“Sixteen tons, what do you get?  Another year older, and deeper in debt.”  That lyric line from the chorus of Tennessee Ernie Ford’s 1955 classic song, “Sixteen Tons,” is always a line I recall when the calendar flips to the new year, and this year, it seems the NYSDEC is a bit ahead of the game as compared to recent years’ past, with the release of the deer management permit harvest success rates based on (DMP) allocation and odds to receive a DMP for 2025, by wildlife management unit (WMU), happening on March 15, 2026.

After the conclusion of the last deer hunting season, wildlife biologists and managers huddle together to review the initial harvest estimates to line the numbers up against objectives, in order to start estimating the success of that season against the established goals of population management desires.  Using formulas based on established population estimates/ deer density determinations that are set through a mix of science and public desire across multiple stakeholder groups, it gets determined whether the harvest goals are reflecting population management levels set for each WMU.  In order to manage deer numbers and related density, a desired harvest of antlered deer per square mile is used, and depending on how close the harvest comes to meeting that objective dictates how many DEMP permits will be issued the following season.  If the antlered deer harvest (defined as having a minimum of at least one 3” or greater antler) is significantly below the harvest objective, defined as greater than 10% lower than objective, the population of deer is too low against goals, and fewer DMP will be issued.  If the harvest is significantly higher than the objective, the population of deer is too high, and more DMP will be issued to reduce the breeding potential of the localized herd.  Harvests within 10% of the objective, either way, illustrates objectives are being met, and DMP issuance remains unchanged.

NY has plenty of whitetail deer on the landscape across most areas of the southern zone of NY.  Some areas certainly show lower than desired numbers, while many units have seen population growth, sometimes explosive in nature, demanding higher harvest of antlerless deer to regain control of herds.  Gauging the success of hunters filling DMP in any given WMU, helps to inform the number of permits required to be issued to fill the desired number of tags filled upon harvest.  This includes tags filled by the hunter who received the DMP, or consigned the DMP to another hunter.

Some interesting data and insight into hunter success, seasonal hunting conditions and attitude can be gleaned from this exercise.  For the purpose of this article, we’ll focus strictly on Region 9 WMUs.  Below is a view of the estimates for all Region 9 WMUs:

Some pertinent definitions for better understanding of the column data:

DMP Target = Number of DMP desired to be issued to meet management goals

Target DMPs per mi² = Number of DMP desired to be issued based on square miles of the specific WMU

DEC also offers insight into the odds of receiving a DMP, both as a first and/ or second choice, resident and non-resident – with residents receiving preference over non-residents, which is estimated each season prior to commencing the application period.

Remember, within R9, a couple of WMUs are on the high desire list to reduce antlerless numbers, influencing the establishment of the special September early antlerless-only firearms opportunity within these specific areas.  In the case of R9, WMUs 9A and 9F fall into this special additional management effort.

Through examining the estimated success rate, the big game biologists and managers can predictively adjust issuance numbers in the attempt to hit the harvest desires.  However, this success rate can also be influenced by variables, with some of these factors as follows:

1 – Access to hunting grounds that hold high number of deer, as although deer density is expressed as a deer per mi2, reality is not every mi2 contains the reported number typically found in the official harvest estimates.  That number merely reflects the average density within any given WMU.  Factors, such as ample food and water, cover and relative hunting pressure will influence where concentrations are high or lower.

2 – Opportunity to go afield.  Many things can influence a hunter’s ability to spend time hunting.  This includes weather conditions during the best parts of the big game regular season, the ability to afford how much time is spent afield, fluctuating work responsibilities or family obligations, aka, societal pressures.

3 – Hunter attitudes towards DEC desires and personal embrace or rejection of harvesting an antlerless deer.  In other words, personal hunter beliefs and attitudes.

Based on the above information, and seeing that most WMUs in R9, showing mainly high odds in receiving your first selected area for a DMP, with the majority of WMUs showing odds to receive DMP as a 2^nd choice rather than first, it is clear population levels are on a growth trajectory, despite efforts to maintain a more stable population growth trend.  We’ll let you decide the factors and whatnot concerning why the success rates vary so widely across the region, but one thing seems pretty clear: hunters can reasonably expect DMP issuance to remain high across most of the R9 WMUs in 2026.

