As I reflect on the successes and challenges of the waterfowl season on the east end, one word comes to mind: Ice.
The pictures below capture the essence of our second half of the season quite well. The good news is highly localized birds, the bad news is lots of frozen real estate. If you have blinds pretty much anywhere, you can relate. The winners this month are the boat blind hunters. Sneakboxes remain my favorite for adaptability and invisibility. This year, boat hunting is a critical success factor since finding unfrozen launch ramps can usually be achieved.
There is always open water somewhere, the question is, where? Three Mile Harbor and the main part of East Harbor/Accabonac by Louse Point remain accessible for launching via the Hands Creek ramp and Louse Point put-in (I call it that because it’s really more a hard packed beach).
The ducks reported and actually seen by locals in-the-know and blind mounted trail cameras are the usual suspects: Black Ducks, Mallards, Widgeon, Screwdrivers (mergansers- called that due to their profile), Bufflehead and Broadbill. Sea ducks are around, but not what I’d call abundant: Long-tailed ducks, Scoter and Eider all on the big water. In general, everyone with an opinion (which is 100% of waterfowlers) says that ducks are down and geese are strong, but localized. Avian influenza seems to be one theory, but it’s always multi-factorial.
I spend an inordinate amount of time scouting, but the job got a bit easier via camera. I check Hamptons live cameras constantly, as well as the feed from my Moultrie trail cameras. I’d like to see more public wildlife/waterfowl live cameras installed in East Hampton, but like everything, it’s a matter of money.
The high point of my season, besides building blinds, was our ESHA December goose hunt in Watermill with Duane Arnister, master guide. If you haven’t hunted over “stuffers” (actual taxidermy geese), try it with him. It’s an experience that few will ever have. Over the last several decades, at roughly the rate of a dozen a season, he has built and preserved a colossal flock of stuffed birds which are lovingly managed and cared for like the waterfowl heirlooms that they are. I felt like I was a character from Eugene Connett’s epic waterfowling book, “Gunning the Atlantic Flyway.” Pick up a copy if you haven’t read it, it’s my waterfowling bible.
Feel free to share your stories, success and perspectives. This is just one obsessed man’s opinion. The truth lies somewhere in the consensus, and I always want to learn and be held accountable.
Until next time, Happy Waterfowling.
Brace Krag
Waterfowl Chairman East Hampton Sportsmen’s Alliance
Stocked fresh water flyfishing is not immediately available in town, so this is an opportunity to do something different on a spring Saturday morning, with all the details sorted out by EHSA. The trout fishing season began on April 1, and trout stocking began in March and runs through early June. The Connetquot receives 3,000-4,000 stocked brown and rainbow trout annually at this time, as well as hosting a wild brook trout population. Meet to carpool, or drive direct (1.5 hours drive). Cost: $25 per person for NYS permit; reserved spot. Gear: Conventional fly-fishing equipment required. Don’t have it? For thirty-four bucks you can be kitted out like a pro.
Spring Turkey Season!
Wednesday, May 1 opens the spring turkey season and continues on Town lands through Wednesday May 22nd – just before Memorial Day weekend – then resumes for May 28-31. Last spring a total of 2,000 people registered to hunt on state lands alone in Suffolk County, and zero hunting safety incidents were reported. As a reminder, hunting is only until noon each day and one bearded bird per season is the limit.
Local town lands are open to turkey hunting, where already designated for small game hunting. No reservation or registration is required.
Private land is huntable where not otherwise prohibited. In East Hampton itself, the only state land offering turkey hunting is Barcelona Neck, where DEC requires spring turkey hunters to register and make a reservation. Starting April 22nd, hunters can call the DEC at 631-380-3312 to secure a spot at Barcelona or other sites managed by the DEC.
Suffolk County has added spring turkey on selected parcels (Buckskill, Six Pole in EH), versus nothing last year. There is a sign up and lottery and green key requirement, all detailed here.
Mentored Turkey Hunt for Youth
April 17 training, then April 20 or 21 in the field.
Registration closes April 10. Licensed youth hunters 12-15 are eligible for free expert guided individual Turkey hunts, offered by the DEC. They recruit multiple veteran hunters to take kids out and share their knowledge. Register or get more information here.
