NY Bow Hunters please be careful

[guspup]

Just a reminder, tomorrow begins a 3 day youth hunt which allows 14-15 year-olds to gun hunt for a deer of either sex for the 3 day Columbus day weekend. The young folks must hunt with adult supervision and are allowed to use either shotgun or rifle depending on the area. The DEC recommends bow hunters to wear hunter safety orange when going to or leaving their stand.
This is the first year of this activity, and begins on the 6th day of the new bow season.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

was wondering what that spotlight an gun shot was tonight. gettin them started young  

[ronp]

TTT

[Adirondack Bowman]

Adult supervision ? What does that mean, an 18 year old.What a joke.

[1/4 away]

I for one will be sitting this weekend out and get back in the woods come tuesday.

[SteveB]

I heard multiple shots every day all week from small game hunters. Didn't feel threatened then - won't feel threatened by a few mentored youths this weekend.

[LongStick64]

One question is why would they make this during archery season and not during gun season ??? It's a sure fire way to get the deer to become nocturnal smack in the middle of our season. Dumb Dumb DUMB.

[woodchucker]

Well, I have to agree with Steve... I rarely ever feel "threatened" by gun hunters.

We are talking about young hunters... The future of our sport!!!!! AND the future protectors of our hunting rights!!!

My son is starting to hunt for the 1st time this year. He has his Jr. Archery license, and also his small game license. If he wants to deer hunt, we go bow hunting. If he wants to gun hunt, then we will grab the shotguns and go squirrel hunting!!! (or turkeys, pheasants, rabbits, whatever...) The point is to make it ENJOYABLE FOR HIM!!!!! Then, hopefully he will stick with it!!!

Longstick, Remember... Not EVERYONE in NY bowhunts!!! The seasons are designed to be compatable for everyone. We got an extra couple weeks this year. That however, does not mean that the woods are only for us bowhunters!!!!! Small game season, and fall Turkey season, has always started Oct.1st... Now that bow season started, they are suppossed to stay out of the woods??? They scheduled the youth hunt for Columbus day weekend. Would you have rather they scheduled it for the weekend before Thanksgiving??? During the peak of the Rut?????

You worry about deer becoming "nocturnal" because of a few gunshots??? You really shouldn't worry... I hav e gun and bow hunted all properties that I have hunted for almost 40 years. Trust me when I say, a few gunshots WILL NOT make the deer herd nocturnal...

What WILL... Is the mass herd of mostly "greenhorn" hunters, invading the woods, making noise, walking through bedding areas, putting on drives, shooting more times than they have to, etc. You WILL NOT, see this kind of mass confussion, on a youth hunt weekend!!! Hopefully, a few of the local youngsters will get out and get Lucky!!!

As for you... Why don't you pack you hunting gear, and get out there and see for yourself. I'm sure you'll be suprized how quiet it really is!!!

[SteveB]

Chuck - thanks for expanding my thought so well!

[Roy from Pa]

We have had this same thing in Pa for years now, along with a week of ML hunting. Doesn't hurt a thing and the deer don't go nocturnal. It's a great way to get kids out hunting.

[LongStick64]

ok so why not then have a Kids bowhunt and a kids gun hunt during the appropriate seasons ?

[Red Beastmaster]

Roy, I gotta dissagree. The season in my area is pretty much over when the week long in-line and Jr/Sr rifle season is finished. The few deer we have left are so screwed up that normal patterns are over and most movement is at night. It might be OK in your area where there are lots of deer but most PA archers are not very happy with it.

I've never understood why the two age groups with the worst judgement are allowed to hunt deer with rifles during the third week of October? I typically boycott that week just to stay alive.

[LongStick64]

I am not against kids learning to hunt, you miss my point by a mile. It's about bring firearms into a bow season, what is the logic in that. I agree that small game season and fall turkey coincide with bow season, but the numbers of small game hunters hunting during bow season that I have come across during bow season is a handful in the last 35 years. I exclusively hunt public lands from Newburgh to Montauk and the reality is most hunters during bow season are concentrating on that. I don't mind to be proven wrong, it's just my experience I can only relate to. Now to introduce a kids gun season during bow ? Why ? to take advantage of a holiday weekend ? not good enough a reason, unless they made it a kids bow season, would make better sense.
As far as letting kids hunt during the peak rut, why not give them the best chance they can get then ? or are we excluding kids from a great experience because it interferes with us, isn't that your argument.

