(NY) Hunting at Pier Ruffles Feathers

Drizzt · November 13, 2002, 04:52 PM

Copyright 2002 The Buffalo News
The Buffalo News

November 10, 2002 Sunday, FINAL EDITION

SECTION: LOCAL, Pg.B1

LENGTH: 866 words

HEADLINE: HUNTING AT PIER RUFFLES FEATHERS

BYLINE: NANCY A. FISCHER; News Niagara Bureau

DATELINE: WILSON

BODY:
Village residents and local officials are up in arms about hunters who are taking up arms against ducks and geese from the newly renovated Wilson Pier.

"I've been fighting this for years. Why couldn't it be addressed sooner? Thank God there hasn't been an accident," said Jamie Moxham, who lives a few doors from the pier and wants elected officials to do something about it.

But hunters say they have every right to be there. "I've been hunting there 20 years. It's a federally built pier, and I have just as much right to be there," said Marc Wright, who hunts geese.

The area has been a popular spot for duck hunting for years. More recently, the village has sought to make the inner harbor a tourist destination centered on the popular Wilson Boat-house restaurant and a collection of boutiques. The pier, which sits closer to Lake Ontario along the outer harbor, underwent extensive renovations to make it parklike and more accessible to both tourists and residents through a $350,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Moxham said the hunters came out on Labor Day, a time when children are still swimming and riding personal watercraft, and are sometimes out all day, despite heavy pedestrian traffic on the pier.

"They are shooting and killing the geese, and people are running around and crying," Moxham said. "We spent $350,000 in renovations, and now people are being scared away. One woman was pushing a baby in a stroller and heard the loud shot and stopped cold. She was petrified."

Moxham and her neighbors are circulating petitions and have asked Assemblymen George D. Maziarz, R-North Tonawanda, and Francine DelMonte, D-Niagara Falls, to attend the Village Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, when the petitions will be presented.

Wright said he and his fellow hunters are being harassed by the neighbors.

"Sure, I hunt when people are out there, but we shoot out over the water," he said. "I had a man pick up some lead fishing sinkers and say we were sprinkling him with birdshot. The game wardens and police are getting sick of coming out here. They say hi, check our licenses and leave," Wright said. "They can bug us all they want. We are perfectly legal and well within our rights."

His friend and fellow hunter Richard Sabey has been hunting on the pier for the past 25 years and says this is not the first time they've been harassed.

"Years and years ago this came up, and we got letters from the federal government that said we were allowed to hunt," said Sabey.

Village Mayor Thomas J. Bateman agrees that local authorities have no control over the hunters.

"This is their right, but I think they are exercising poor judgment when there are so many other places to hunt," Bateman said.

"Since we made it such a beautiful park with our grant . . . the use of the area has quadrupled. There's 10 times more people there every day in daylight and in warm weather into the night."

Bateman and Town Supervisor Jerry L. Dean said they had considered putting up a sign that prohibited hunting in the harbor area, but realized they had no jurisdiction.

"It's not a good idea to have a civilian pointing to a sign and arguing with a man with a gun who knows they have the right to hunt there. We don't want to deliberately force a confrontation," Bateman said.

Waterfowl hunting is regulated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and hunting seasons and rules are enforced by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The federal rules say hunters cannot hunt in areas where people have been feeding ducks and geese, but hunters are allowed to hunt on the east side of the pier, because pedestrian traffic is on the west side.

"I'm not an anti-hunter. Both Tom and I hunt," Dean said. "It's just that this particular place is a poor choice."

Capt. Gary Bobseine of the DEC said hunting regulations stipulate that hunters may not shoot within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling, but waterfowl hunting is the exception. Shooting out over the water is allowed, he said, and it is very common to shoot in populated areas as long as the hunter is safely discharging out over the water.

Bobseine said regulators discourage hunters from shooting during the day, but added: "There's no law against it. They are within the law if they are shooting out over the water, and it's not unethical if they are in season."

He said the early season for geese was set at Labor Day because they are considered nuisance birds. Duck season got under way in October.

Bobseine suggested that hunters use some discretion to cut down on other people's displeasure.

Sabey said it's not easy for the hunters to move after they set up.

"We go where the birds want to go. They fly in and out (of the pier area). It's always been a good spot," said Sabey.