Dues – New System
To streamline the process for all, and to tidy up finances, EHSA membership dues will now be payable/renewable once per year – on September 30th. This way we only need to conduct one membership renewal drive each year.
There is no change, and there are no payments due, for Lifetime members.
If your membership expires in 2025 or 2026, your next payment will be due Sept 30th, 2025 or Sept 30th, 2026, respectively.
New Members paying initial dues prior to Sept 30th are exempted in the year that they join.
Same for members who choose to renew early, which they are always free to do here.
Not sure if you owe? Ask your status with a quick note to Rob Stanich.
Don’t come to meetings or actually do much with the Alliance? Consider paying your modest dues anyway, as a token of support for the sporting life here and sportsmen’s rights. If EHSA did not exist, the spring turkey season discussed above would not exist in East Hampton.
East Hampton Sportsmen’s AllianceBoard of Directors
Terry O’RiordanLouis Forte Bill O’Leary Rob Stanich Patrick Furlong
On Tuesday 4/11 the East Hampton Town Board voted unanimously to permit Turkey hunting to residents with a town hunting permit on the town lands that already permit small game hunting. Thank you to the Maidstone Gun Club, the Montauk Boatmen and Captains Association, and every other local institution that came out in our support. The town lands will however be closed to hunting beginning the Thursday before Memorial Day.
Our 4/24 meeting will be a SIX (6) PM at Ashawagh Hall featuring guest speaker and Turkey Hunting expert Brian Leslie. We will also have Turkey meat snacks thanks to a Wild Fall Turkey generously donated to EHSA by Rich Hamilton.
Winter is coming…and so is Canada Goose season. We have three dates reserved again this year in the goose pits of Water Mill.
If you are an EHSA member and would like one of the goose hunting spots, email bol3000.yahoo.com@hubspotstarter.net and send us your preferred date(s).
Goose Dates: Early morning until about noon
Sunday, December 11
Sunday, December 18
Sunday, January 15
Exact costs and other details to come. You must register your interest now, or we will have to give up unclaimed spots.
It’s difficult to ignore the sound of shotguns on the East End in January. “What’s going on?” you may ask. Has the revolution begun? Is this legal? Indeed, it is. Until Monday, it’s shotgun hunting season in Suffolk County.
Despite facing a full moon and near-60-degree temps, our guide’s knowledge, preparation, and private land access proved more formidable. Eight birds were harvested, limiting the group out for the day.
Spaces are still available for Goose Hunt III, request a place HERE.
Hunter numbers have been dwindling for decades; now the bottom is about to fall out of license-funded conservation. Here’s what went wrong and what you—yes, you—can do about it.
Hunting in East Hampton Town is a tradition that dates back to the middle 1600’s when the area was first settled.
Before the first three hundred years of Long Island and New York State’s existence, there was very little in the way of conservation or hunting regulation.
Many game and waterfowl species, which we refer to today as nongame species (hawks, owls, songbirds, shorebirds, and the like) were hunted to the verge of extinction.
Today, hunting is no longer a means of survival, but is an outdoor sport, one highly regulated by the federal and state governments. Hunting rules and regulations are set by the state and enforced by state conservation officers, as well as federal Fish and Wildlife agents, where migratory birds are concerned. Hunting is still a popular sport, and everyone who hunts in New York today must have an up-to-date state hunting license
Who Can Hunt?
Only East Hampton Town residents or taxpayers and their guests (with a Town guest license) can hunt big game on East Hampton Town lands. Permanent tree stands or ground blinds are not permitted and will be removed outside of hunting seasons. Small game may be hunted by anyone with a valid New York State hunting license.
Permits
To hunt deer in East Hampton Town a hunter needs to have a Town access permit and/or landowner’s endorsement form from the Town Clerk’s office in his or her possession in addition to a valid state hunting license. When hunters are bow hunting on Town/County co-owned lands, they must park in designated parking areas and display a copy of their Town landowner’s endorsement form in their windshield.
For State lands, and “cooperative hunting areas” which include state, county and municipal holdings as an aggregate and the big game hunting on them is managed by the state, each hunter needs to be signed up with the State and assigned a designated parking and hunting area before hunting.
The East Hampton Town Trustees have jurisdiction for hunting that takes place on their lands, which they hold in commonality for the towns-people.