[fmscan]

Folks, IMHO you do not do youth a favor by making it easy and making it special. They should be part of the men's deer camp and share the  deer camp with men. There is a lot more to hunting than going out and killing something, the ethics, being part of the the deer tradition is far more important. We could always tie a deer to a tree and let them kill a deer, that is NOT our future. Some things are susposed to be hard and that increases satisfaction. I feel sorry for the kid that walks out and kill a deer during SPECIAL youth hunt on the first day.

[ronp]

You make some very good points Frank.  Kids shouldn't be coddled, but taught.  And they should be allowed to experience opening day like we did.  I think NY is doing a dis-service to youths by allowing them to hunt deer this week-end, then not allowing them to hunt deer when the regular gun season gets here.  They hunt this week-end then have to wait until next year, without being allowed to hunt during regular season.  I would like to see NY lower the hunting age and let the youths hunt, period.  And don't get me started about allowing does to be taken this week-end in the Adirondacks...   :mad:

[woodchucker]

fmscan, Sorry to drop the bomb on you, but welcome to the 21st century!!! Sadly, the days of "deer camps" of which you speak, are all but nonexistant. Also, our kids today are much differant than years ago. The computor/vidio game era is upon us, and our kids have changed!!! EVERYTHING is done with a touch of a button these days. Sadly also, our kids DO NOT have the patience to sit for hours on end, many times seeing nothing at all. They quickly become "bored" and move on to other things.

All 1st deer are VERY special!!!!! No matter if taken with bow, or gun!!! You state that you "feel sorry" for the kid who kills a deer during a SPECIAL Youth Hunt????? What makes that kids 1st deer any less "special" than yours???

If that is honestly the way that you feel... Then I feel VERY sorry for you!!! Obviously you're not the mentoring type. Kinda hard for a kid to live up to your expectations I guess...

I'll just take my son out hunting, and teach him everything I can. I'm sure he"ll turn out just fine!!!

[woodchucker]

Actualy Ron, The legal age has been dropped to 14. These kids will be able to hunt on opening day,(and the rest of the season) it just gives them an early start.

[woodchucker]

Longstick, Firearms in the bow season is a fact of life for bowhunters, and always has been. You state yourself that you hunt public land, and agree the impact from small game season is minimal. As for a Kid's bow season, They can already bowhunt at 12 years old, and if they're gonna be bowhunting, they already are.

The date was picked to coincide with a 3 day weekend,this is true. It was also picked to be early in the season when deer are consentrating on food. The whole reasoning behind the youth hunts, is to make them as easy to partisipate in, and as successful as possible!!!!! FOR THE KIDS!!!

This year we were fortunate enough to get an extra 2 weeks to hunt. Unfortunatly the cries of It's MINE!!! You can't do THAT!!!!! Will drownd out any gunshots the few successful young hunters may take.

[ChristopherO]

The best hunts I've ever been on were taking my children on their first hunts during the special season:  Coaching them over their shoulder, witnessing the thrill and excitment on their faces when successfull, or just seeing deer.  And it allowed me, a competitive,selfish  brutte, the pleasure of taking to the field without any weapon in hand solely for the edification of my children.
With all my children now grown this year I get blessed in complying with my neice's request to take her hunting.  She is so excited about getting to hunt for the first time.  I am firmly convinced these "special" youth seasons were the best ideas state game departments have come up with.

[LongStick64]

WoodChucker

Again the issue is not about getting kids to hunt where we differ in opinion, it's WHEN. Why do it during bow season, Why not during gun season, or better yet have a 2 day bowhunt for kids and a 2 day gun hunt for deer during their respective seasons.
No one is being selfish, it's about timing.