Can you give me the jist of the discussion. Thanks
New York State DEC Bureau of Wildllfe
has been contemplating changing
season opening dates for beaver, mink,
and muskrat to a common opener.
They had been in discussion with
NYSTA's JTI committee chair since at least
last fall with this proposal so NYSTA
leadership knew this was coming.
In spite of this, they did not inform
the NYSTA membership this was
on the horizon.
Part of this proposal calls for a new
opening date of November 1st in the
Northern Zone for muskrat instead of
the traditional October 25th opener
which has been part of the north country
trapping heritage for at least a couple
generations of trappers.
In summary,
Northern Zone trappers would lose a week
of early, good weather muskrat trapping
that we would never get back, and our own
trapper's association and JTI Committee chair
was advocating their support of this loss
of our 1st week of muskrat trapping season.
This is a change that will hurt recruitment of youth
trappers, and discourage the retention of elderly trappers
who just want to trap in reasonable weather conditions.
Back on May 27th, a NY forum member posted
news of pending changes to the seasons
announcement on the NY trapping forum.
Another Trapper posted news of the proposal's
listing in The June 3rd, 2020 of the NYS Register
where all laws, rules, and regulations must be
posted before they can become "law".
The notice said no public meeting would be held
and a comment period was open for 60 days until
August 3rd.
In prior conversations with the JTI chair regarding
listings in the NYS Register in year's past,
he claimed that once a rule, regulation, or law
was listed in the NYS register,
It was more than likely a done deal, and any
comment period was just crossing T's & dotting I's.
NYSTA leadership and the JTI Chair claims they spent
the 60 comment period canvassing the membership
to gauge the support of the membership for the
season change proposal.
Many in NYSTA membership dispute this claim
as there is no hard data to back it up, only hearsay
by the JTI chair and NYSTA B.O.D.
The "Official NYSTA Response" was sent to DEC,
Bureau of Wildlife on or about August 2nd, 2020
by the JTI chair but the membership remains in the dark
as to what was contained in the above document.
Despite numerous calls for the document to be released,
NYSTA & the JTI chair have refused calls for transparency,
full disclosure, and accountability regarding the need
to let the rank & file membership know
what their association is advocating for
on the NYSTA membership's behalf.
We know a lot of New York Northern Zone
muskrat trappers that are NOT HAPPY
that NYSTA has advocated away a week of
their traditional muskrat trapping season without
their agreement or consent
That's to say nothing of the 90% of
New York State trappers who ARE NOT
NYSTA members who are also
not happy with this betrayal of trust.
That's the gist of it in a nutshell
by someone who is going to lose
a week of their trapping season if the
proposal goes through.
All in my opinion, of course.
walleyed