The winter of 2026 will certainly be remembered as one of the best ice fishing seasons, conditions-wise, that WNY has experienced in quite a while.  With most inland waterways sporting safe ice by mid-January, and even Lake Erie offering safe ice conditions before the end of January, certainly is a welcomed change from recent past, and the ice fishing community has been drilling holes and jigging up fish throughout this time, as the periodic thaws have only served to improve ice conditions, rather than harm it.

 But some changes are not so welcomed!  In viewing social media posts, many ice anglers that ply the frozen waters of Chautauqua Lake, the typical complaints of small yellow perch, and white perch seems to be a common thing the ice warriors are sharing on many social media groups and pages.  Although I don’t normally put a lot of stock in such complaints, I, too, have been observing some troubling things over the past 5 or 6 years, with this season being a very pronounced and obvious difference than years past.

 For some background, I’ve been fishing Chautauqua Lake for over 50 years now, including over 30 years ice fishing this “lost” finger lake.  I’m a deep-water guy, targeting yellow perch and walleye exclusively in depths from 40-60 feet.  In years past, no matter the size of fish I’ve caught, 100% of them would greet me like Linda Blair did Father Merrick in that classic movie, The Exorcist, vomiting up massive gobs of daphnia and midge fly larva; so much so that my snow pants and shanty walls are stained with this disgusting mixture of vital zooplankton that is the foundation of this lake’s food chain.  One of my favorite spots, code-named “The Aquarium”, a name I gave this deep hole on the North Basin some 20 years ago, has, over the course of the past decade, has shown a big change.  When I first located this area (calling it “the abyss”), I was utterly shocked to see massive schools of yellow perch, holding 20-30 feet off bottom (the max depth of this hole is about 61 feet deep), feeding on the plankton that piles up when it hits the slower moving waters that deep waters deliver.  The depth these fish have been found at does correlate to the surrounding bottom around this hole, or about 43 feet.  As the plankton is carries by the natural north to south currents, the plankton will pile up as the current slows, acting like a fish magnet.  However, over the past decade, the fish residing in that area are more bottom oriented now – no longer showing me that “Christmas Tree” on the Vexilar.  I figured it was just me, and seasonal patterns do fluctuate, but this year, I haven’t caught very many fish at all that have blown chunks into my hair and face when extracting the hook.  Is it just me?

 I posed this question to the social media boards, to see if it was just me.  Turns out, it isn’t.  In fact, every response to the question has brought nearly identical observations from my ice warrior brothers and sisters.  Although speculation to the cause varies from angler to angler, this common observation is not a coincidence, as rarely anything with shared natural observations is.  Time to start digging.

 Those who know me, know that I am a data-driven individual, not prone to speculation devoid of scientific fact.  My methodology for troubleshooting is pretty simple; start with asking, “what’s changed?”  The change that I have found correlates with the changes I have seen in the lack of fish in the areas they have been over 20+ years, and the lack of the gobs of plankton being vomited up in every fish that I catch (yellow perch, white perch, white bass and even walleye).  That change appears to be the recent use of an herbicide called 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, or 2,4-D, a substance that is in crystalline form, and is then mixed with water and applied via targeting spraying.  Its first year of use in the south basin of this lake resulted in a nearly complete wipeout of all the weeds in that basin, resulting in a lost generation of young fish.  Permits are once again being issued for use of this substance in the efforts to control the invasive Eurasian Watermilfoil, a fast-growing, fast spreading organism that does displace the natural grasses that are native to our northern lakes and streams.  Application of this herbicide is targeted, with areas of the north basin also being added to the treatment plan starting a few years back.

 Researching this herbicide, I discovered that 2,4-D is also a primary herbicide also used in terrestrial broadleaf weed control.  In other words, the chemicals used for lawn treatments to control dandelions.  Although the permits for aquatic weed control define strict time periods when it can be used, these controls do not apply to residents along this lake opting to treat their lawns to reduce weeds, and deliver that golf course looking verge that gives many properties added visual value.  This substance has a half life of up to several weeks, and does runoff into the lake during rainstorms.  Some residents also have a habit of dumping grass clippings into the lake, potentially furthering exposing this chemical to the ecosystem beyond the windows set by NYSDEC.

 The chief zooplankton that comprises that fish vomit includes daphnia and midge fly larva, or Chironomidae larva.  We anglers often simply call them “bloodworms”, due to their hemoglobin-rich, bright red color.  But, they are not true bloodworms, just how we describe them (easier to say bloodworms than Chironomidae, right?)  Houston, do we have a problem?

