DEC announces start of small-game hunting seasons

In Sports, Sports - Ravena, The Ravena News Herald
September 26, 2023
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Several small-game hunting seasons are about to open. Courtesy of Department of Environmental Conservation

ALBANY — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has announced the start of several small-game hunting seasons in the coming weeks.

WATERFOWL HUNTING

New York offers vast waterfowl hunting opportunities as hunters may harvest more than 30 species of waterfowl.

New York has five waterfowl zones and nine Canada goose zones that help to maximize hunting opportunity across diverse habitats.

Most waterfowl zones also have special hunting days for youth and members of the military (both active duty and veterans) that often begin prior to the regular hunting season, giving these hunters the opportunity to hunt with less hunting pressure.

Remaining Youth Waterfowl Days:

  • Western Zone: Sept. 30 and Oct. 1
  • Long Island Zone: Nov. 4 and 5

Remaining Military and Veteran Hunting Days:

  • Western Zone: Oct. 7 and Jan. 20
  • Long Island Zone: Nov. 11 and 12

There are no special Military/Veteran days for the Lake Champlain Zone.

Opening dates for the Regular Duck Seasons:

  • Northeast and Lake Champlain Zones: Oct. 7
  • Western and Southeast Zones: Oct. 21
  • Long Island Zone: Nov. 18

For more on waterfowl hunting season dates and bag limits, visit the Waterfowl Seasons page on DEC’s website at dec.ny.gov.

RUFFED GROUSE HUNTING
Ruffed grouse hunting season runs from Oct. 1 through the last day of February in most parts of the state. In Northern New York, the season opened on Sept. 20, and runs through the last day of February. In New York City and Long Island, the season is closed.

Ruffed grouse hunters in the Northern Zone are reminded to positively identify quarry before shooting. The Northern Zone, specifically Wildlife Management Units 5C, 5F, 6F, and 6J, is also home to the spruce grouse, a state-endangered species that is illegal to hunt. Loss of a single spruce grouse, particularly a female, could be a significant setback for a small local population. For tips on how to discern the two species, view the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide or the Ruffed Grouse Hunting Information page on DEC’s website at dec.ny.gov.

DEC encourages ruffed grouse hunters to take part in the grouse hunting log program and submit feathers from harvested birds to assess recruitment (number of young produced per adult female grouse) for different parts of the state.

PHEASANT SEASON

During the spring of 2023, the Reynold’s Game Farm suffered a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak in the breeder flock. After enacting precautionary measures to ensure the facility was properly decontaminated, DEC secured a contract to acquire 30,000 pheasants from a commercial hatchery to supplement fall upland bird hunting opportunities around the state.

Prior to hunting seasons, DEC will release adult pheasants on lands open to public hunting for the upcoming fall pheasant hunting season. The pheasant hunting season begins:

  • Oct. 1, in northern and eastern portions of New York
  • Oct. 21, in central and western portions of the state
  • Nov. 1, on Long Island

Since 2007, DEC has offered a special youth-only season to provide junior hunters the opportunity to hunt pheasants during the weekend prior to the regular pheasant hunting season. In Western New York, the youth pheasant hunt weekend is Oct. 14 and 15. In northern and eastern New York, the youth pheasant hunt weekend was Sept. 23 and 24, and on Long Island, it is Oct. 28 and 29. Both the junior hunter and their adult mentor must have a hunting license. Only the junior hunter can carry a firearm and harvest birds on these dates.

An interactive map of statewide pheasant release sites, approximate timing of stocking, and number of birds stocked, can be found on DEC’s website at dec.ny.gov.

SQUIRREL, RABBIT AND HARE HUNTING

Opportunities to pursue squirrels and rabbits can be found throughout the state, including on many public lands. Squirrel seasons started Sept. 1 in Upstate New York and begin Nov. 1 on Long Island. Rabbit hunting begins on Oct. 1 in Upstate New York and on Nov. 1 on Long Island. With ample opportunities and mild weather, squirrel and rabbit hunting are great ways to introduce novices to hunting.

