I heard a news piece this morning about “Operation Jackhammer”. Interesting which “harvesting” techniques are legal vs. illegal. What’s fair or unfair in the practice of hunting? In this case it is night-hunting with lights.
The investigation, dubbed “Operation Jackhammer,” focused on the illegal taking of deer by use of artificial light – a practice commonly known as “deer jacking.” This involves night hunting where poachers shine a spotlight on a deer feeding in fields to “freeze” the animal long enough to shoot it — killing deer when they are most vulnerable. Typically, deer jacking occurs in remote rural areas, late at night. Due to these late hours and secluded areas, there are few, if any, witnesses to this crime.
It seems “102 misdemeanors and 37 violations were filed in the Adirondack Park and surrounding North Country.” While the notion of what is “fair” for the deer is debatable, I totally agree with the safety issue.
“DEC takes seriously the crime of nighttime deer poaching for many reasons – safety, foremost,” said Henry Hamilton, DEC Assistant Commissioner for Public Protection. “Deer jacking involves someone firing off a high-powered rifle in the dark, not knowing what or who is behind their target. Sometimes, it involves shooting across roads. But also, poachers typically trespass across private lands, violate hunting ethics and rob legitimate hunters of opportunities.”
I wonder what the motive is behind these illegal hunts? Is it for fun? Are they putting food on their tables?
Here’s a link to the full presser:
Major Crackdown on Deer Poaching Nets More Than 100 Individuals
Tags: crime·dec·deer·hunt·wildlife
15,000+ signup for New Junior Big-Game License
Hunters harvested approximately 223,000 deer in the 2008 season, a 2 percent increase over the previous season, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today.
The annual deer harvest report also showed that more than 15,000 14- and 15-year-olds signed up for the new “Junior Big-Game License” and that researchers detected no cases of Chronic Wasting Disease.
Harvest numbers increased slightly in every category: bucks, antlerless deer, muzzleloading and bowhunting. However, the increases were smaller than the 5-10 percent increase DEC projected, largely due to weather.
“Rough weather during the first week of the Southern Zone regular season seems to have kept overall take below expectations,” Commissioner Grannis said, explaining that steady growth of the deer population in the Southern Zone fueled predictions of a larger harvest.
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Tags: dec·deer·hunt·wildlife
The latest Big Game figures from the 2006-7 season have just been released by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. While I haven’t yet eaten any local bear, the venison steaks earlier this week weren’t bad (it’s an aquired taste).
Check out the detailed reports for some more interesting statistical data. I like the euphemisms “harvest” and “taken”. Also, 29 bear taken in Clinton County – 15 in the towns of Plattsburgh, Peru, and Saranac. Wow!
The Scoreboard
Bear – Total State Harvest 796
Adirondacks – 318
Alleghany – 113
Catskills – 365
Deer – Total State Harvest 189,108
Chronic Wasting Disease – 0
Hunting Accidents – 2006 4th safest on record
Two-party incidents – 19
Self-inflicted – 16
2006 New York State Bear Take by Town and County – PDF
2006 – 2007 New York State Deer Harvest – PDF
Related News
North Country deer hunt up, bear hunt down – (Audio report)
Tags: bear·dec·deer·hunt
The dangers of living in the Adirondacks are hard to appreciate. I can tell you first-hand that the Adirondack Buck is not to be trifled with. My experience came two years ago while traveling about 70mph on the Northway. A scary incident for me, traumatic for the deer. This weekend there was another tragedy. I know, you’re thinking, “whatever, another hunting accident…”.
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Tags: deer·ellenburg·strange·wildlife
Bambi Relative: The answer is “ENA” Bambi’s Aunt.
This appeared in today’s Press Republican’s Cheers and Jeers section. This deer crossing gauntlet is crossed by this writer twice each way five days a week. Oddly enough, the greatest variety of local wildlife is often seen via roadkill. This stretch has had Deer, Red Fox, Skunk, Raccoon, Beaver, Turtles, Woodchuck, Dog, Gulls, and the occasional Raptor. Oddly enough, the most daring of birds is the Crow, which is the beneficiary of most remains and the best vehicle dodger with wings.
JEERS: to those responsible for the lack of signs on a section of Interstate 87 to warn motorists that deer like to cross that superhighway in both the north- and south-bound lanes of the highway — day or night — especially during the rut. Motorists and sportsmen alike have noticed of late more deer along the highway and in the median throughout the year, but even more last fall, when the deer kill by motor vehicles increased significantly. There was seemingly new carnage every day. Of course, Bambi’s relatives can’t read, but motorists can. Why not erect “deer crossing” signs along the highway between exits 39 and 40, where a deer run has existed for years? Such signs are erected generally in the same area along State Route 9, which runs parallel to the Northway. It seems to us that, with the mild winter so far, the local deer herds will have less winter kill, creating still larger numbers in this area next autumn. Please, give the motorist unaccustomed to seeing deer in their headlights a warning of the possible danger.
Tags: bird·deer·northway·plattsburgh·wildlife
