Will NY sportsmen be the next ‘Mohicans?’
Remember “Last of the Mohicans?” Whether you read the novel, saw the movie(s), or both, it occurred to me that hunters and trappers may someday face a similar fate. No, it won’t be because of being eliminated in physical battle, but rather by political, bureaucratic, economic and social actions. It won’t happen quickly, but will occur in stages, many of which we’ve already witnessed.
The latest evidence involves the voluntary Habitat-Access (H/A) Stamp program being administered by the Dept. of Environmental Conservation - primarily the result of shrinking private land access and deteriorating habitat or over-used public land. After much planning and bickering, the State agreed to the formation of a voluntary fund that would be used to improve access and also the quality of habitat. The cost per stamp was $5 and could be purchased at any agency or business selling DEC hunting, fishing and trapping licenses by anyone, and not just sportsmen and women.
The key word here is “voluntary.” By going that route the state should have predetermined a few facts of life. One was that a person plunking down up to $70 for a Sportsman or Super Sportsman license might think twice before “donating” an additional fiver to a program whose effectiveness was yet to be proven. Second was the fact the DEC did almost nothing to promote the stamp. Even in its regulations syllabuses, only a small text block was used to feature it. In addition, an alarming number of licensing agents either weren’t aware of its existence or never bothered to ask buyers if they’d like to purchase it. Lastly, much like the voluntary NY waterfowl stamp, few non-consumptive users bought a stamp. Why should they? They already enjoy free use of most public land. The results were predictable, with the stamp barely generating $30,000 its first year and only about $50,000 each year since then.
Now in its third year of existence, the H/A stamp’s revenue has been awarded to applicants whose projects were deemed appropriate by the DEC. Mind you, the funds awarded had little to do with the funding sources. For example, the Audubon Society was given $11,000 to take New York City youths on downstate boat rides to view birds. Just 5.6 of every 100,000 people in New York City purchased a stamp, while the statewide county average was 56 for every 100,000 residents. For the Big Apple Audubon project, that’s a pretty good return, considering what the area residents invested in the program.
Dave Odell, retired DEC Region 8 Manager who served on the ranking committee for the first round of the H/A stamp projects, had this observation regarding the floundering H/A stamp program. “It looked like just what we needed to do some good habitat and access work in New York. Where did it go wrong? Why do we always shoot ourselves in the foot with these things? Why do we never make these things mandatory from the start (including requiring ALL state land users to have one)? I retired before I ever figured this out, and I don’t know if we ever will understand our continued inability to make these good ideas work on the ground.”
Perhaps we in Chenango and surrounding counties haven’t really noticed what’s been occurring almost under our noses, but the changes were evidenced by the creation of the H/A program and the changed priorities of the DEC. The DEC’s declining interest and role in conservation comes to mind, as does a steady decline in hunting and especially trapping activities. There are other indications as well.
Foremost are the social changes that have occurred, as recent generations are not exposed to the workings of the natural world, nor are many that interested in learning first-hand. Many would rather peruse the Internet or TV for such themes. More youths today have grown up playing organized team sports, and fewer have had time or interest to hunt, trap or fish because of it. Also, parents have tended to drift away from introducing their children to these once common outdoor activities.
Then there’s the access factor. With so many farms having disappeared, being replaced by residential clusters or businesses, large expanses of land now either sport posted signs, and no one is allowed permission, or un-posted lands are such that no one is allowed to set foot on them for whatever purpose. Also, some rural residents purchase land strictly for their own use, be it hunting or whatever, and don’t want anyone else getting a “free ride” on their land.
Last but not least is the ongoing decline in wildlife habitat quaity on public land, the very areas where increasingly more sportsmen and women are being forced to go due to the access declining on private land. With little or no forest and habitat management being done by DEC, not only is the user density becoming unpleasantly high, but the availability of wildlife, especially small game, has diminished.
Thanks to manmade fabrics, primarily manufactured from petroleum, the use of natural animal hides and pelts is no longer a viable function and is primarily viewed by many as distasteful. Of no importance is the simple fact that the latter are all natural, biodegradable and renewable, or that discarded synthetics take up room in our landfills and centuries to oxidize. Good bye trapping.
There are also the ongoing challenges and ultra-liberal interpretations of the Second Amendment, both at state and also federal levels. These are constantly chipping away at private citizens’ right to own a firearm, be it for hunting, target shooting or self-defense of one’s home. Spurred on by the liberal media, the nation’s news exposure to firearms is almost exclusively tied to violent crime. I suspect, the way we’re headed, the day will come when no citizen, outside of law enforcement and the military, will be allowed to own or possess ANY firearm. That will certainly end hunting.
As we hurtle toward a new concept environmentally and socially, and one that will no longer have hunters, trappers or maybe even anglers, who will manage the natural resources? And who will pay for them to be managed, which they surely will have to be? Maybe the old promises of “a chicken in every pot” or “a car in every garage” will eventually be “a bear in every garbage can” or “a herd of deer in every garden.” Then maybe people will wonder what ever happen to the Mohicans, er ... I mean sportsmen and women of a bygone time.
Free Deer Hunting & Habitat Management Seminar
Calvary Baptist Church, along with the Catskills Branch of the Quality Deer Management Assoc. present nationally known experts Tony LaPratt, Ultimate Land Management, and Peter Fiduccia, “The Deer Doctor” for a one night seminar on Wednesday, July 18, at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:15) at the Norwich High School auditorium. For more info call Calvary Baptist Church at 607-334-6698 or visit www.cbcnorwich.org. Dave Cordner of the Catskills Branch QDMA may also be contacted at 607-467-1405 or by e-mail at catskillqdma@yahoo.com.
