The State of New York often provides good news to sportsmen, including change-of-season dates, harvest numbers, creel size up or down, and much more. This past week, pure Albany politicians gave us some good news only to hit us over the head with, well, a piece of legislation that is looking to again attempt to strip away our rights.

It seems about this time in the past several years, a politician, who thinks he knows how to fix the world and gun violence, puts together a piece of legislation and presents it for law. So I figure from now on I am going to call the first three months of every year “silly season.” Silly, because much of the legislation that attempts to be passed into law dealing with gun violence or gun control is generally, for the most part, just plain silly. What I have been able to see over the years is the “politicians,” mostly from down state, have no idea what they are talking about and live in a bubble that only the Albany elite share.

Call me naive, but I thought that this silly season would pass without some downstate politician making up his solution to gun violence hence gun control. With King Cuomo off somewhere chasing his next dream, I figured we have a break from the Albany silly season.

So, there is this politician from Brooklyn, who has decided that her way to fight gun violence and gun control is take away the rights of the licensed New York State pistol permit holder. Feel free to look up Assembly Bill 8684 if you want a good chuckle. The bill, “Prohibits firearms in certain locations, including but not limited to, all forms of public transportation, large gatherings, and food and drink establishments.”

By looking at the proposed bill/law it smells of big-city politics. Just including public transportation in the bill, means it is all about the big city.

If this bill was passed, the adding of large gatherings could and would include rod and gun clubs, shooting ranges, skeet and trap fields, or pretty much anywhere there is a “large gathering” of folks of like mind.

What is amazing is that New York State, thanks to King Cuomo, has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation. New York State pistol permit holders go through a very thorough background check, training, interview process, money and time. I’m not sure about other parts of the Empire State, but around here, depending on the county, to receive a NYS pistol permit it can take up to a year. In other parts of the state, it depends on the county but generally a year is the minimum.

So how on God’s green earth is a politician from Brooklyn going to stop gun violence by taking away the rights of some of the hardest to receive permit holders in the country? Maybe there is an underlying reason for this. Only time will tell the future of Brooklyn Democrat Jo Anne Simon, who if history repeats, won’t be in office very long. History has shown that many of those who propose these “silly bills,” are looking to grab a headline just to stay in office and aren’t qualified to be there in the first place.

Early this week, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today that the 2021 hunting seasons in New York were the safest ever, with the lowest number of hunting-related shooting incidents since record-keeping began. DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECO) investigated nine hunting-related shooting incidents (HRSIs) in 2021, including one fatality.

“Hunting is an enjoyable and safe form of outdoor recreation with a long and storied history in New York State,” Commissioner Seggos said. “This past year was the safest-ever on record in New York, with the lowest number of hunting-related shooting incidents since DEC’s Hunter Education Program began in 1949. I’m proud of our Hunter Education Program, and our educators and volunteer instructors, working to ensure licensed hunters experience a safe hunting season. Every hunting fatality is preventable when New Yorkers hunt safely and responsibly.”

Seven of the nine HRSIs that occurred in 2021 were two-party firearm incidents; two incidents were self-inflicted. All identified shooters were experienced hunters with an average of 40 years of hunting experience, emphasizing the need for all hunters to remain vigilant when heading afield. All incidents could have been prevented if those involved followed hunting safety rules.

A new hunting regulation that took effect in 2021 extended legal shooting hours for big game to 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. None of the deer hunting incidents last year took place during the new extended hours. The four incidents involving deer hunters occurred between 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Another new regulation change effective last year requires all persons hunting deer or bear with a firearm, or anyone accompanying these hunters, to wear a solid or patterned fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink hat, vest, or jacket, visible from all directions. Unfortunately, the single fatality that occurred in 2021 involved a deer hunter not wearing fluorescent orange or pink. The hunter was mistaken for game and shot by a hunting partner.

Also new in 2021, 52 upstate counties passed local laws allowing 12- and 13-year-old licensed hunters to hunt deer with a firearm or crossbow while under the supervision of an experienced, licensed, adult hunter. None of the nine HRSIs investigated in 2021 involved a 12- or 13-year-old hunter.

All first-time hunters, bowhunters, and trappers must successfully complete a hunter, bowhunter, or trapper education safety course before being eligible to purchase a hunting or trapping license or bowhunting privilege in New York State. DEC-trained and -certified volunteer instructors have taught hunters and trappers to be safe, responsible, and ethical since 1949.

For the past several years, DEC has also tracked and investigated Elevated Hunting Incidents (EHI), previously referred to as tree stand incidents. EHIs are underreported and DEC is not always notified when these falls occur. In 2021, 10 EHIs were reported; one was fatal. Only one of the 10 hunters involved was wearing a safety harness. However, the harness was not connected to the tree when the fall occurred. Tree stand safety is integrated into DEC’s hunter education course because these incidents have become a major cause of hunting-related injuries. The proper use of tree stands, and tree stand safety equipment, will help prevent these injuries and fatalities. Used correctly, a full body harness and a lifeline keep hunters connected from the time they leave the ground to the moment they get back down.