 This has led me to some scientific research papers from University of Wisconsin that indicate, although not immediately toxic to the specific zooplankton involved, 2,4-D can get into the sediment and inhibit the hatching of the plankton eggs the following year, with repeated exposure having the potential to alter the ecosystem’s base of the food chain profoundly.  The lack of the fish vomit appears to be a symptom of this information researchers have shared.

 These organisms are the building blocks of the food chain.  They feed on the phytoplankton, or plant-based plankton, and the zooplankton nourishes baitfish, game fish young (fry), and is the easiest forage for all fish during the winter months.  These organisms, especially the “bloodworms”, are also an important part of the diet of muskellunge, the lake’s top predator, and you can often see big musky “sipping” at the surface, feeding on emerging midge flies, during the evenings throughout late spring and summer when the hatches are occurring.

 This combination of direct application to aquatic weeds, and indirect exposure through runoff appears to be having a much larger, and troubling impact on the lake’s health as a whole.  Is the pursuit of making boaters happy, and property owners desire for golf course quality lawns harming the foundation of this lake’s food chain?  I think it’s a question worth answering.  This could also help further explain the slow growth rates of yellow perch in recent years.

 This one is worth understanding.  Problems at the bottom of the food chain eventually work their way up.  And with the lack of this plankton showing in fish that should be loaded with them this time of year, the clock is ticking.

 Houston, we may have a problem!

Welcome back, old-fashioned winter!  I know, many are dreaming of sunshine and swimwear, cursing the cold, and wondering why we live here, right?  Here in WNY, winter is just another fact of life and learning how to enjoy the winter certainly helps maintain one’s sanity and bright outlook on life, and getting out of the house is the best way to do just that!

 This year we had a very cold December – one of the coldest on record, which help start the freezing process of both inland lakes and the Great Lakes as well, with ice cover on Lake Erie reaching nearly 30% shortly after the new year.  High winds broke apart the newly formed ice, but the return to single digit temperatures set up a flash freeze on the Big E, the likes of which not seen since 1977.  In fact, this year marked the first time I was fishing Lake Erie before January gave way to the groundhog.  All area fisheries that can support ice fishing are open for business, and business this year has been brisk!  Some are starting to take note of this activity, and the related economic benefits ice fishing delivers to this region.

 Ice fishing enjoyed a resurgence in popularity with the release of the Grumpy Old Men movies, starring the late Walter Matheau and Bob Lemmon.  These comedies centered around the pastime of ice fishing, complete with shanty towns and traditions of chasing that big fish.  The advent of portable ice shanties, modern outerwear and the ever-advancing portable fish finder technology has transformed this once curious sport into a mainstream winter activity that young and old alike can enjoy when the weather is inhospitable to other, more traditional outdoors fun.

 Ice fishing offers anglers a unique opportunity to fish in places that would otherwise require a boat to get to.  The vertical nature of this sport lends itself well to chasing prized WNY species, including walleye, yellow perch and northern pike.  It doesn’t take much to get started, but it’s always best to hook up with some seasoned pros to learn the ins and outs of this challenging and exciting form of angling.

 Basics of needed gear is pretty simple.  Well-insulated, thick-soled waterproof boots are a must.  LaCrosse Alpha Burly boots work well, as does insulated Muck boots.  Next is your outerwear.  Waterproof, windproof clothing that is well insulated helps keep the bitter wind from shortening your trip, and specially constructed ice fishing outerwear is available from brands like Clam Corp Ice Armor, Striker Ice and Arctic Armor.  Many of these two-piece suits are also designed to float, in the event the ice gives way.  Waterproof, well insulated gloves, like the kind snowmobilers will use, waterproof mittens, etc., to protect your hands – it’s good to practice handling stuff with the gloves on, as keeping your hands warm and dry is just as important as your feet.  A knit hat, scarf to close off your neck area, and perhaps even a pair of snow goggles to protect your eyes and cut down on the sun’s glare off the ice and snow truly helps.  Dress in layers, and choose wicking, hydrophobic materials, like berkaline, wool, polyesters or any other material that will draw moisture way from your skin, not hold it like cotton will.  Ice picks wore around your neck at the ready, and an ice chisel (commonly called a spud bar) offers a degree of safety.

