Hunting and Trapping Newsletter

Online Hunter Education Available through August 31, 2020

The online hunter education course that was first available in April when all in-person hunter education courses had to be canceled due to COVID -19, will now be available through August 31, 2020. The online course is offered by Kalkomey Enterprises, a company that specializes in hunter education. The online course is available to anyone ages 11 and older and can be completed from a computer, tablet, or smart phone at any time. Students who complete the online course and virtual field day, and pass the final exam, will receive their hunter education certificate and can purchase a hunting license. Only those hunters ages 12 or older may purchase a license and hunt in NY. The cost of the course is $19.95. You can find the online course on Kalkomey's website. 

Banding Together to Monitor Game Birds

Each year, DEC biologists, technicians, partner agencies/universities and volunteers from around New York State band over 3,500 Canada geese and nearly 8,000 migratory game birds (e.g. geese, ducks, woodcock, and rails). These banding programs are vital to properly manage these populations and to ensure they are abundant for future generations to enjoy. You can find more information on migratory game bird banding on DEC's YouTube channel.  

Due to COVID-19, DEC wildlife staff will not be banding geese in the summer of 2020 but typically band about 4,000 geese per year.

Archery at Home- Activities Without a Bow

Looking for some exercises to keep your archery skills sharp while at home or throughout the summer? Want to start getting into archery but don't have access to a bow or a range right now?

We have created a list of 10 archery activities to practice your skills at home (PDF) for all ages to keep your skills sharp until the next time you get a bow or get to the range.

BOW Cancels Fall Workshop Due to COVID-19

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure the safety of Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) workshop participants, DEC canceled the 2020 Fall BOW Workshop. This year’s workshop was originally scheduled to take place Sept 11th -13th at Greek Peak Ski Resort in Cortland.

Please stay tuned for upcoming educational outreach to help keep our BOW community connected, such as online classes, video tutorials, and small Beyond BOW events!
We look forward to seeing you again in person when we resume workshops.

If you would like to obtain your hunter education certificate, you can take a New York State online course. Please note that this class costs $19.99. Contact BOW with any questions or comments.