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Deer and bear fair game for muzzleloaders starting Saturday

Posted 10/13/11

The Northern Zone muzzleloader season for deer and bear begin at sunrise on Saturday, Oct. 15, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The Northern Zone includes the …

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Deer and bear fair game for muzzleloaders starting Saturday

Posted

The Northern Zone muzzleloader season for deer and bear begin at sunrise on Saturday, Oct. 15, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The Northern Zone includes the Adirondacks, the Tug Hill Plateau, the eastern Lake Ontario plain, and the Champlain and St. Lawrence valleys.

“The early seasons are a great time to be in the woods,” said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. “With recent legislation now allowing 12 and 13-year-olds to purchase a Junior Bowhunting license, we encourage adult hunters to share their passion, experience, and time with a junior hunter this year.”

DEC wants to remind hunters that crossbows may not be used during the early bowhunting or early muzzleloading seasons, but crossbows may be used during the regular firearms and late muzzleloader seasons. See Crossbow Hunting at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/68802.html for more information and the Certificate of Qualification.

DEC encourages bowhunters to participate in the Bowhunter Sighting Log www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7193.html. The log involves keeping a diary of your bowhunting activity and the number of animals seen. These data help DEC track deer and other wildlife populations. To participate, e-mail DEC at fwwildlf@gw.dec.state.ny.us. Specify Bowhunter Sighting Log in the subject line and provide name, address, hunter ID (back tag number), a list of the counties where you hunt, and whether or not you have participated in New York’s bowhunter log before.

Additional information that may be of interest for hunters includes:

· 2011 Deer Hunting Season Forecasts by WMU www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/37304.html. St. Lawrence County is generally covered by WMUs 6A, north of U.S. Rt. 11, 6C south of 11, and 6F, which covers the part of the county in the Adirondack Park.

· Hunting the Black Bear in New York (PDF booklet) www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/bbhunting10.PDF

· Deer and Bear Harvest Reports at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/42232.html

· Subscribe to New York Big Game email list at http://lists.dec.state.ny.us/mailman/listinfo/nybiggame to periodically receive information about deer and bear management in New York, and/or sign up for Field Notes, an email newsletter of the DEC Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources: www.dec.ny.gov/about/63801.html.