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December 2, 2002 |
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Hunting Season
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For many people, November is a gray, unappealing month to be doing things outdoors. The weather is cold and cloudy, it gets dark early, and most people have put away their hiking boots but have not yet gotten out their skis and snowshoes. There is, however, one segment of the outdoor enthusiast population that spends all year looking forward to the month of November - deer hunters.
There may be no human activity in the Catskill Mountains that dates back further than deer hunting. Hundreds of years before Europeans came to this continent Native Americans of the region would venture up into the mountains, not to live, but to hunt. They came late in the fall, braving the cold, as we do today. We are told that the number of hunters in New York State is gradually declining, however big game hunting continues to be a major tradition for many people who live in and visit the Catskills. One of the primary allures of hunting is that it enables us to provide for ourselves in an elemental way. In our modern society we may not have to hunt to keep from starving, as in days of old, but having a freezer full of lean, nutritious venison is a great feeling.
With the number of deer hunters on the decline, and the estimated deer population in New York at an all-time high, biologists at the Department of Environmental Conservation recognize the need to have deer hunters concentrate on harvesting does to keep populations within desirable limits. One new program initiated in recent years is the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP), whereby the DEC issues a certain number of antlerless deer permits to landowners with farms and forests that have suffered impacts from too much deer browse. Many of our Catskill forests in fact, are not regenerating very well because deer eat most seedlings. Next time you're hiking in the woods take a look at the missing understory - you'll often see beech saplings and few young hemlocks, but very few maple, ash, oak, birch, or cherry saplings. This year I concentrated much of my hunting at a friend's property in West Shokan, where the landowner received a number of DMAP permits from the DEC.
One of the great things about hunting is that it requires you to sit still very quietly in the woods, which is a great way to hear and observe nature (if you can endure the cold temperatures). A few early mornings on the mountainside gave me a chance to enjoy a fantastic orange sunrise, as well as watch and hear numerous squirrels, chickadees, nuthatches, and even a barred owl and a few wild turkeys. I saw some deer too. Twice so far this season I had a doe walk right into an open lane within range, but both times I pulled the trigger and the shell did not fire. The first time it happened I chalked it up to a faulty shell and bad luck, but when it happened again it made me suspect something was wrong with my gun. In the meantime, friends and family have been successful, so I'm sure I'll end up with a little venison either way. Over in West Shokan it is Zach Adams (pictured) who holds the claim of being the most successful this season, having shot one deer with a bow, three with a gun, and also two wild turkeys for Thanksgiving dinner (all with legal permits and during the appropriate open seasons of course).
- Chris and Aaron
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