Hi Dave, Kevin, et al.,
I thought it might be worth pointing out that the issue of hunters hunting
“in the water” is based on substantial case law and even a U.S. Supreme Court
ruling. I am not saying anybody should like the behavior of hunters doing
this, but it is clearly legal. Actually, the law specifically states that they
can hunt below the high-water line. Given that Cayuga Lake is drawn down in
winter to prevent spring flooding along the Canal system, hunters can legally
hunt from dry land. State law then allows hunters “on the water” to hunt
within the statutorily defined safety zone (50 feet from homes and other
occupied buildings) as long as they do not shoot toward those buildings.
Hence, you have people shooting near homes while moored at the end of a dock,
for example. There actually are well thought-out reasons for this. Waterfowl
do not use the lake randomly or certainly not evenly. There are certain places
where the waterfowl want to be. The effective shooting range of shotguns is up
to about 50 yards. That means that hunters literally have to be in the
particular locations where the birds want to be. Zoning hunters into parts of
the lake not used by the waterfowl on a regular basis would essentially
eliminate the opportunity to hunt.
Now, having said all that, nobody should hunt in a given location just because
it is legal to do so (in my opinion). I think it is egregiously unethical to
hunt from a boat right off of somebody else’s dock without first getting their
permission. Similarly, the kind of “in your face” attitude expressed by people
who hunt right off shore adjacent to Steward Park, in my opinion, is
despicable. The Hog Hole situation is a lot more gray in my opinion. But
please keep in mind, that my opinion only matters to me! Same goes for my
sense of ethics. In my warped view of the world, I think it was also
egregiously unethical for Stewart Park to have been filled. I’d personally
love to see a restored marsh (think Catherine Marsh at s. end of Seneca Lake).
Of course that might ultimately mean loss of Renwick Woods if a hydrological
regime was re-established at the s. end of Cayuga Lake. Anyway, restoration of
at least some marsh area at the end of Cayuga Lake could be something that both
birders and hunters could get excited about. I am not saying that is feasible
or could ever get enough traction locally to see the light of day, but it sure
would be exciting to think about.
For those of you who can’t wait until waterfowl season is over, the last day to
hunt ducks in this part of the state is January 13th.
Jody
Jody W. Enck, PhD
Human Dimensions of Natural Resources
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
From: [email protected]
Sent: January 11, 2013 7:48 AM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Stewart Park: decoys on ice, gunners' boat adjacen...
Stewart Park: decoys on ice, gunners' boat adjacent, dying bird retrieved on
foot, most birds in southeast corner.
--Dave Nutter
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