It’s ironic that in someplace as vast as the great outdoors, folks still manage to find ways to get in one another’s way.
As the state acquires more land and boundaries shift, two groups that find solace in nature are coming into contact more often: hikers and hunters.
These are two groups that should really be in harmony — both find recreation in nature, after all. But as our Saratoga County reporter Marci Revette found out on a recent assignment, it is the opposite that is (sadly) often the case, when she spoke with the owner of Nugget, the Jack Russell terrier who got stuck in a trap off a Wilton hiking trail.
Hunters and hikers are two groups that just don’t tend to mix, for whatever reason, even though they’re the primary users of the vast tracts of American wilderness. The thing is, it really should not be that way.
There’s a lot of hunting taking place in New York in the fall. Last year, hunters took nearly 230,000 deer in New York, according to Department of Environmental Conservation data. That is a whole lot more than the 40,000 taken back in 1950 (though record keeping probably wasn’t quite as complete then as it is today). While the population of the state has increased more than 30 percent over that time period, the number of deer hunted has increased nearly six times over. People like to hunt, for reasons as varied as why people like to hike.
And no matter what you think of hunting and fishing, that means money. New York state sold more than $56 million worth of hunting, fishing and trapping licenses over the 2009-10 season. Not only does this licensing program help the DEC keep tabs on and control wildlife populations, but a lot of the revenues go to fund the DEC or into trust funds for support conservation efforts. That is something hikers (who often enjoy trails, lean-tos and campgrounds established by the DEC gratis) should keep in mind.
That’s not to mention the hundreds of millions of dollars from gun and ammo excise taxes that go into conservation programs every year. Hunters are taxed at a pretty princely rate for their sport, which is not a bad thing when you consider fish and game are limited resources.
Though hunting is a common pursuit, it has undeniably fallen out of the mainstream. But this was not always the case. Many of the founders of the modern conservationist movement were hunters; Theodore Roosevelt and Stewart Udall come to mind. There was a time when hunting was simply a part of being an outdoorsman (or woman).
At this point in the fall, we’re just exiting the deer hunting season, which is definitely the most busy time as far as number of hunters in the woods. Bow or muzzleloader hunters still have some time left in the “late season” though, as do hunters seeking black bear using those implements. The longer season for hunting smaller game (squirrel, grouse, hares and the like) is open through the winter in most of the state.
Just like the vast majority of hikers stick to the rules, most hunters are interested in following regulations and being kind to the wilderness. A few bad apples might seemingly spoil either barrel, but they can’t be considered representative of the sport as a whole. In general, those who relish outdoor pursuits are just as cordial as anyone else and generally quick to offer a helping hand. Just across the page, for example, you’ll read a Point of View column by Alan Via on his involvement in the local hiking scene.
So when next year’s hunting season does roll around, though, keep in mind not only the advice for safety in the woods (such as wearing hunter’s orange during hunting season, no matter your purpose for being in the wild) but be cognizant that hunters and hikers are two groups more alike than different.