Snowshoe hare (or varying hare) season starts Oct. 1 in the Northern Zone. Hare hunters in the Southern Zone, where the season starts in late fall or early winter, are encouraged to report their observations to DEC through the DEC website at dec.ny.gov.

WILD TURKEY HUNTING

Wild turkeys can be found throughout the state but reach their highest densities in landscapes that have a mix of forests, old fields, and farmlands. Wild turkeys are less vulnerable to harvest in areas with abundant food (e.g., hard and soft mast), because they don’t have to roam far and wide foraging, so scouting before the season is important. The statewide fall season bag limit is one bird of either sex. Hunting hours are sunrise to sunset.

Season dates for fall 2023:

  • Oct. 1-14, in the Northern Zone
  • Oct. 21 to Nov. 3, in the Southern Zone (corrected dates**)
  • Nov. 18 to Dec. 1 in Suffolk County, Long Island

**Note: there is an error in the hard-copy 2023-2024 hunting regulations guide. As always, DEC recommends hunters visit the DEC website before going afield to confirm season dates and regulations.

FURBEARER HUNTING SEASON
With 16 species of furbearers living in New York, furbearer hunting and trapping opportunities are abundant.

Coyote hunting season begins Oct. 1 across much of the state and hunting seasons for other furbearers such as bobcat, raccoon, and fox begin on Oct. 25. Season dates and zone boundaries for all furbearers and other hunting information including tips for identifying coyotes can be found on DEC’s website at dec.ny.gov and in the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide.

HUNTER SAFETY

While statistics show hunting in New York is safer than ever, mistakes are made every year. DEC believes every hunting-related shooting incident is preventable, and Commissioner Basil Seggos encourages hunters to use common sense this season and to remember what they learned in their DEC Hunter Education Course.

Firearms safety:

  • Point your gun in a safe direction.
  • Treat every gun as if it were loaded.
  • Be sure of your target and beyond.
  • Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.

In addition to blaze orange or pink being required for hunting big game with firearms, DEC encourages small game hunters to wear blaze orange or blaze pink. Wearing orange or pink prevents other hunters from mistaking a person for an animal or shooting in a hunter’as direction. Hunters wearing blaze orange are seven times less likely to be shot.

Related Posts

Early big-game hunting seasons are open

In Sports, Sports - Greenville, The Greenville Pioneer
September 17, 2024
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Hunting season is open for deer and bear in many areas of New York state. Courtesy of Pexels

ALBANY — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar announced the start of early hunting seasons for deer and bear in certain regions of New York state.

An early bear season began Sept. 7, and runs through Sept. 22, in 11 of New York state’s Wildlife Management Units (WMUs). In addition, an early antlerless deer season began Sept. 14 and runs through Sept. 22 in 13 WMUs across the state.

“DEC’s early big-game seasons are designed to manage deer and bear populations at levels that are in balance with available habitat and in alignment with hunter and New Yorkers’ recreational preferences,” Mahar said.“By participating in these early big-game seasons, hunters not only help manage wildlife populations, they also get an early start on filling their freezers with sustainably sourced meat while enjoying additional time outdoors with family and friends.”

WMUs for the early bear season include 3A, 3C, 3H, 3J, 3K, 3M, 3P, 3R, 4P, 4R and 4W. WMUs for the early antlerless deer season include 1C, 3M, 3R, 3S, 4J, 8A, 8C, 8F, 8G, 8J, 8N, 9A and 9F. 

In WMUs 3M, 3R, 8A, 8F, 8G, 8J, 8N, 9A and 9F, hunters may use firearms, crossbows or vertical bows during the early antlerless deer season; only vertical bows can be used in WMUs 1C, 3S, 4J and 8C. Hunters may use firearms, crossbows, or vertical bows in all WMUs enrolled in the early bear season. The use of rifles is prohibited in Rockland County (most of WMU 3R) during any season. 

