Local News
October Hunting
By Douglas H. Domedion
Black Bear
October is not far off and it becomes a serious time for hunters, especially those who like to use a bow to hunt deer. The season starts the first of October and runs until Nov. 14.
New to archery season this year is the expansion of the bear hunting area that now covers all of the western Southern Zone which includes Orleans, Niagara and Genesee counties. The reason for this change is because of the expanding bear population with bears being seen in the Lake Ontario shoreline counties now. Bears in these populated areas can and have caused bear-people conflicts that can become real problems so they must be kept in balance with the environment. The archery bear season starts the same day as the archery deer season.
Also, new for this year is the use of the crossbow for deer and bear. It can only be used during archery season for bear and deer starting Nov. 1, during the regular gun season (Nov. 15 - Dec. 7), the late muzzleloading season (Dec. 8 - 16). Unfortunately, those who can no longer pull a regular bow are still not allowed to use the crossbow the first month of the regular archery season, a ruling that our legislators did not address for the older and handicapped archers.
Waterfowl season starts off on Oct. 4 and 5 with the Youth Days. This special waterfowl hunt is for youths ages 12-15, who have to be accompanied by a licensed adult who has a Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration number and duck stamp. The youths do not have to have the duck stamp, but must have a license and HIP number. Bag limits will be the same as regular duck season for these young hunters. There is no youth hunt on the Irioquis NWR during this time frame .
The regular duck season opens Oct. 18 and runs until Dec. 2 and then reopens Dec. 27 until Jan. 9 with the daily bag limits the same as last year, except the Canvasback daily limit is one. The regular Canada goose season does not open in the West Central area (includes Orleans and parts of Genesee counties) until Oct. 25 and runs until Nov. 27 and then again opens Dec. 27 to Jan. 11 with a daily bag limit of three. In the south area, which includes Niagara, Erie and parts of Genesee counties, the season runs Oct. 25 to Jan. 1 and then reopens Feb. 28 to March 10 and has a daily bag limit of five. It is best to check the NYS DEC 2014-2015 Migratory Game Bird pamphlet for boundaries and dates for where you plan to hunt.
Those who want to hunt the opening day or the first Sunday on the Oak Orchard and Tonawanda WMAs must have a permit. During the rest of the season no special permit is needed. These permits are distributed by a random lottery. A postcard with your name, address, Waterfowl ID Certificate Number and your top three choices of the areas and dates you would like to hunt (numbered in order of preference) need to be in to the NYSDEC Bureau of Wildlife at 1101 Casey Road, Box B, Basom, NY 14013 by Sept. 15. One-hundred permits will be issued each day for the Tonawanda area and 50 for the Oak Orchard area.
If you would like to hunt the Iroquois NWR the first two Saturdays of the season they also have a lottery drawing. You have to have a application (gotten at the headquarters, requested by phone (585-948-5445) or on their web site at http://www.fwsgov/northeat/iroquois/hunting ) in no later then 4 p.m. on Sept. 15.
You can also hunt the Iroquois NWR on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday after the first two Saturdays. There are daily drawings held at the Waterfowl Permit Station on Route 77 at 5 a.m. on those days. Permits are $10 on Sat. and $5 on Tue. and Thu.
They also have a youth waterfowl hunt on Oct. 4, which is open for youths 12 to 15 years of age. An application must be returned (procured as stated above) by 4 p.m. on Sept. 15. Space is limited and there will be a orientation class on Sept. 27. Call the headquarters at 585-948-5445 for more information.
Another youth hunt in October is the Ed Warnich Memorial Youth Pheasant Hunt on Oct. 12. An application (gotten at the Iroquois NWR headquarters) must be received by Sept. 26. There is also an orientation on Oct. 11 for that hunt. The two hunts (a.m. and p.m.) will be held at the White WMA (old pheasant farm) on Route 63 in Basom. For more information call 585-948-8152 or Frank Phillips at 585-226-5457.