AR's in 3A per NY Big Game

[howesfc]

Big Game,
 
On August 17, Governor Cuomo signed into law a bill (S5602/A394-A; http://m.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S5601-2011) that establishes mandatory antler restrictions in the portion of Wildlife Management Unit 3A that lies south and west of State Route 28 (includes parts of Delaware, Sullivan, and Ulster counties).  The law prohibits hunters from taking any antlered deer except those antlered deer that have at least one antler with at least three points.  The law applies to all public and private lands and all hunting seasons.  Only hunters under the age of 17 are exempt and may take any antlered deer with at least one antler measuring three or more inches in length.
 
This law goes into effect immediately, and hunters are expected to comply with the new law during the 2011-2012 hunting seasons.  Deer hunting regulations in all other WMUs were not affected by this legislation.  DEC is in the process of updating our website to reflect the new law.
 
Jeremy Hurst
Big Game Biologist
 
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[Deposit]

I am kind of on the fence with antler restriction......I realize it could be a good thing, may take a few years but over all it would be good. But being that I have never taken a buck with a bow .....I am not however in those zones.

[howesfc]

I heard when the started the 3 pt on a side rule in PA they found alot of untagged spikes!
And in PA if you can hang a ring on it, it a point!

[upstatehunter]

A self imposed AR on your property, or a club, is one thing. I happen to agree with the principle of letting younger bucks walk.
But not a state mandated restriction. Especially the units they are choosing to invoke the regulation on. On one hand they are saying the deer density is to high in these units. Yet they restrict what can be taken out of the herd. Just makes one feel as though they just want to try and make more money. What attracts hunters from other places? Larger bucks. You wouldn't pay money to go to Kansas if they had deer of the same caliber you have available to you at home.
One of the biggest problems in these areas is that people tag small bucks with DMP's and go on hunting. With no real accountability involved in NYS as to what your shooting,(you only have to call in your tag) you can shoot what you want and take it home, call it in and go on. If a mandatory check station regulation was in effect, less of this would happen.
Plus the fact that they are giving out a higher number of DMP's in these units, also means a higher number of button bucks will be shot. The only true way to increase your buck numbers and quality, is to manage them just like the states that whitetail hunting is big business. They hunt over bait or feeders, and have to be sure it is a doe when they harvest it. Then allow the harvest of cull bucks, who are of age, but less genetics than others. Or they harvest mature trophy quality deer.
NYS, has none of these practices in place. So to just say we are restricting what you can shoot here, and not here, is just political rhetoric to try to make more money. 

[stka]

My biggest complaint is having the state tell me what a trophy is. I'm trying to get my girlfriend out hunting more, how fair is it to tell her she can't shoot a nice fork for her first deer because she's (slightly) over 17 years old. My family has held fairly large lands with 8pt or better self imposed restrictions. I can tell you from experience their big buck sightings and harvest never improved as a result. They get their good bucks, but there aren't more than if they shot half the younger ones. I spent years watching small bucks and does walk around without seeing more than one "shooter" a year if I was lucky and never getting to take a shot at one. So I stopped hunting with my family and found my own places so I could decide for myself what I wanted to shoot. How many of the guys pushing for AR's don't have a bunch of spikes and forks in their basement from when they started hunting? AR's will drive more hunters away than it will recruit. By the way I was told that I can shoot whatever I want on these properties now, because they don't think it makes a difference after 20+ years of trying.

My second complaint is that I can't shoot this buck under that law. How good is he to their antler management?

[upstatehunter]

Thanks for the support of my point Steve. There are a lot of other factors that are involved with those states that do see success with AR.
The regulation alone will not lead to the desired result the state is looking to.
Also involved with this is our system we allow to grow and become more powerful. The DEC can make these regulations without any input from the people that actually fund them. Yes they have to have a legislature vote for regulations involving statewide law changes, like the age for big game hunting or implements.
But as far as regulations pertaining to tags, WMU's and the so called protection of wildlife, we have no input at all. They can just impose what they feel is right.

[truehunter]

 Please correct me if I"m wrong but this was not a regulation change it was a law? Not proposed or supported by DEC... I see a lot challenging DEC's logic but seems like a group of money folks appear to be pushing this one???