New York BHA has had a busy summer. Between fishing, hiking, getting ready for hunting seasons—oh yeah—and a whole bunch of public land conservation and advocacy, we’ve had a full plate.

On August 3, we partnered with the NYS Wildlife Management Area team at Monty’s Bay Wildlife Management Area in Plattsburgh, NY for a cleanup of the WMA. Monty’s Bay WMA encompasses approximately 318 acres in Clinton County and borders Lake Champlain and features important habitat and public hunting and fishing access. We removed a ton of trash to the local landfill and enjoyed a friendly BBQ after. Big thanks to New York BHA Board Member Carla Denn for organizing the cleanup.

In mid-August, several BHA officers and board members convened in NYC to hold a small summit regarding the future of hunting and conservation as it relates to the rural/urban divide. We were joined by several members from NY, NJ and elsewhere, and directed by the great Mark Norquist, of Modern Carnivore. We talked, ate some amazing wild game and plotted a course forward. Huge thanks to member David Turkel-Parella for hosting.

On August 25, New York BHA members gathered at Rusty Nickel Brewing for a Wild Game Cookout to meet fellow hunters and anglers, swap stories and learn about BHA and our mission to conserve public lands and waters. We had a great turnout and enjoyed a variety of wild game prepared by attendees. It was awesome see the creativity and culinary skills of our BHA-NY members in action. Big thanks to Board Member Virginia Glazier for organizing the cookout. 

BHA-NY kicked off Public Lands Month with a much-needed cleanup of King’s Bay WMA on the NW shore of Lake Champlain. King’s Bay is an important location for waterfowlers, trappers, fishermen and other recreationalists, and BHA volunteers joined Region 5 DEC staff to clean up the area and remove floating debris. The cleanup was followed by a grilled lunch and plenty of hunting and fishing stories. Thanks to BHA-NY board member Carla Denn for organizing another successful cleanup!

In the spirit of Public Lands Month, we joined our fellow chapters across the country and took part in the #publiclandpackout. We held a contest to inspire folks to clean up their public lands and waters. Our members removed a ton of trash from the woods and got a little exercise in preparation for the upcoming hunting seasons. 

BHA-NY has joined the national effort to support the Recovering America's Wildlife Act. RAWA would provide $1.3 billion annually for state fish and wildlife agencies, as well as $97.5 million annually for tribal natural resource agencies. We have been monitoring the Act closely and urging our representatives to support it fully. 

We’ve also been keeping a very close eye on the DEC’s proposed regulations regarding CWD prevention and mitigation. The proposal is multifaceted and includes many regulations we as a chapter support wholeheartedly. CWD is arguably the biggest threat to deer hunting in NY, and we urge BHA-NY members to educate themselves on the topic and proposed regulations, and to contact the DEC and their local and state representatives to express the need for urgent action.

We hope you had a great summer and are as excited for coming seasons as we are. As always, keep an eye out for our email blasts and follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and feel free to email us at: [email protected]

By: Cosmo Genova