Bobseine said the only way either the town or the village could ban hunting from the pier would be to ban the discharge of firearms anywhere in either municipality. He said to spot-zone the harbor area would require a change of state law, an action that has been done in some populated areas of Long Island.

Poodleshooter · November 13, 2002, 06:21 PM

If they don't like the activites at the park, they should go somewhere else. What's next, striding through state game management areas in November wearing buckskins and complaining about all of the hunters interfering with your hike?

Preacherman · November 13, 2002, 06:27 PM

Poodleshooter - ROTFLMAO!!!

brianidaho · November 14, 2002, 05:03 PM

I used to live in Wilson, maybe 2 miles from the pier in question, prior to making my escape to Idaho. Wilson is a little village of maybe 1000 people, most of whom I expect enjoy a rural lifestyle and would have no problem with hunters. FWIW, the city wastewater treatment plant is at the end of the pier. I'm not sure if it is the same family, but there are Moxham's in the area that are laywers. Given the whiney attitude here I expect it's the same family doing the complaining. The pieir is a popular fishing spot much of the year as well.

I haven't been back in a few years, I'd like to see how they managed to pi$$ away $350,000 to make a concrete and steel breakwall pretty. Idiots like these are one of the reasons I left the hellhole of NY.

I suspect that much of the reason for the shooting from the pier is that yuppie twits such as those complaining bought up all the private land in the area to build expensive beach houses. The pier is one of the few pieces of public property in the area.

Bri

bastiat · November 14, 2002, 05:33 PM

Translation: "We spent all this confistated tax money making this place nice, but only we can enjoy it. The hunters should go somewhere else. They are second class citizens."

If they ever manage to stop the hunting there, you will soon see the liberals complaining that large amounts of goose cr@p are ruining their nice $350,000 pier and walkway.

November 13, 2002, 04:52 PM	#1
Drizzt Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2000 Location: Going Out of My Head at a Rapid Pace..... Posts: 2,511	(NY) Hunting at Pier Ruffles Feathers Copyright 2002 The Buffalo News The Buffalo News November 10, 2002 Sunday, FINAL EDITION SECTION: LOCAL, Pg.B1 LENGTH: 866 words HEADLINE: HUNTING AT PIER RUFFLES FEATHERS BYLINE: NANCY A. FISCHER; News Niagara Bureau DATELINE: WILSON BODY: Village residents and local officials are up in arms about hunters who are taking up arms against ducks and geese from the newly renovated Wilson Pier. "I've been fighting this for years. Why couldn't it be addressed sooner? Thank God there hasn't been an accident," said Jamie Moxham, who lives a few doors from the pier and wants elected officials to do something about it. But hunters say they have every right to be there. "I've been hunting there 20 years. It's a federally built pier, and I have just as much right to be there," said Marc Wright, who hunts geese. The area has been a popular spot for duck hunting for years. More recently, the village has sought to make the inner harbor a tourist destination centered on the popular Wilson Boat-house restaurant and a collection of boutiques. The pier, which sits closer to Lake Ontario along the outer harbor, underwent extensive renovations to make it parklike and more accessible to both tourists and residents through a $350,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Moxham said the hunters came out on Labor Day, a time when children are still swimming and riding personal watercraft, and are sometimes out all day, despite heavy pedestrian traffic on the pier. "They are shooting and killing the geese, and people are running around and crying," Moxham said. "We spent $350,000 in renovations, and now people are being scared away. One woman was pushing a baby in a stroller and heard the loud shot and stopped cold. She was petrified." Moxham and her neighbors are circulating petitions and have asked Assemblymen George D. Maziarz, R-North Tonawanda, and Francine DelMonte, D-Niagara Falls, to attend the Village Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, when the petitions will be presented. Wright said he and his fellow hunters are being harassed by the neighbors. "Sure, I hunt when people are out there, but we shoot out over the water," he said. "I had a man pick up some lead fishing sinkers and say we were sprinkling him with birdshot. The game wardens and police are getting sick of coming out here. They say hi, check our licenses and leave," Wright said. "They can bug us all they want. We are perfectly legal and well within our rights." His friend and fellow hunter Richard Sabey has been hunting on the pier for the past 25 years and says this is not the first time they've been harassed. "Years and years ago this came up, and we got letters from the federal government that said we were allowed to hunt," said Sabey. Village Mayor Thomas J. Bateman agrees that local authorities have no control over the hunters. "This is their right, but I think they are exercising poor judgment when there are so many other places to hunt," Bateman said. "Since we made it such a beautiful park with our grant . . . the use of the area has quadrupled. There's 10 times more people there every day in daylight and in warm weather into the night." Bateman and Town Supervisor Jerry L. Dean said they had considered putting up a sign that prohibited hunting in the harbor area, but realized they had no jurisdiction. "It's not a good idea to have a civilian pointing to a sign and arguing with a man with a gun who knows they have the right to hunt there. We don't want to deliberately force a confrontation," Bateman said. Waterfowl hunting is regulated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and hunting seasons and rules are enforced by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The federal rules say hunters cannot hunt in areas where people have been feeding ducks and geese, but hunters are allowed to hunt on the east side of the pier, because pedestrian traffic is on the west side. "I'm not an anti-hunter. Both Tom and I hunt," Dean said. "It's just that this particular place is a poor choice." Capt. Gary Bobseine of the DEC said hunting regulations stipulate that hunters may not shoot within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling, but waterfowl hunting is the exception. Shooting out over the water is allowed, he said, and it is very common to shoot in populated areas as long as the hunter is safely discharging out over the water. Bobseine said regulators discourage hunters from shooting during the day, but added: "There's no law against it. They are within the law if they are shooting out over the water, and it's not unethical if they are in season." He said the early season for geese was set at Labor Day because they are considered nuisance birds. Duck season got under way in October. Bobseine suggested that hunters use some discretion to cut down on other people's displeasure. Sabey said it's not easy for the hunters to move after they set up. "We go where the birds want to go. They fly in and out (of the pier area). It's always been a good spot," said Sabey. Bobseine said the only way either the town or the village could ban hunting from the pier would be to ban the discharge of firearms anywhere in either municipality. He said to spot-zone the harbor area would require a change of state law, an action that has been done in some populated areas of Long Island. __________________ "That a free citizen should have to go before a committee, hat in hand, and pray for permission to bear arms - fantastic! Arm your daughter, sir, and pay no attention to petty bureaucrats." Robert Heinlein - Red Planet

