Do not forget that all waterfowl hunters also must purchase a $15.00 Duck Stamp to hunt each year. The money spent on Duck Stamps provides acquisition funds for wildlife refuges such as the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge. As birders, you can also contribute by buying Duck Stamps as a way to help buy additional lands.
Chuck Gibson Sent: Sunday, December 29, 2013 9:19 PM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: Fwd: Re: [cayugabirds-l] weekend birds, hunting pressure On 12/29/2013 20:29, bob mcguire wrote: Another though: how about petitioning the DEC to delay the start of the late waterfowl season at the south end of Cayuga lake until after January 1st? Why should the needs (?) of 15-20 hunters take precedence over a 100-year tradition & data collection (the Ithaca CXBC)? Bob McGuire On Dec 29, 2013, at 5:07 PM, Kenneth V. Rosenberg wrote: One of the reasons that hunters should take precedence is because they contribute $746 million (Annual amount of money spent by hunters in the United States on licenses and public land access fees). $300 million — Additional monies contributed to wildlife conservation every year by the more than 10,000 private hunting-advocate organizations, like the National Wild Turkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation $4.2 billion — Amount of money sportsmen have contributed to conservation through a 10% federal excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, and gear since the 1937 Pittman-Robertson Act established the tax. Millions of acres of public-use land has been purchased, preserved, and maintained with this money. I know we don't like to admit, but hunters actually do more for conservation of animal species and land than all other sources of funding for those things combined. We need to realize that much of what we have we owe to those who have actually paid for the places and animals we enjoy. If not for these funds MNWR would not be there. Many of our state parks would not be there. Not to mention how many bird and other species would be gone. Last year more than 556000 hunting and fishing licensees were issued in New York State. Divide that by 62 counties that comes out to an average of 8967 per county. if only 1% hunt waterfowl in Tompkins county that is about 90 hunters (I am sure there are more). While I neither hunt (except with a camera) nor fish I do give due to those who do and pay for what I enjoy. As long as they are perusing their passion in a safe legal manner I think we owe them a break and thanks. It is more than 15-20. Carl Steckler -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
