Jonathan “JR” Russell and Anne McNamara, the folks that are in charge of the DEC Hunter Education Program (HEP) for our area, held their annual refresher course for instructors at the Sullivan County Conservation Club this past Monday. Every year they travel over from the Region 3 Headquarters in New Paltz, NY to help keep us up to date on changes in the regulations, paperwork and all the other things that are needed to hold in-person HEP courses. 

Instructors were updated on many issues, but one item definitely stood out. Regular readers of this column have heard me expound about the One Step Courses that were being offered. That has all changed and those courses are now part of the HuntFishNY program.

For those not familiar with it, HuntFishNY is the DEC’s new “one-stop resource” for events related to the outdoors. Topics include, but are not limited to, outdoor safety, hunting, fishing, trapping, outdoor skills and wildlife. HuntFishNY can be found online by searching with the keywords “HuntFishNY events”. There is also a free cell phone app for it.

Hopping on the site reveals many pages of events, currently including archery shoots, fishing contests, sporting clays shoots, mentored turkey hunts, etc. There is even an opportunity to help set up fences to protect endangered piping plover up on the Great Lakes. Wow. What an awesome resource.

Talking with the DEC staff revealed that they are trying to add more diverse outdoor activities. The only boundaries are the limits of the instructors’ and the other outdoor groups’ imaginations. I can’t wait to get more involved. There were discussions at the refresher course of perhaps having a session completely dedicated to hands-on tree stand safety and maybe having some sort of ice fishing training linked to our local King of the Ice annual tournament.

Unlike traditional hunter safety courses and the former Next Step courses that are free, the events listed on HuntFishNY can also include those that are fundraisers and charge a fee. I think it’s great to include as many events as possible and kudos to the DEC for expanding the program and getting the word out – and getting more people outdoors in the process.

That event to help out the piping plover definitely caught my eye. It’s a trek for us from down here in Sullivan County, but if I can get off work, hopefully I can make it. If you’re an environmentalist like me, maybe I will see you there.

Check out all of 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.