The latest evidence involves the voluntary Habitat-Access (H/A) Stamp program being administered by the Dept. of Environmental Conservation - primarily the result of shrinking private land access and deteriorating habitat or over-used public land. After much planning and bickering, the State agreed to the formation of a voluntary fund that would be used to improve access and also the quality of habitat. The cost per stamp was $5 and could be purchased at any agency or business selling DEC hunting, fishing and trapping licenses by anyone, and not just sportsmen and women.
The key word here is “voluntary.” By going that route the state should have predetermined a few facts of life. One was that a person plunking down up to $70 for a Sportsman or Super Sportsman license might think twice before “donating” an additional fiver to a program whose effectiveness was yet to be proven. Second was the fact the DEC did almost nothing to promote the stamp. Even in its regulations syllabuses, only a small text block was used to feature it. In addition, an alarming number of licensing agents either weren’t aware of its existence or never bothered to ask buyers if they’d like to purchase it. Lastly, much like the voluntary NY waterfowl stamp, few non-consumptive users bought a stamp. Why should they? They already enjoy free use of most public land. The results were predictable, with the stamp barely generating $30,000 its first year and only about $50,000 each year since then.
Now in its third year of existence, the H/A stamp’s revenue has been awarded to applicants whose projects were deemed appropriate by the DEC. Mind you, the funds awarded had little to do with the funding sources. For example, the Audubon Society was given $11,000 to take New York City youths on downstate boat rides to view birds. Just 5.6 of every 100,000 people in New York City purchased a stamp, while the statewide county average was 56 for every 100,000 residents. For the Big Apple Audubon project, that’s a pretty good return, considering what the area residents invested in the program.
Dave Odell, retired DEC Region 8 Manager who served on the ranking committee for the first round of the H/A stamp projects, had this observation regarding the floundering H/A stamp program. “It looked like just what we needed to do some good habitat and access work in New York. Where did it go wrong? Why do we always shoot ourselves in the foot with these things? Why do we never make these things mandatory from the start (including requiring ALL state land users to have one)? I retired before I ever figured this out, and I don’t know if we ever will understand our continued inability to make these good ideas work on the ground.”
Perhaps we in Chenango and surrounding counties haven’t really noticed what’s been occurring almost under our noses, but the changes were evidenced by the creation of the H/A program and the changed priorities of the DEC. The DEC’s declining interest and role in conservation comes to mind, as does a steady decline in hunting and especially trapping activities. There are other indications as well.
Foremost are the social changes that have occurred, as recent generations are not exposed to the workings of the natural world, nor are many that interested in learning first-hand. Many would rather peruse the Internet or TV for such themes. More youths today have grown up playing organized team sports, and fewer have had time or interest to hunt, trap or fish because of it. Also, parents have tended to drift away from introducing their children to these once common outdoor activities.
Then there’s the access factor. With so many farms having disappeared, being replaced by residential clusters or businesses, large expanses of land now either sport posted signs, and no one is allowed permission, or un-posted lands are such that no one is allowed to set foot on them for whatever purpose. Also, some rural residents purchase land strictly for their own use, be it hunting or whatever, and don’t want anyone else getting a “free ride” on their land.
Last but not least is the ongoing decline in wildlife habitat quaity on public land, the very areas where increasingly more sportsmen and women are being forced to go due to the access declining on private land. With little or no forest and habitat management being done by DEC, not only is the user density becoming unpleasantly high, but the availability of wildlife, especially small game, has diminished.
Thanks to manmade fabrics, primarily manufactured from petroleum, the use of natural animal hides and pelts is no longer a viable function and is primarily viewed by many as distasteful. Of no importance is the simple fact that the latter are all natural, biodegradable and renewable, or that discarded synthetics take up room in our landfills and centuries to oxidize. Good bye trapping.
There are also the ongoing challenges and ultra-liberal interpretations of the Second Amendment, both at state and also federal levels. These are constantly chipping away at private citizens’ right to own a firearm, be it for hunting, target shooting or self-defense of one’s home. Spurred on by the liberal media, the nation’s news exposure to firearms is almost exclusively tied to violent crime. I suspect, the way we’re headed, the day will come when no citizen, outside of law enforcement and the military, will be allowed to own or possess ANY firearm. That will certainly end hunting.
As we hurtle toward a new concept environmentally and socially, and one that will no longer have hunters, trappers or maybe even anglers, who will manage the natural resources? And who will pay for them to be managed, which they surely will have to be? Maybe the old promises of “a chicken in every pot” or “a car in every garage” will eventually be “a bear in every garbage can” or “a herd of deer in every garden.” Then maybe people will wonder what ever happen to the Mohicans, er ... I mean sportsmen and women of a bygone time.
Free Deer Hunting & Habitat Management Seminar
Calvary Baptist Church, along with the Catskills Branch of the Quality Deer Management Assoc. present nationally known experts Tony LaPratt, Ultimate Land Management, and Peter Fiduccia, “The Deer Doctor” for a one night seminar on Wednesday, July 18, at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:15) at the Norwich High School auditorium. For more info call Calvary Baptist Church at 607-334-6698 or visit www.cbcnorwich.org. Dave Cordner of the Catskills Branch QDMA may also be contacted at 607-467-1405 or by e-mail at catskillqdma@yahoo.com.
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