It wasn’t too long ago state game agencies throughout the country didn’t track tree stand related accidents as “hunting” accidents or incidents. That changed in 2017 when Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos directed New York Conservation Officers to track and investigate injuries sustained by hunters using tree stands. The post Mike Raykovicz: Thoughts on New York tree stand injuries, turkeys and bald eagles appeared first on Outdoor News ..read more

Name your child “Hunter” and it’s almost inevitable the kid will grow up to be a sportsman. So it is with Hunter Beiler, of Rexville, N.Y., (Steuben County), who said he’s been involved in hunting most of his life, along with the rest of his family. Thus it was only natural the entire close-knit family would take part in Beiler’s greatest hunting triumph to date – putting an arrow through a massive Pennsylvania bull elk in September 2023. The post New York hunter reflects on rare opportunity to take massive Pennsylvania bull elk appeared first on Outdoor News ..read more

New York cuffs and collars are field reports from New York DEC Officers. These reports are from the May 3, 2024, edition of Outdoor News. The post New York Cuffs & Collars: Three charged for deer-related violations after weeks-long investigation appeared first on Outdoor News ..read more

SEASON DATES VISIT DEC’S WEBSITE OR HUNTING, TRAPPING AND FISHING PUBLICATIONS FOR A DETAILED LIST OF HUNTING AND FISHING SEASONS. MAY 1: Spring gobbler season begins. Fishing seasons for walleyes, northern pike, pickerel and tiger muskellunge open. EVENTS/SHOWS MAY 3: Whitetails Unlimited Salmon River Chapter Banquet, Tailwater Lodge, Altmar, N.Y. Info: 413-244-2304. MAY 4: Onondaga County Federation of Sportsmen Women In Nature Outdoor Skills Event, Pompey Rod and Gun Club, Fabius, N.Y. Info: 315-445-2816. MAY 11: New York Forest Owners Association Second Annual Adirondack Regional Conferenc ..read more

New York State is blessed with more than 7,500 lakes and ponds, 70,000 miles of rivers and streams, and hundreds of miles of coastline. Yes, New York, our own Empire State! At the top of the list of sport fishing attractions in the state is the Great Lakes. New York is bordered to the west by Lake Erie and the Niagara River. To the north, its Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River. They all connect to form one of the greatest freshwater fisheries in the world and we get to call it our own. The post Things looking great for New York’s Great Lakes fishing in 2024 appeared first on Outdoor News ..read more

Albany — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is establishing its first-ever Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Civil Rights. The new office will combine DEC’s current diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), accessibility, and Civil Rights efforts under the leadership of its incoming and first-ever Chief Diversity Officer, and will focus on enhancing collaboration and effectiveness of program delivery to employees and the public. “I have made it a priority to diversify the agency’s workforce to better serve all of New York’s communities, especially those that are most d ..read more

On March 14, family, friends, and colleagues remembered New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Officer Stephen Lawrence Raymond with the dedication of a shadow box displayed in the lobby of the DEC sub-office in Warrensburg. ECO Raymond passed away on April 17, 2017, from illnesses related to his assignment at the World Trade Center following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Raymond became an ECO in 1981 and served 26 years prior to retiring in 2007. The post New York DEC pays tribute to fallen officers appeared first on Outdoor News ..read more

Albany — Governor Kathy Hochul’s office has announced record-setting tourism numbers in New York from April 6-9 as visitors arrived for the total solar eclipse. Nearly one million people visited New York State Parks from April 6 through April 9 – an increase of 45% compared to last year. On April 8 alone, New York State Parks welcomed more than 326,500 visitors, an over 52% jump in attendance compared to last year. Twelve state parks reached full capacity on April 8. The New York State Thruway Authority and New York State Department of Transportation recorded significant increases in vehicle t ..read more

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation recently announced changes to recreational fishing regulations in New York’s Marine and Coastal District. The new rules, which went into effect April 17, seek to improve the management of protected shark species by preventing their capture through establishing gear restrictions for recreational shore anglers. DEC’s rulemaking includes new shark handling requirements for all marine anglers to reduce stress and injury to captured sharks, improve the condition of sharks that are released, and further protect prohibited shark species. The ..read more

The new landowner of 92,500 acres in the central and eastern Adirondacks recently held a meeting with hunting and recreational clubs which have traditionally leased the lands. More than 100 club members attended the meeting held at the Fort William Henry resort, in Lake George, where Matt Sampson, vice president of Forest Management for Eastwood Forests, LLC, addressed the group. Sampson said the purpose of the meeting was to “introduce ourselves to the hunt clubs, engage with them, hear their stories, help them understand our management style. That’s important to us. And then hear what they h ..read more