I recently learned of a joint proposal to DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis and the Bureau of Wildlife by the New York Bowhunters (NYB) and the New York State Muzzleloaders Association (NYSMLA) that, if adopted by DEC, would change the Southern Zone’s deer hunting seasons and methods to more closely mirror the current ones in the Northern Zone.
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Here is the proposal as presented by the two organizations:
1. Open the 23-day regular firearms season on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
2. Open the early archery season on October 1, ending on the Friday prior to the beginning of the regular firearms season.
3. Allow for a weekend of junior (ages 14 & 15) big game hunting opportunity on the weekend prior to the opening of the regular firearms season.
4. Open a 5-day antlerless-only “primitive**” muzzleloading season on the Monday prior to the beginning of the regular firearms season, ending on the Friday prior to the beginning of the regular firearms season.
The DEC follows a progression of weaponry in the Northern Zone, starting with archery season, muzzleloader season and then progressing into the regular firearms season. The above proposal follows the precedence already set by the DEC.
**Definition of a “primitive” muzzleloader: A rifle or musket with a smooth or rifled barrel loaded through the muzzle and shooting a round patched ball. It will possess a side lock in the form of an external hammer design (serpentine, cock or hammer) that either holds a rope (slow match) or flint or has a hammer that fires a percussion cap. It will also possess a flash pan, touchhole or nipple which is situated on the side, top or bottom of the barrel with sights that are open or peep in design (no optics allowed).
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In the proposal, the two organizations explain the reasoning behind their suggestion: “…increase the harvest of antlerless deer in their effort to effectively manage the whitetail deer herd in NYS as well as allow for a weekend of early hunting opportunity for junior big game firearms hunters. The NYSMLA wishes to have an early “primitive” muzzleloading season and NYB seeks to restore lost hunting opportunity that occurred with the implementation of 2005 big game restructuring regulations.
Sounds like a win-win proposal, doesn’t it? Well, upon further review, I can foresee some opposition.
The initial resistance may well come from small game hunters who historically start hunting when the turkey, grouse and woodcock small game seasons open Oct.1. The majority don’t opt to small game hunt during the regular firearms deer season, especially if they use bird dogs or hounds.
The next batch of complaining might come from muzzleloader hunters themselves, since the proposal prohibits the type of in-line muzzleloaders, loads and optics that I’d guess the majority of hunters use today. It would basically be like telling bowhunters they had to go back to instinct shooting with stick or recurve bows and not hunt with their modern compounds and related equipment. After all, the term “primitive weapon” has undergone some major changes in recent decades.
The last question relates to what constitutes a “primitive weapon?” That can always invoke arguments. An example would be that the crossbow, which is illegal to use when hunting in NYS, historically predates the vertical stick bow. Yet compound bows, which have only been around for the past half century, are now considered “primitive weapons” for use during the special hunting seasons.
This gets even cloudier when one considers that the most problematic deer areas where deer populations need to be reduced are predominately nearer populated areas where even “primitive muzzleloader” hunting could be impractical, unsafe or illegal. So the inference about controlling deer densities where most needed by utilizing muzzleloaders is pretty much a moot point. Perhaps a better idea would be to offer a special crossbow season that would run concurrent with the one-week muzzleloader one.
As I’ve said and wrote before, before all the special interest groups and resulting special use hunting seasons, we were all “just hunters.”

Celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day
National Hunting and Fishing Day is set for Sept. 26, 2009. Congress formalized the annual celebration 37 years ago but organizers say hunters and anglers deserve America's respect now more than ever.
"Recent-year surveys show nearly 8 in 10 Americans approve of hunting and more than 9 in 10 approve of fishing. That's strong support. But, when viewed in the context of a recession and other modern headlines, our sporting traditions look even better today," said Denise Wagner of Wonders of Wildlife museum in Springfield, Mo., the official home of NHF Day.
She added, "On NHF Day, I hope people will pause to reflect on hunter and angler contributions to society. And for those of us who've long understood and enjoyed these
Here are three reasons for the American public to value hunting and fishing today:
Economic Impact – No bailouts needed here. Hunting and angling together are an economic force worth $76 billion a year. In 2010, America's economic stimulus package will generate its highest level of federal spending at $236 billion—but hunters and anglers will spend almost a third of that amount all by themselves. A Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation report shows if hunters and anglers were a nation, their Gross Domestic Product would rank 57 out of 181 countries.
Wildlife Management – Rabies, crop damages, nuisances. Hunting helps control these wildlife issues and many others—none more dramatic than highway accidents involving deer. White-tailed deer once were on the verge of extinction but rebounded behind historic conservation efforts. Today, deer numbers are skyrocketing. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates 1.5 million deer collisions occur each year. Over 200 people are killed annually
Conservation Funding– What if Congress announced a tax increase to cover $2 billion in annual expenses for conservation programs? Don't worry. Hunters and anglers are already paying that tab. For the privilege of consuming surplus, renewable game and fish resources, hunters and anglers purchase licenses. They also pay special excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, bows, arrows, rods and reels. Combined, these fees generate $100,000 every 30 minutes, more than $1.75 billion per year, for wildlife, fisheries and habitat programs.