Only antlerless deer, those without antlers or having antlers less than three inches long, may be harvested during the early antlerless deer season, and hunters may only use valid Deer Management Permits (DMPs) or Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) tags. The application deadline for DMPs is Oct. 1. Bonus DMPs, which allow hunters who fill a DMP to apply for and receive a replacement DMP, are available in WMUs 1C, 3S, 4J and 8C.

Hunters using firearms during any season must wear a solid or patterned fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink hat, vest, or jacket while hunting. Legal hunting hours for deer and bear include the full period of ambient light from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

Hunters should also remember that a recent law change removed the requirement for hunters to wear a backtag while hunting anywhere in New York state. 

The DEC always encourages hunters to use common sense firearms safety during hunting seasons and to remember lessons learned in the DEC Hunter Education Course:

  • Point your gun in a safe direction.
  • Treat every gun as if it were loaded.
  • Be sure of your target and beyond.
  • Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.

To enroll in a Hunter Education Course or find more information, please visit: DEC’s Hunter Education webpage at dec.ny.gov.

Deer and bear harvest estimates are available on DEC’s website and more information about season dates and bag limits is available in the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide.

Social Security Matters: Will WEP and GPO affect my wife’s spousal benefit?

In Lifestyle, Lifestyle - Ravena, The Ravena News Herald
July 27, 2023
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By Russell Gloor

For Capital Region Independent Media

Dear Rusty: 

My wife worked for the U.S. Postal Service in New York for about 22 years, and then in the private sector for about 15 years. She began collecting her “deferred annuity” from the USPS at age 62 and she plans to collect her Social Security benefits at age 67, which is her full retirement age (FRA).

Her Social Security benefit before the Windfall Elimination Provision is less than 50% of my Primary Insurance Amount, so the plan is for her to start collecting a “spousal” benefit from me at age 67. My question is: Will my wife’s spousal benefit be reduced by both the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset (GPO)?

Signed: Inquiring Husband

Dear Inquiring Husband: 

Your wife cannot separate her personally earned Social Security retirement benefit from her Social Security spousal entitlement from you — whenever she applies for Social Security, your wife will be automatically deemed to be filing for all benefits she is entitled to when she claims. 

Because your wife has a “non-covered pension” from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) — and assuming that pension is under the older “CSRS” (Civil Service Retirement System) — your wife’s personally earned SS retirement benefit will be reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). 

WEP reduces Social Security retirement benefits for anyone who also has a pension earned while not contributing to Social Security. 

The Government Pension Offset (GPO) is different: The GPO will affect any additional amount your wife is entitled to as your spouse, which we refer to as her “spousal boost.” The “spousal boost” amount is the difference between your wife’s pre-WEP FRA entitlement and 50% of your FRA entitlement, which is your Primary Insurance Amount. 

Because of her USPS pension, GPO will reduce your wife’s “spousal boost” by two-thirds of the amount of her non-covered pension, which may eliminate her potential spousal boost. 

So WEP will affect your wife’s personally earned SS benefit, and the GPO will affect her spousal entitlement from you. But, depending on the amount of her USPS pension, your wife will not be entitled to an additional amount as your spouse if two-thirds of her USPS pension amount is more than her “spousal boost” amount. And if the GPO doesn’t completely eliminate your wife’s spousal boost, it will at least drastically reduce it. 

I have previously published several articles about both WEP and GPO and how each provision works, which you are welcome to review at the AMAC Foundation’s special Social Security website – www.SocialSecurityReport.org. In particular, one such article providing more detail on how the GPO works can be found at this link: www.socialsecurityreport.org/ask-rusty-government-pension-offset-gpo/.

Social Security will make the final determination about your wife’s benefit entitlement under WEP and GPO when she applies for her Social Security benefits, but I’m afraid your wife’s entitlement may be much less than you are anticipating because of these two provisions.

If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us directly via email at SSAdvisor@amacfoundation.org or call us directly at 1-888-750-2622.

This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit our website (amacfoundation.org/programs/social-security-advisory) or email us at ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.

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