Photo from the late Joe Forma collection Big bucks often skirt swampy lowlands where they can find easy cover that hunters prefer not to visit.

It’s prime time for deer hunting in Western New York. At 30 minutes after sunrise Saturday, the NYS Southern Zone Regular (firearm) Big Game season for deer and black bear will open for 23 consecutive days, closing on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 30 minutes after sunset.

Opening day is not just another day for hunters in New York State and everywhere. It’s a time when the air is filled with excitement and anticipation, a time when young and old share tactics and hunting strategies in deer camps all over Western New York. Deer camps can take many forms. From a family hunting cabin, travel trailer, or roadside vehicle, the same thoughts for good luck and well wishes are shared among hunters as they trek into their favorite forest. It’s a day we all look forward to, a day that marks the beginning of a thrilling and rewarding season.

In my experience, hunting on opening day and opening weekend holds important meaning for all hunters. It’s a time when hunters come together to honor long-standing traditions and reinforce bonds built through the years and passed down through generations. It marks the culmination of months of preparation and anticipation. It’s a time to honor family history. Hunting is a social activity, too, not just about the hunt itself, but also about shared stories, memories, and laughter.

Above that, it is about mentorship and teaching younger and newer hunters, especially family members, the skills and safety protocol required to be safe and successful. The mentorship ensures that traditions continue, and future generations have the knowledge and respect they need to know about hunting. It is also about a connection with nature, family and friends. This connection to nature and the silence and peace of the woods is spiritual for some. Lest we forget about the excitement of a successful hunt where celebration symbolizes and honors the wildlife and environment, being together with loved ones while doing so. Absorbing all this, in essence, hunting on opening day with friends and family is about more than just the pursuit of big game. It’s about bonding, honoring tradition and sharing meaningful experiences.

While no backtag is required to be worn this year – not sure why they dropped this rule, it is wise to remember that about 85% of registered NYS big game hunters will be in the woods on opening day looking to harvest a deer or bear. Keep safety in mind. One new requirement for big game hunters in New York state is external clothing color. Big game hunters MUST wear fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink that is visible in all directions. A hat, vest or jacket will meet this requirement. It is better to be seen by other hunters than be mistaken for a deer or bear moving through the woods at a long distance. Hunters, PLEASE look beyond your target and be sure of your target before squeezing the trigger. Safety is paramount in our hunting community, and we all must do our part to ensure a safe and successful season.

DEC’s Region 9 check station is only in one place (again) – in Erie County. It will operate Saturday from noon to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The check station is located on Route 16, heading northbound about one mile south of the town of Holland in Erie County. The purpose of the check station is to gather valuable biological data that will help with big game harvest estimations and management of the region’s big game populations. The station allows DEC staff the opportunity to interact with hunters and hear about their opening weekend experiences. Hunter participation at the check station is voluntary but note that it helps DEC gather valuable data to assess the status of the WNY big game population. It’s a long trip if you’re coming from Chautauqua County, but it is voluntary.

The DEC also collects biological and harvest information from thousands of deer across the state each year by visiting facilities that process venison for hunters.

All New York hunters are required to report their harvest, it’s important, and is critical to wildlife management and the sustainability of the hunting tradition. It takes little effort for hunters to report their harvest of deer, bear, and turkey within seven days of taking the animal. The easiest way to report is via DEC’s HuntFishNY mobile app. Through this app, hunters, anglers, and trappers can access an electronic version of their licenses and privileges and report the harvest of deer, bear, and turkey quickly while afield on their mobile devices. Hunters may still use the phone report system, but online and mobile systems are faster, more convenient, and more accessible for hunters to enter information accurately.

If your hunting crew was lucky enough to harvest more than you need, hunters can donate any part of their harvest to “Hunters Helping the Hungry,” sponsored by the Venison Donation Coalition at the Holland check station. Throughout the hunting season, hunters can donate a deer to help provide food for those in need. Through a cooperative relationship involving the New York State Department of Health, non-profit organizations like Feeding New York State’s regional food banks and deer processors, hunters contribute nearly 40 tons of venison each year to needy families across the state. To learn more, visit https://www.feedingnys.org/hunters. Hunters can also donate any legally harvested deer by dropping it off at a participating processor. When dropping your deer off at a processor for donation, hunters must complete the log sheet indicating their desire to donate the deer. The donated deer will be processed, and the venison will be distributed to food pantries and food banks to help feed hungry New Yorkers.

Good luck in the woods and on the water!

Outdoor Calendar:

Nov. 15: Last day NYS Southern Zone early big game archery and crossbow season.

Nov. 16-Dec. 8: NYS Southern Zone Regular (firearm) Big Game season

Nov. 21: Southtowns Walleye Assoc. monthly meeting, 7 p.m., 5895 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg, Info: 716-208-4023

Dec. 9-Dec. 17 and Dec. 26-Jan. 1: NYS Southern Zone Late Bowhunting Season