Hunting and Trapping Newsletter

2022 BOW in the SNOW

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) and Beyond BOW are programs designed to teach women outdoor skills. These programs provide women with information, encouragement, and hands-on instruction in outdoor skills such as fishing, shooting, archery, hunting, trapping, outdoor photography, map and compass, survival, camping, canoeing, and outdoor cooking.

When: February 4-6, 2022

Where: Allegany State Park, Western NY

Cost: $295
Includes six meals, two nights lodging, instruction in three classes, use of equipment, materials, and transportation to class locations. Limited space available.

Lodging: Camp Allegany has dormitory-style lodging with four to five persons in a room. Beds are all single beds (no bunks). Newly installed heating in each room provides a warm stay. Bathrooms are shared.

COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place. Social distancing and indoor masking can be expected.

Classes in 2022: fat tire biking, k-9 first aid, waterfowl id, firearms safety, ice fishing, x-country skiing, snowshoeing, wild game cooking & cuts, map & compass, food preservation, winter wellness, soap making, Dutch oven cooking, and more!

Registration Lottery: Registration is open Dec 7-14, 2021

For details, a complete workshop outline and to register, please visit our new fully-online BOW registration page, between Dec 7-14, 2021

• Once you have submitted your online registration, you will be sent a confirmation email. Once registration is closed, 40 participants will be chosen at random in the lottery drawing.
• You will receive the results of the registration lottery in an email announcing if you were chosen, with a link to the BOW Square website for secure online payment.
• Cost includes all meals, lodging, instruction and class equipment (except where an additional equipment fee is noted in course descriptions).
• You must be at least 18 years old to attend this workshop.

Hunting this Holiday Season? Share the Snow

For many people, their ability to deer hunt in the fall is limited because of work, school, and family obligations. New this year, hunters can participate in a “Holiday Hunt”, a late bow and muzzleloading season for deer from December 26 through January 1 in the Southern Zone. While hunting for grouse, rabbits, hare, and furbearers has been a popular winter activity for decades, this new season provides additional deer hunting opportunity when people may have time off from work or students are on a break from school.

Earlier this year, after hearing concerns that the Holiday Hunt may interfere with other outdoor pursuits, DEC proposed a regulation that would have allowed counties to pass a local law opting out of the special late season opportunity. During the public comment period, DEC heard from a wide array of stakeholders with deeply held, but conflicting views on this proposal. Because of the diversity of opinion around this issue, further evaluation is needed. The proposed regulation has not been adopted and counties may not opt out this year. The Holiday Hunt will occur in all Southern Zone counties this year as previously authorized.

This holiday period is also a popular time for other outdoor pursuits like hiking and, when weather permits, cross country skiing and snowmobiling. Hunters looking for solitude can minimize the disturbance associated with other forms of recreation by following a few tips. Before the season opens, when you are scouting for the perfect spot or stand location, take the time to check if the planned location is a popular one. Avoid crowding other hunters and other outdoor recreationists and recognize that if a hunting location is near a popular hiking, cross-country skiing, or snowmobiling spot, noise can be a factor. If a preferred hunting spot is too crowded, identify an alternative location ahead of time.

Although uncommon during the holiday week, when snow conditions are right, snowmobiling is a popular activity, and snowmobiling and hunting are compatible activities. In fact, some hunters may even use sleds to access their favorite hunting location. If you are a landowner that allows snowmobile trails to traverse your property, or if you hunt on a property where snowmobiling occurs, know that these two activities can occur safely and simultaneously with some planning and communication among the people using the property. In addition, New York’s General Obligations Law protects landowners from liability when they allow recreational access to their property whether for a single activity or multiple.

Please remember, it is now a requirement to wear blaze orange or pink when pursuing deer with a firearm. This requirement helps you identify other hunters that may be downrange and alerts hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts that they are sharing the woods with you.