especially when gas is $4 / Gal? The DEC did not change northern zone dates due to "hunter concerns". No such "concerns" exist. This was purely the DEC taking away opportunities for no reason at all. We've had these dates for decades literally and now we have concerns? Don't think so. This takes away a valuable weekend of rifle hunting in the northern zone and will defintely have an economic impact. The DEC did this with zero discussion from the NY hunters. Once again they couldn't care less. This is ridiculous. I can guarantee they cannot produce one single complaint/cencern filed by any northern ny hunter with regards to Dec. hunting. Yeah , i'm pissed about it. If they're taking away opportunities then the price of my license should be reduced accordingly. More town hall meetings with the DEC and have them better publicized. Manage the deer heard like ohio illinois etc We Should be allowed ti use our ATV'S in the Adirondacks. Weall pay taxes, not all areas have to be"forever wild". Allow more doe tags because the.deer are vecomming over populared and their have been alot of more car deer acxidents Lower Fees No more fee increases and no more damn stamps! turkey should be included in small game and muzzle loading in big game it should not cost me a better part of 100$ a year to hunt and fish! More access to state land Extended Canadian Goose Season with larger Bag Limits The DEC biologist need the support of the legislators so they can do ther job. Most issues concerning hinting should be done by DEC regulations not legilsation. crossbows in archery season price price price No I moved here from itanother state and find that is very enjoyable hunting here at least where I live. Baiting bears is unsportsmanlike. Distributing tags to wives and children is just poaching and circumventing the laws. ATV users are essentially vandals. The true hunter would belong to the NRA where intelligence rules. The rest of them are six pack road hunters. Bigger fines to people who hurt on your land without permission!! let disabled people use atvs in the aderroundack park STATE LANDS COULD HAVE FOOD PLOTS

I think there should me much more sever penalties for people who tresspass and violate game laws. have one seasonfor all types of What about the fisherman . Low Water Level 3rd year in a row. How about doing something for us. not allow out of state hunters to receive doe permits Limit the number of antlered deer to one per hunter per year to help increase the buck to doe ratio. make it easier for out of state people to come and hunt more easily NY's non-sensical and utterly stupid gun laws that do nothing but keep people away and even force NY residents to leave the state for less PITA laws Clear laws about regulations, especially fishing where they seem to change a lot on different water ways. The ability to carry a handgun for archery and even some fishing areas for self-defense and not as the primary hunting weapon. Allow Sr. Citizens to use crossbow during reg. archery season eliminate doe permits all together Place the youth hunt on the saturday that the southern zone opens and open the regular season back on the monday following where it belongs. remove mandatory antler restrictions and let the hunter choose which deer they want to harvest. Not hunting. But there should be a snowmobile registration that does not require being a member of a club or pay $100. I know many retired fishermen that would ice fish if they could afford there snowmobile registration. They do not use the trail system so why should they be required to join a club or pay $100??? Open crossbow during the bow season. I would like to see the Bow hunting only area in Selkirk Schores open during the Archery Season as well as the Regular Season. I own my own land, yet still must pay school and realty taxes to be allowed by the State to keep what I own. Seems un-American to me. Still you and other legislators think you've the right to further charge me licence fees to hunt or fish on this property. Do you support private property rights? I do not think YOU have the right to take my money for contrived reasons the State dreams up. They are not YOUR deer or fish! low the age limit for big game/ with the use of mentor Access by motor vehicle to State land would spread hunter density out making hunting safer. Allow ATVs on all state hunting property for handicaped and older citizens Require a minimum of a 6 point buck. Increasing antler growth and letting bucks mature will increase the hunting interest in NYS. Any bring in out of stators. No reason we should have to go to Illinois for a trophy buck land owners that need nuisance permits should insteed alow people to hunt there land insteed I think blaze orange is very important but should not be mandated to blaze only. I think camo blaze would do the job very well. All postils should be carry concealed in new York state and micro stamping should not be allowed in this state. More access to posted land Antler restrictions in Northern Zones Limit early muzzle loader swason in the Northern Zone to residents only. Not really homeowner free hunt/fishing Extended opportunities for youth hunting, including consider kids younger than 14 for big game hunting as long as they are supervised and have parental consent. lowering the high fees back to a afordable rate. NY state has gone overboard with over taxing and over high license fees for all. that alone stops ppl like my from doing outdoor things that i grew up to love and miss Open up private land to hunters instead of issuing nusance permits to people who post their land then complain about too many deer. Many land owners do not allow hunting, they still think they can be sued if someone is injured open state land to atxs

clampin g down on illegally taking deer. advertise better on avlible stae land to hunt and push it as a family sport Eliminate fees for reserving dec campsite online we need to increase our herd so we can keep all interested in deer hunting and also provide the interest in new you hunters ,nothing is more depreesing than taking out new hunters and not seeing a thing ASK FOR SUGGESTIONS use of crossbows for hunting. maybe to reduce license cost to hunters who have resided in the state but were forced to move do job requirements Making the rule books less complicated for fishing and hunting. You almos have to have a lawyer to expain them in what you can and cannot do. Make more land available to hunters, ex: If you have landowners with an abundunts of deers their should be a lottery for hunters to enter to be able to help out with the herds! why do farmers get nusinence permits to kill off deer when people cont on the meat as food lower the cost of licenses and take away the ten dollar fee for doe permits Lower the fees for licenses. issuance of fewer doe permits and shorten the season stronger trespassing laws 6 point or better law to help produce larger buks. more doe permits for more areas, a longer regular season for deer. allow for an early muzzleloader season in betwwen bow and shotgun/rifle in southern tier. I urge you to keep crossbows out of regular season archery with my main concern being that crossbows allow for more irresponsible shots and wounded/lost deer. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME PROGRAMS/SEMINARS DIRECTED TOWARD GETTING MORE WOMEN INTERESTED IN HUNTING later duck season Becuse our deer herd is down (in 6A area) DEC is not offering dow permits this year. DMAP permits issued to farmers should also be stopped until the herd rebounds. under no circumstances allow any type of crossbow hunting other than hunters who are handicapped !~!!!!!!!! Lower non- resident fees I am retired and travel a lot. Can we get recipricol Hunting, Fishing, Firearms (handgun) licenses and permits. Maybe a NATIONAL HUNTING and FISHING LICENSE It's OUR COUNTRY, we're Americans