 Inland lakes and ponds offer the best ice surfaces, often being smooth and easy to walk – snow and slush notwithstanding.  Lakes like Chautauqua, Silver and Cuba lakes offer great ice fishing opportunity for a number of species, with most good fishing within a close walk.  Great Lakes fishing, however, is a different ballgame, often bringing shove ice, under-ice slush, with the potential for ice to shift with the winds, depending on where any open water may be located, and long walks to get over the depths fish are active in.

 Speaking of Great Lakes ice fishing, Lake Erie is once again ice covered, which many believe will bode very well for the walleye and yellow perch spawning success.  Based on last year’s ice cover, and the following open water walleye fishing, perhaps this year is signaling the hay days are just beginning?

 Whether young or old, a novice or a seasoned pro, ice fishing I a great way to enjoy the winter months and reduce that cabin fever we all seem to get as spring inches closer.  More seem to be enjoying this unique fishing experience.  This season is a good time to try your luck!

Being a Sportsmen’s and conservation advocate for over 20 years now, I’ve had the pleasure (and sometimes, disgust) in hearing from a lot of sportsmen and women, as listening to opinions, beliefs and values that vary like the wind whipping through Highmark stadium on a blustery winter day, is the only way to temper recommendations and actions this community has trusted me to represent them in.

 Of constant talk, throughout this 20- year span, especially related to deer hunting, has been deer management and mandatory antler restrictions, limiting what buck is “old enough” to harvest. In conjunction, the debate over hunting for food vs trophy hunting inevitably bubbles to the surface.  Conversations ultimately devolve, as passionate subjects often do today, with one of the points brought is AR favors trophy hunting – something the overwhelming public at large has deep feelings about, and opposition to, as perception harkens images back to the days when hunting was not regulated, and hunters could literally kill everything that walked, year-round. Some of these hunters were even documented to simply just want the head, leaving the rest of the animal to rot. This understandable aversion to wasting a resource has, over time, in my opinion, warped the idea of a “trophy”, as, unlike in competitive games, where the winner gets a trophy, the perception has pigeon holed what a trophy, to the sportsman, must be.

 Yet, history reveals a much different thing. From cave paintings depicting the successful, and tribe saving from starvation hunts, to the royalty of European castles commonly displaying the most impressive, and enduring through time, elements of animals taken by the lords, it is easy to draw conclusions.

 A trophy actually is in the eye of the hunter, not a standard set by some nebulous third-party overlord.  And although many believe that giant racked bucks are the trophy when it comes to deer hunting, and many will laugh when someone decides to spend $800+ to have their small 4 point or 6 point preserved, wondering why anyone would spend so much for such a “common” young deer,  a trophy is in the eye of the hunter, not something that is a set rule or standard; trophies are only so small, as if to classify the meaning of a trophy, into something it is not.

 The true trophies are the memories made.  That small buck may be the first buck harvested by a young hunter, and dad wants to immortalize that memory that he and his son shared. It may even be the buck dad shot while hunting with his son…  it’s no never mind who pulled the trigger or loosed the arrow, it represents a milestone or achievement that, to the one who harvested it, it’s important enough to immortalize, as to always remember that special moment, regardless of its size, or its value in another’s eyes.

 Isn’t that what a trophy really is?  A special moment that happened. that you always want to remember?  Why do the football players receive a championship ring?  Why not just save a newspaper clipping, or a few photographs?  Because it was special, and worth more than a picture to remember it by long after the playing days are over.

 This is very much similar to the outdoors experience.  Except you’re not competing against another, you’re interacting with the natural world. Memories fade, through time and increasing number of trips/ hunts you have had. But some memories are more special than others, and those moments are worth remembering. After all, when your days grow shorter, and when time takes its toll, forcing you from the field you enjoyed so much, the memories of what you did and with who you may have shared them with, is all you have left, and remembering is the ultimate trophy.

 I’ve been hunting for 40 years, fishing for a bit longer. I have made thousands of casts, and spent many hours in the stand, and at camp. All great experiences, most remembered, but many details from those days gone by, diminish. But of all the moments, all the crazy shit I’ve experienced, some of those moments were truly worth always remembering, and, to this day, when I look at the handful of taxidermy I have hanging, I can recount every detail of the day of that success, as that “trophy” is the reminder, not just of the hunt or the accomplishment, but those who shared it with me, some of them no longer here. And the detail that is recalled is sharp.  This includes the faces, and even the voices of those who shared the experience, now long gone.

