Last year around this time, I wrote about the NYS DEC’s exciting new HuntFishNY program. Anne McNamara and John Milo, from the DEC Hunter Education Program (HEP) for Region 3, held their annual refresher course for instructors at the Sullivan County Conservation Club recently, and updated us on improvements that have been made to HuntFishNY as the DEC continues to make it better and better.

HuntFishNY is the DEC’s “one-stop resource” for outdoors-related events. Topics run the gamut and aren’t just about hunting and fishing. You can access HuntFishNY on your smart phone or computer.

It can be a little tricky to get to the list of events on a computer. I’m told the DEC is working on improving this. Using the ancient art of Google Fu to search for “Learn to Hunt Opportunities in New York - NYSDEC” will bring up the right location to get started searching for an event. Scroll down and click on “Find a HuntFishNY Event Near You”.

One of the great features of the cell phone app is called the “Tackle Box”. It’s a map-based feature that provides real-time boat launch locations, water-body specific regulations, stocking information and all kinds of other info to assist anglers in planning trips and locations to fish while on the move.

If the fish aren’t biting, the handy Tackle Box can help you find another spot to fish that might be more productive. It can even help folks identify a fish species if they catch something and aren’t sure what it is.

The Tackle Box has data for thousands of miles of streams and rivers and over 7,500 ponds and lakes. Once installed, it even works when offline in remote backwoods areas.

A user will need to set up a free DECALS account through DEC in order to log in but doesn’t need to hold a fishing license to use the Tackle Box. That means any adult can use it to show young folks under 16 where to go fishing, for example.

The app is free on the Google Play Store for Android phones and on the Apple App Store for iPhones. You can scan the attached QR code for your smart phone to get started.

Checking the current event list showed 3-D archery shoots, mentored youth and veteran hunts, fishing contests, kayaking tournaments, paddling instruction from Beyond Becoming an Outdoors Woman, and a bunch of other events. More events are added continually.

Check out all the wonderful opportunities on HuntFishNY and let’s all enjoy the outdoors!

John S. Van Etten is the current president of the Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs of Sullivan County, Inc.