July 28, 2010
- Hunting
- Family Fun
- Upcoming DEC Events
- Long Island
- Hudson Valley - Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center
- Capital District - Five Rivers Environmental Education Center and Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center
- Adirondacks - Adirondack Park Agency Visitors Interpretive Centers at Newcomb and Paul Smiths
- Central New York - Rogers Environmental Education Center
- Western New York - Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center
Hunting
Hunting is one of the most popular forms of wildlife recreation in New York State. Nearly 700,000 New Yorkers and more than 50,000 nonresidents hunt in the Empire State. Hunting is often a family tradition that is passed down from one generation to the next. Many Outdoor Discovery readers expressed an interest in learning more about hunting. New York offers numerous opportunities to hunt a large variety of wildlife, including big game, small game, game birds and furbearers.
Sportsman Education Classes
Hunters must complete a mandatory hunter education course to obtain a hunting license. Those who follow the safety rules taught in this course have made hunting one of the safest types of recreation. Some hunter education classes are offered for home study. When you complete the classroom or internet lessons and the field portion of the course and successfully complete the written and field tests, you receive a certificate. Youth must present this certificate as proof of Sportsman Education training when purchasing a junior hunting license. Adults may present a Sportsman Education certificate or previous hunting license as proof.
The Junior Hunting license allows 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt small game and 14- and 15-year-olds to hunt small and big game when accompanied by an experienced, licensed adult hunter. In addition, there are special youth hunting weekends for wild turkey (late April), pheasants (late September/October) and waterfowl (late September/October).
Youth who attend DEC's Environmental Education camps are also given the opportunity to learn about hunting. Campers 12 to 14 years old can participate in Hunter Safety classes, while campers 15 to 17 years old and returning campers can take the Bow Hunter safety class. Each year, hundreds of sportsmen's groups sponsor kids who wish to attend a DEC camp. Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshops are available to women 18 years old and up and include hunting classes.
Online Introduction to Hunter Education
The Internet Introduction to Hunter Education is a series of online lessons about hunting and outdoor skills. It is not a complete, official hunter education course, but it does provide valuable information about hunting and enjoying the outdoors.
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Family Fun
A Little of This, A Little of That
Hunting helps manage some wildlife populations to prevent crop and environmental damage. One of the most popular game species, white-tailed deer, must eat a great deal of green forage per day, particularly during the colder months. To regulate its body temperature during winter, a deer must eat around five pounds of vegetation per day, depending on the nutritional quality of the food. Deer don't have front teeth in their upper jaw, so they shred plant material, including leaves, shrubs, trees, fruits, nuts, ornamental plants and agricultural crops. They can reach up to six feet from the ground to get food and prefer to feed along the edge between forests and fields.
For this activity, imagine that you are a deer trying to find food in a particular area, such as your yard or a park. You can make this a game by seeing who can "collect" the most food in 15 minutes. Look around your area, focusing from the ground to as high as you can reach. Write down the names of each plant/vegetation that you think a deer would eat. To make the game a little more difficult, imagine that you are a deer in winter trying to find food in the snow. Include on your list only those plants and other vegetation that are a foot or two above ground to as high as you can reach. Whoever has the most items on their list at the end of 15 minutes is the winner.
Read Conservationist for Kids for more information and activities!
Upcoming DEC Events
Long Island
Family Freshwater Fishing Clinic at Hempstead Lake State Park (tentative)
Saturday, August 7 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Call I FISH NY staff at 631-444-0283 to register.
Hudson Valley
Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center
Discovery Table
Saturday July 31 from 10:00 AM to noon
Family Program: Open Barn
Saturdays, July - October from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Saturday Afternoon Guided Nature Walks
Saturdays, July 31 and August 7 at 2:00 PM
Camping and Hiking Safety
Saturday, August 7 at 10:00 AM
Event Descriptions at Stony Kill
Capital Region
Five Rivers Environmental Education Center
Pine Needle Basket Making
Saturday, July 31 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Bats
Tuesday, August 3 at 7:30 PM
Happy Birthday, Smokey Bear!
Saturday, August 7 at 10:00 AM
Ladybug Picnic
Saturday, August 7 at 2:00 PM
Firefly Watch
Tuesday, August 10 at 7:00 PM
Event Descriptions at Five Rivers
Albany Pine Bush Preserve Discovery Center
Wild, Wet and Wacky World of Pond Life
Saturday, July 31 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Call 518-456-0655 to register. Cost: $2.00/person, $5.00/family, children under 5 free.
More events at Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center
Adirondacks
Adirondack Park Agency Newcomb Visitors Center
Mushroom Walk
Saturday, July 31 at 1:00 PM
Call 518-582-2000 to register.
Adirondack Park Agency Paul Smiths Visitors Center
Wild Wednesdays
Wednesday, July 28 from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Call 518-359-7800 x116 to register.
Central New York
Rogers Environmental Education Center
Advance registration is required. Call 607-674-4017.
Kid Huts
Friday, July 30 from 10:30 AM to Noon
Register by Monday, July 26.
Nature Art a la Andrew Goldsworthy
Saturday, July 31 from 10:00 AM to Noon
Rogers on the Road: Pond Study at the Sherburne Public Library
Thursday, August 5 at 10:30 AM
Children's Series: Incredible Insects
Friday, August 6 from 10:30 to Noon
Rogers on the Road: Aquatic Activities at the Sherburne Public Library
Friday, August 6 at 1:30 PM
Changing Habits at Adams Farm
Saturday, August 7 at 1:30 PM
Rogers on the Road: Exploring Brookfield State Forest Hike
Saturday, August 7 from 9:00 AM to Noon
Watchable Wildlife: Deer
Sunday, August 8 at 1:30 PM
Western New York
Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center
Advance registration is required. Call 716-683-5959.
Knee-High Naturalists Series for ages 3 to 5
July 28 and August 4, 11, 18 and 25 at 10:00 AM
Register for the entire series. Fee for materials.
Going Batty!
Wednesday, July 28 at 8:00 PM
Toad Houses
Saturday, July 31 at 10:30 AM
Big, Bad Bear Adventure
Monday, August 9 at 10:00 AM
Insects of the Night
Wednesday, August 11 at 8:00 PM