 To me, that is the trophy.  It’s worth reverence and respect. The fish or animal itself, while being a tribute to its magnificence, is what brought what was important to me…  the day, the circumstances, the people with me, and the breathtaking magnificence that the natural world truly holds. It also reminds me that the fish, or animal, lost is life by my hand.  Although I ate it, sometimes that animal is worth more than the delicious meals provided.  That fish, or bird, or deer you see on my wall?  That isn’t the trophy. It’s the memory, one that I found worth never forgetting…

As the NY Southern Zone Big Game Regular season winds down, it’s a good time to reflect on the efforts of sportsmen and women, not just in doing their part to manage the herds, but, perhaps more importantly, review the efforts put in to assure the most effective means of wildlife conservation continues to have a thriving and effective hunting community.  Hunters keep the herds at healthy population levels, feed many hungry families through venison donations, while learning about the animals, their use of habitat (and the quality of habitat they reside in), and a respect for the natural world only being in the natural world can deliver.

Roughly twenty years ago, some concerning data was revealed, indicating the average age of a NY hunter was 55.  With alarm bells ringing concerning recruiting new hunters to replace today’s aging conservation stewards, many initiatives to bring more youth back into the lifestyle have been supported by hunters and conservationists.  The belief being, we need to expose and introduce youths to hunting earlier, while offering more opportunities for youth to experience the hunt through special “youths only” opportunities, efforts to lower the minimum hunting age, and expanding hunting implement choices thought to be helpful in recruiting kids, and women, while affording senior hunters another avenue to return to the woods they may have left due to physical deterioration that is the curse of aging.  The sporting community even bought into restructuring the opening days of big game hunting seasons, believing the empty promise of a Saturday opening day would go a long way to helping bring more youths to the sport, as the need to miss a day of school for opening day participation would be eliminated, coupled with their parents not having to take time off work, and the projection that opening day participation would rise, slightly, would outweigh the traditions lost, and would help in recruiting more hunters to the ranks.

 One thing I have noticed that is never done, is a review of these efforts to see whether they worked, or backfired.  Honest and frequent assessment of ideas implemented is critical for success, as any business will tell you.  With many volunteer sportsmen and women holding successful track records in the business world, it mystifies me that this basic practice evaporates when it comes to the development and perpetuation of wildlife conservation.  And this is causing us great harm.  A rough timeline of actions taken or supported by the sporting community is below:

 2005 – Big Game opening day restructuring, across early archery, regular season and extended archery/ black powder.

2008 – Minimum age for firearms big game hunting lowered from 16 to 14.  Youth mentoring law expanding who can legally mentor a youth enacted.

2011 – Minimum age for Jr archers lowered from 14 to 12

2012 – Early archery opening day moved from 3^rd Saturday of October to October 1, creation of special youth firearms deer hunt Columbus Day weekend.

2014 – Crossbow introduced in NY in limited fashion, minimum age for big game archery hunting lowered from 14 to 12.

2021 – Minimum age to hunt big game with firearms lowered from 14 to 12, but required each county to pass an affirming law to permit 12-year-olds to hunt big game with a firearm within their respective county.

2025 – Full inclusion of crossbow throughout early archery and moved requirements to the archery privilege.  Youth hunt tag issuance changes*.

 * With 2025 being the first season of full crossbow inclusion, time is needed to see how this impacts recruitment and retention.

 The measure of success of these initiatives should be found in recruiting new and younger hunters to the fold, with the hope of increasing hunter numbers in NYS to strengthen management efforts well into the foreseeable future.  But, have these changes worked?

 The answer is NO.

 NYS showed the largest hunting community in 1996, where, according to USFW Surveys on Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife Watching, the hunting family was 665,000 strong, with over 90% of those hunters identifying as deer hunters.  Outside of a short-term bump experienced during the covid pandemic (when people were looking to get out of the house), hunter numbers in NY remain on a downward trajectory, with last numbers indicating 511,000 hunting license holders exist in NY.  That’s still 150,000 fewer hunters than in 1996, and the average age of a NY hunter has ticked upwards, not downwards.  In fact, in the late 1990s, the average age of a deer hunter as @ 46 years old.  By 2010, that average age shot up to 50.  Although numbers for 2025 are yet to be calculated, the trends suggest this number has risen.  Another distressing trend – the population of hunters falling into the age group of 16-35 has dropped big, while hunters over the age of 65 has grown.

 NY has abundant deer populations, with many areas seeing an overpopulation issue once again.  Our seasons offer ample time for hunters with busy lives to get afield.  NY has established special youth hunts for just about everything.  So, it isn’t the hunting quality (we had more hunters and far fewer deer in the 1990s!), the opportunity to get afield (our seasons are longer, across the board, today than in the 1990s), and we have more implement choices today with expansion of crossbow and rifle inclusion across most of NYS.

 With the average hunter age being much lower in the 1990s, coupled with showing 30% more hunters through year 2000, when hunting age was higher, seasons shorter, and deer abundance much lower, there can be only one answer why we are failing the future.  And it is an answer that, strangely, many in the hunting ranks ardently refuse to address – ECONOMIC!  That’s right, folks, the evil, almighty dollar is at the root of this.  More accurately, the affordability of the sports themselves is the reason, the only reason, why all these efforts have borne no fruit, and until we drop the sanctimony, this will worsen.

 There’s an old saying – money talks, and BS walks.  This is true 100% of the time.  We rely on many attitude surveys presented to us by the NYSDEC and Cornell University, but I have learned that surveys are a weak indicator of the truth – whereas the cash register tells no lies.  After spending more than a dozen years as a market analyst for the retail food trade, I have seen many a new product launch, touted by consumer surveys as being the next best thing since sliced bread, fail miserably when it comes to consumers actually buying these products that they told researchers they wanted.  Basically, many consumers tell you what you want to hear, but when the cash register is empty, they are telling you the truth.

 To uncover the root cause of the issue, we must look deeper into the numbers, but one doesn’t have to look very far.  The answer is found in demographic profiles – where hunters live based on metropolitan statistical areas and household income levels.  Let’s look.

 2001 statistics

642,000 total resident hunters estimated in NYS

37% of hunters resided in MSA of over 1 MILLION population, 41% of hunters came from outside MSA, or in rural communities where population is under 50,000.

29% of NY hunters in 2001 showed a household income of under $40,000/ year, breaking down as 10% from $20,000-$29,999, and 19% from $30,000-$39,999.  The remaining 71% showed HH income levels of $40,000 and up.  29% of 642,000 = 186,180.

 2006 Statistics

502,000 total resident hunters estimated in NYS

31% of hunters resided in MSA of over 1 MILLION population, 34% came from outside the MSA

0% of NY hunters came from a HH income under $40,000/ year.

 The growth segment which offset losing 29% of hunters due to economic affordability was found in the income range of $50,000-$74,999, and where these hunters reside is within an MSA population of 250,000-999,999, showing the moves from urban to suburban areas, most likely connected to income and affordability.  Although we added a little over 40,000 hunters from higher income brackets, NY lost over 186,000 hunters making under $40K/ year.

 The National USFW Surveys of 2022, the most recent report, shows that across the Nation, only 4% of hunters come from $20,000-$29,999 and $30,000-$39,999 HH incomes, respectively, making up a mere 8% of the total hunter numbers.  However, in higher cost states, like NY and CA on the west coast, if you don’t make over $50,000/ year, chances are you cannot afford to hunt anymore.  It is noteworthy to observe that the largest economic group that hunters come from is now over $75,000/ year.

 The pressures forcing hunters out due to cost are several folds, with most of this being driven by government itself, in the form of ever escalating property taxes, household energy costs, transportation costs, and recent inflationary periods forcing everything else like gear, and clothing upwards.  When taxes and cost of necessities rise, disposable income, and choices, diminish.  Access to hunting lands, too, has become very pressured.  Landowners who once granted permission for hunters to hunt, now seek ever-escalating lease fees to offset the ever-rising property tax liabilities.  Odorous regulations, such as the recently adopted firearms transport rules and potential lead ammunition bans will push costs in only one direction, while adding uncertainty of being in compliance with the law.  When a parent can spend a few hundred on a gaming console, vs. over $1,000 on a firearm and ammunition, it doesn’t take an economic expert to understand the motivation.  And when a $60.00 video game can provide months of entertainment, vs. $3,000 and up per year on a hunting lease, the motivation is clear.