November 14, 2002, 05:03 PM	#4
brianidaho Senior Member Join Date: August 29, 2000 Location: Coeur d'Alene, ID Posts: 442	I used to live in Wilson, maybe 2 miles from the pier in question, prior to making my escape to Idaho. Wilson is a little village of maybe 1000 people, most of whom I expect enjoy a rural lifestyle and would have no problem with hunters. FWIW, the city wastewater treatment plant is at the end of the pier. I'm not sure if it is the same family, but there are Moxham's in the area that are laywers. Given the whiney attitude here I expect it's the same family doing the complaining. The pieir is a popular fishing spot much of the year as well. I haven't been back in a few years, I'd like to see how they managed to pi$$ away $350,000 to make a concrete and steel breakwall pretty. Idiots like these are one of the reasons I left the hellhole of NY. I suspect that much of the reason for the shooting from the pier is that yuppie twits such as those complaining bought up all the private land in the area to build expensive beach houses. The pier is one of the few pieces of public property in the area. Bri __________________ I need ammo....lots of ammo. Ever since I got my FAL!

November 14, 2002, 05:33 PM	#5
bastiat Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 2001 Posts: 1,775	Translation: "We spent all this confistated tax money making this place nice, but only we can enjoy it. The hunters should go somewhere else. They are second class citizens." If they ever manage to stop the hunting there, you will soon see the liberals complaining that large amounts of goose cr@p are ruining their nice $350,000 pier and walkway. __________________ Flashbunny.org - Pro-Freedom Propaganda Politically Incorrect & Pro-Gun Stuff To Buy

November 13, 2002, 06:21 PM	#2
Poodleshooter Senior Member Join Date: August 7, 2000 Location: Floating down the James River in VA Posts: 1,940	If they don't like the activites at the park, they should go somewhere else. What's next, striding through state game management areas in November wearing buckskins and complaining about all of the hunters interfering with your hike?

November 13, 2002, 06:27 PM	#3
Preacherman Senior Member Join Date: July 9, 2002 Posts: 795	Poodleshooter - ROTFLMAO!!!