New NY Bowhunters Steppin up - What say you?

[Kingstaken]

Haven't posted here in a long time but I have to comment on what I saw yesterday in Suffolk County at Smith Point Archery. Made me happy to be a bow hunter.
Been trying t get my 13 yr old son into hunting classes this year if for nothing else since you have to be 14 to bow hunt big game so he can go into the woods with me. NY decided no children or anyone else for that matter is allowed to go into the woods with you to sit and watch or walk on drives with you unless they pocess both the Hunters Safety and the Bow Safety certificates during bow season. No more Daddies or Mommies taking their sons and daughters out to get a turkey or deer. So between school, sports and scouts I finally got him in hunters class two weeks ago and drove home Saturday evening from a camping trip in Rockaway, NJ which got slammed with snow to make the Bow class Sunday this morning.
The hunting class had only 25 students with a couple of stand bys who they let in.
We were on standby for the bow class. So I figured with the bad weather conditions he would have a good chance o get in. He made it in but what I didn't realize that it was the last bow class down here on Long Island which a pre-registered class size of 60 and about 15 plus on the stand by list.
By 9 AM there were 60 yes "60" students taking the bow class with a large percentage between 12 to 20 years and including about 6 women/young girls. Seeing this many new bow hunters in one class blew me away. One women who recently moved up here from Tennessee said she could not believe the size of the bucks here out eastern Long Island and wasn't going to let her boyfriend have all the fun and another guy who lived 10 minutes from the archery shop showed me pictures of 4 bucks including two MONSTER 12 and 8 who frequent his one acre home backyard.
I wish them all much success and hope they all continue on to bow hunt and build up a legacy for future bow hunters.

I was wondering what size classes you've see in your area.

[Stumpkiller]

That is pretty impressive.  Lets hope some of the traditional seed falls on fertile soil.

So, how was the shooting?         I remember mine back in 1980 (maybe 12 archers, of those three women).

Several didn't hit the backstop with all three arrows!  Only three of us got the "proficiency" signature for putting six arrows (two groups of three) in an 8" bullseye (I think it was "random" between 20 and 25 yards).

[Kingstaken]

No proficiency testing required. Theres been talk but I don't think it will ever become.
It's all about safety. Whether or not you can shoot leaves the ethical part up to each hunter.   :eek:

[Rock 'N Bow]

I'm a regular at Smith Point archery and have to say there are quite a few trad hunters shooting at the range. Even when I see compound shooters they all say how cool it is that there are bowhunters shooting trad bows. The owner Jeff is an avid traditional bowhunter.

[Stumpkiller]

Originally posted by Kingstaken:
No proficiency testing required. Theres been talk but I don't thenk it will ever become.
It's all about safety. Whether or not you can shoot leaves the ethical part up to each hunter.   :eek:  

They might not even bother with that anymore.  Used to was the proficiency allowed you to hunt airports, military bases and other controlled or "special" hunts by invitation or with enough begging.

[LongStick64]

When it comes to NY, the people do their part but the State lags behind. I'm happy for all the NY hunters that have private land of their own to hunt. Trying to plan an outing using State Land is a lesson in misery. Fact is there isn't any Deer management going on, let alone land management. There are a couple of decent State land properties I used to hunt 20 years ago, now one has a stream that crosses the road. Not good for the trout. The other one, the road is a disaster, guaranteed to ruin your vehicle. We need to pressure the State so our youth don't lose the enthusiasm.

[Guru]

Thats cool Jim, but you only have to be 12 to bowhunt in NY now...

[Kingstaken]

Curt thats funny you say that cause that's what I thought when I read the new rules ...but.... when I spoke to the DEC last week they told me 14 for big game..12 or small game. I ask them to read their rules and they told me they knew them and didn't need too....
I think I need to call tomorrow again...
Thanks for the reply...

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From DEC Website:

Note:
 
The following are privileges for Lifetime Big & Small and Lifetime Sportsman license holders who are under age 18, with appropriate safety education certification:
 •Ages 12-13: Hunt small game species with gun or bow during appropriate seasons when accompanied* by a parent, legal guardian, or person 21 or over with written permission from parent/guardian.
 •Ages 14-15: Hunt small game species with gun or bow (with appropriate bowhunting eligibility) when accompanied* by a parent, legal guardian, or person 18 or over with written permission from parent/guardian. Hunt big game species when accompanied* by a parent, legal guardian or 'youth mentor' 21 years or older designated in writing.
 •Ages 16-18: If hunting big game for the first time, must be accompanied by parent or legal guardian, or a person over 18 with at least one year's experience in hunting bear or deer, for the entire season and a current year license for hunting big game.
 
*Accompanier must have a current year's hunting license.
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Then theres this on another part of the license description;

12-13 - Hunt deer and bear with bow during the bowhunting season and the regular season, accompanied by parent, legal guardian or an adult 21 years or older designated in writing on the Mentored Youth Hunter and Trapper Permission Form (PDF, 24KB).
 Accompanying adult must have at least three years' experience in hunting deer or bear by longbow AND have a valid and current license to hunt big game.

  :confused:    :confused:    :confused: