Gov. Hochul should cancel deer hunting during Christmas holiday break (Your Letters)

To the Editor:
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s new campaign to encourage all New Yorkers to “Get Offline and Get Outside” is an excellent effort to promote healthy living among young people and families. However, due to a New York state Department of Environmental Conservation overstep, rural families and communities have lost some of their traditional freedom to recreate outside during the Christmas break.
The NYSDEC, with little merit, recently lengthened the deer hunting season in the southern zone of our state to extend through the Christmas holiday break. Although this might at first seem like an expanded opportunity for deer hunters, it actually locks up the outdoors for this very small user group. A recent citizen poll shows that 75% of deer hunters believe that the hunt is not needed and should be discontinued by the NYSDEC.
As stated by the past director of the NYSDEC Bureau of Fish and Wildlife Anthony Wilkenson, the “holiday hunt,” as it is called is the result of a few NYSDEC employees wanting to hunt on their paid holiday. Yet no deer hunting groups, or other sportsmen’s groups requested this deer season extension. Also, 1,500 negative comments were received during the regulation process. Opposition came from snowmobile groups, NYSDEC statutory boards, New York state parks, plus deer hunters themselves who feel it is not necessary, and by many individuals who recreate outside during the holiday break with their families. Most major regulatory changes of this nature have an evolutionary process of many years, but for this sudden change, no human impact studies were conducted. Also, regional biologists were mostly excluded or circumvented.
In addition to its long archery season, New York state also offers 74 days of firearm/muzzleloader season for deer hunters to enjoy, plus additional “special seasons.” This is two to three times longer than most all other states. Most private lands are off limits during the deer hunting season to the many other user groups for obvious reasons. To many rural folks in New York, deer season is important, and they look forward to the beginning and the end with similar enthusiasm.
Gov. Hochul, don’t miss this opportunity to help the rural communities to “Get Offline and Get Outside” during the school Christmas break. Please prevent the NYSDEC from expanding deer season any further and have the agency reevaluate and discontinue the holiday hunt. It obstructs outdoor recreation for people in rural communities and has a negative impact socially and economically.
The outdoors should be open to everyone to freely recreate outdoors during the school holiday break after Christmas in rural areas. This tradition was infringed upon with this ill-conceived, unnecessary and hasty change. Please fix it.
John Rybinski
On behalf of NYRs Against Longer Deer Season
Pompey