Add in the costs of re-outfitting your growing boy or girl every season with new hunting clothes and boots, and we actually think a special youth hunt, or lowering the hunting age is the answer?

 Only in fantasyland.

 Some additional insight related to cost

Average annual hunting expenses for hunting in NY

2001 – $1,135.00 annual expenditure on average per hunter

2006 – $1,237.00 annual expenditure on average per hunter

2022 – $3,146.00 annual expenditure on average per hunter

 Until the ranks of the organized hunters and sportsmen get serious in understanding the actual problems, and actually fighting to reduce these mainly government-induced escalation of costs, we’re all just whistling Dixie past our grave.  One cannot solve a problem until the problem is first correctly identified.  Once that is done, game plans and campaigns can be implemented.  But, we’re way behind, being led around by those who don’t know reality with ideas that do not address the problems, but sure feel good to support, as who doesn’t want to virtue signal that you’re “for the children”?  Well, I hate to tell everyone this, but children don’t pay the bills, and neither does making changes or offering new youth hunts, etc., but these changes sure can piss off some of your consumers.  Some people will always be unhappy with changes, but those changes better be addressing the problem, otherwise you’ve only furthered your own erosion.

 Are we awake yet?

The fourth Saturday of September, since 1972, has been the day the United States Congress dedicated as National Hunting and Fishing Day; a day of celebration recognizing the indispensable value hunting, fishing and shooting sports delivers to wildlife and fisheries conservation across the fruited plain.

 September 27, 2025 was no different, as the Erie County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs (ECFSC) marked the 54^th annual day of celebration, with this family-friendly, and free event was hosted by member club Elma Conservation, located at 600 Creek Road, Elma, NY.  Sunny skies and warm temperatures greeted enthusiastic attendees, as roughly 17outdoors related exhibitors shared their knowledge and expertise to an eager and appreciative public at large.

 Sportsmen’s groups offer special events across the Nation, but the ECFSC celebration is one of a few that offer hand’s on instruction across most disciplines – from traditional archery instruction under supervision of Hawkeye Bowmen, to crossbow handling supervised by the NY Hunter Ed instructors, to an air rifle range operated by TenX shooting, where youths and adults alike gain insight into marksmanship demands, and how to best execute the operation of these implements.  For those attendees age 12 and up, ECFSC experts and certified instructors also offered trap shooting – which simulates the flush of a pheasant – with many trying their luck at wing-shooting.  Elma Conservation provided the range operation and supervision.  The use of 20-gauge shotguns helped reduce recoil that often intimidates youth shooters.  For those who sought to cast a line, members of the Lakeshore Exempt Sportsmen’s Club assisted youths and adults alike, with rods and reels, bait and tackle and pro tips at the ready.

 The Erie County Trappers Association always delivers a great informational exhibit, including how specific traps work, the importance of trapping to help maintain population balance for wildlife that may be destructive if not kept in check, and the fur handling that helps trappers put to good use the animals harvested.  In fact, the Trappers also donated several fox tails to the ECFSC to raffle off to the youth attendees, something that hit a high note with lucky youth raffle winners offered a choice between a rod & reel combo, or a fox tail.  4 lucky winners opted for the trappers’ work, instead of a rod & reel, showing their curiosity and enthusiasm for this outdoors activity.

 The NYSDEC represented the department well, with timely information provided concerning the new crossbow law recently adopted, insight into our myriad of wildlife in WNY, and information for concerned people regarding the Ishua Creek incident near Franklinville.  Sheri Voss, a Lyme Disease prevention expert, also provided a couple informational seminars on Lyme disease and reducing tick exposure, while offering tick first aid kits and tick repellents to the engaged audience.

This event, over time, has grown to become a favorite with those who attend, with many young boys and girls not wanting to leave.  This year, over 350 attended this 6 hour celebration, showing steady growth over the years.

 A special thank you is extended to all those who set up exhibits, and the volunteers and committee members that help make this annual event possible.  And, of course, to Elma Conservation, whose venue is absolutely perfect for this outdoors community oriented event.

 Next years’ event is slated for Saturday, September 26, 2026.  Mark your calendars and come out next year to help us celebrate the importance of conservation that hunting, fishing, trapping and shooting sports helps fund and delivers insight and management to assure the future generations of healthy and abundant wildlife and fisheries, perpetuated forever.