Article Library
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
DEC Invites Hunter Input on Fall 2009 Waterfowl Seasons
Task Forces to Help Set Season Dates for Waterfowl Hunting in
New York
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
(DEC) today invited waterfowl hunters to submit recommendations to
regional Waterfowl Hunter Task Forces for the dates of the Fall 2009
duck hunting seasons.
New York State is divided into five waterfowl hunting zones:
Western, Southeastern, Northeastern, Lake Champlain, and Long Island.
DEC recently appointed task forces for each zone (except Lake Champlain,
see below) to make recommendations for the Fall 2009 hunting seasons.
Each task force includes representatives from the New York State
Conservation Council, established waterfowl hunting organizations, and
individual waterfowl hunters who were chosen to provide a broad range of
input.
Task force members act as representatives of all duck hunters in
each zone and collectively recommend season opening and closing dates
(and split seasons if desired) and dates for a Youth Waterfowl Hunting
Weekend that best satisfy the diverse interests in their zone. The
recommended dates must be within federal guidelines established by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). For Fall 2009, DEC biologists
expect the USFWS to allow a 60-day duck season, split into no more than
two segments per zone, opening no earlier than Sept. 26, 2009, and
closing no later than Jan. 31, 2010.
Waterfowl hunters can participate in the season-setting process
by providing duck season suggestions to any task force member on or
before April 3. Names and contact information for all task force
members are attached. Comments can be provided by mail, telephone, or
e-mail. The comment due date is important because the task forces will
meet in April, and DEC plans to announce tentative duck hunting season
dates in June to allow hunters time to make vacation plans.
Input on hunting seasons for other migratory game birds,
including Canada geese, snow geese, brant, and woodcock, should be
submitted by April 30 to any member of DEC’s season-setting team.
Names and contact information for those staff are also attached.
Fall 2009 waterfowl seasons will be based largely on task force
recommendations. However, seasons in the Lake Champlain Zone will
continue to be set by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Management Board,
with input from DEC and waterfowl hunters in New York and Vermont.
Although there is no formal task force for this zone, hunters can send
their input to any DEC season-setting team members on the attached
list.
Descriptions of New York State’s waterfowl hunting zones can
be found on the DEC website at www.dec.ny.gov and are listed in DEC’s
Waterfowl Hunting Guide. The tentative waterfowl hunting season dates
will be posted on the DEC website and announced by news release in
June.
The 2009/10 Waterfowl Season Task Force members are listed in
alphabetical order at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/42364.html on the
DEC website.
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2009/10 NORTHEASTERN ZONE TASK FORCE NAME ADDRESS TELEPHONE & E-MAIL
Steve Andruckiewicz
(Saratoga-Lake George) 157 Cramer Rd
Ballston Spa NY 12020 518-587-9942
Pete Barney
(Northern New York) 64 Old State Rd
Potsdam NY 13676 pmb10@cornell.edu
Kevin Bodmer
(Central Adirondacks) 236 Keese Mills Rd
Paul smiths NY 12970 518-327-3022
kebodmer@adelphia.net
Bryan Campbell
(Central NY Wildfowlers) 5879 Rita Lane
Cicero NY 13039 315-452-9403 (h)
315-559-0660 (c)
pups4ducks@twcny.rr.com
George Gedney
(Waterfowl Improvement Assn) 15 Stonehurst Dr
Queensbury NY 12804 518-361-9918
gedney@adelphia.net
Tom Humberstone
(North Central Area) 2081 Coon Hill Rd
Skaneateles NY 13152 315-685-6819
Bill Saiff III
(Ontario - St Lawrence) PO Box 111
Brownville NY 13615 315-782-4665
saiff@gisco.net
Kurt Snyder
(Oneida Lake Assn) 6429 Long Point Rd
Brewerton NY 13029 315-668-9156
James Tracy
(Upper Mohawk) 5525 Marsh Rd
Lee Center NY 13363 315-337-6829
