President’s Campfire…Summer ‘09
31/03/09 07:53
Big news in the State Legislature…On Monday
March 16th the State Assembly voted on the Sunday Bow
(S802) and the Bowhunter Safety Zone (A595) bills.
Both bills were passed by the Assembly by large
majorities. A595 now heads to the State Senate and
S802 heads to the Governor. The Governor has 45 days
to act on the bill, if he takes no action it then
becomes law. We couldn’t have gotten S802 as
far as we have with out YOU! Your calls, emails, and
letters to your legislators are what put our bills in
the position that they are in now. We still need your
help! We need you to contact the Governor and tell
him that you want S802 passed! You can find the
Governor’s contact info in the Legislative
section of WWW.UBNJ.ORG or you can
call 609 – 292 – 6000.
Well, we are just off the heels of the 5th Annual New Jersey Bowhunters Game Dinner that the UBNJ hosts with the Traditional Archers of New Jersey, and thanks to you and your support the Dinner was a sell-out for the 5th consecutive year! I have been involved with 4 out of the 5 Bowhunters Game Dinners; and I have to say I think this year’s dinner was the best so far. For me, the one thing that set this year’s dinner above the rest was the addition of an Emcee to facilitate the flow of the evening. Our Dinner Emcee was the UBNJ’s own Brian Piachowski who donated his time, equipment, and services that helped raise the bar on an already great event! Brian deserves a well earned Thank You from all of us!
This year’s Game Dinner saw many Legislators from both sides of the aisle in attendance, a few for their very first time. In attendance were US Congressman Jon Adler, State Senators Marcia Karrow and Jennifer Beck, State Assemblypersons Linda Greenstein, Wayne DeAngelo, and Declan O’Scanlon. All were impressed with the amount of Bowhunters that were gathered that night and a few of the Legislators even raved about the food!
The Game Dinner is a MONSTER, there really is no other way to describe it. It’s a monster as it relates to the time required for its’ planning, preparation, and implementation for all those involved; and I would like to pass on a special thank you to a group of people that generally receive no recognition; I’d like to say THANK YOU to the wives, husbands, and significant others of all those involved with the Game Dinner! In my opinion, they make the greatest donation to the Game Dinner possible!
Each of the Dinners has been a memorable night with family and friends, both new and old, and each person who attends will take something special away from the night. This year, for me, that special moment was the opportunity to gather four Past Presidents of the UBNJ together for a group photo (which should be in this issue or we’ll be looking for a new Editor…) and talk about the past, present, and future of bowhunting in New Jersey. Chris Errickson, Mike Volpe, Jack Spoto, and Joe Mills; I know these men and their selfless dedication and sacrifices to the sport that they love. They are an inspiration to me, and I hope that I measure up to the high standard that each of these men has set.
Speaking of inspiration…well for me it’s more admiration. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate someone I consider a close friend on a promotion! Marcia Karrow has been selected to replace State Senator Leonard Lance in District 23 (Hunterdon/Warren), Senator Karrow moves from her former position in the State Assembly, where as an Assemblywoman she sponsored sportsman friendly bills such as the “Bowhunter’s Safety Zone” and the “No Net Loss of Hunting Ground” bills that are currently pending in the State Legislature. The UBNJ wishes Senator Karrow continued success as she makes the transition from the Assembly to the Senate. The residents of District 23 are definitely in good hands!
I would like to take an opportunity to touch on crossbows for a moment...You know, the lightning rod of debate that seems to be able to bring out the worst in all hunters…The UBNJ’s official position on crossbow inclusion in New Jersey is this: We do not support the Fish & Game Council’s proposal for full inclusion. There are two very real, and pertinent, reasons that the UBNJ has taken this position. First, the Fish & Game Council proposal does not include any method to track the usage of the crossbow. There have been many numbers bandied around about how many “new” hunters the crossbow will recruit or create. Wouldn’t be smart, responsible in fact, to have a system that would track the actual usage of the weapon? To see what the increase truly is? Secondly, because the crossbow will be categorized as a bow, once the definition of a bow is re-written by the State, and deer harvests with a crossbow will be counted as archery harvests; there will be no way to track the impact of crossbows on the resource (Deer). In a day and age where deer harvest numbers are declining and hunters complain of “not seeing deer” isn’t it irresponsible NOT to be able to track the impact the crossbow will have on the resource?
Now, you may or may not like the UBNJ’s position on the crossbow; but our charter demands that the UBNJ “protect” bowseasons. The crossbow has the potential to impact bowseasons adversely, especially as it relates to deer harvest rates. IF harvest rates increase, bowhunters could see the reintroduction of Earn-A-Buck and/or shortening of bowseasons. The Assistant Director of Fish & Wildlife could not tell us that we wouldn’t see these measures put into place if archery harvests rise. Now I’m not saying any of this is going to happen, I’m not a “the sky is falling” kinda guy. None of us knows what impact crossbows will have on deer harvests; but wouldn’t it make sense to have a system in place that would?
This is my second Campfire, and the realization dawned on me that while I am well-known in the circles I travel, there are many of you who know little about me. So if you will indulge me, I’ll give you a brief glimpse into my world…My outdoor “heritage” began when I was introduced to hunting and fishing by my Father. I can remember walking cornfields with my Dad and our beagle Daisy when I was a young boy, and later hunting birds and rabbits by my Dad’s side. Pheasants, rabbits, and shotguns were my start in this sport, a sport that has been a part of my life for the past 28 years. Then, about 18 years ago, a good friend of mine introduced me to bowhunting. I haven’t looked back since. To me there is no feeling like being in the middle of nature and watching it unfold, and the only way to truly experience it is to be a bowhunter. The ability to sit in the middle of nature undetected while life happens around you is awe-inspiring; from squirrels chasing each other back and forth to a buck on a doe’s trail, from the changing colors of autumn’s leaves to winter’s first gentle snow; I've never felt closer to the Creator then when I'm sitting in the woods enjoying nature.
Daisy has long since passed away and most of the cornfields I roamed through my adolescent years are now houses, but my love of the outdoors is as strong as the memory of that first November walk through the corn. I don’t get out for birds or hunt with a gun as much as I used to. In recent years it’s been a conscience decision not to; it gives me more time with my bow in the fall woods and a certain personal satisfaction that only a bowhunter would know. When you’re hunting and a deer is so close that you can see its eyelashes, and in your minds-eye you make that perfect shot, while you simply watch it wander off mesmerized by nature’s sheer beauty; you know that you have arrived as a bowhunter. For me the thrill is not in the catch or the kill; the thrill is nature itself.
Semper Fidelis…
Brian Dolobacs
Well, we are just off the heels of the 5th Annual New Jersey Bowhunters Game Dinner that the UBNJ hosts with the Traditional Archers of New Jersey, and thanks to you and your support the Dinner was a sell-out for the 5th consecutive year! I have been involved with 4 out of the 5 Bowhunters Game Dinners; and I have to say I think this year’s dinner was the best so far. For me, the one thing that set this year’s dinner above the rest was the addition of an Emcee to facilitate the flow of the evening. Our Dinner Emcee was the UBNJ’s own Brian Piachowski who donated his time, equipment, and services that helped raise the bar on an already great event! Brian deserves a well earned Thank You from all of us!
This year’s Game Dinner saw many Legislators from both sides of the aisle in attendance, a few for their very first time. In attendance were US Congressman Jon Adler, State Senators Marcia Karrow and Jennifer Beck, State Assemblypersons Linda Greenstein, Wayne DeAngelo, and Declan O’Scanlon. All were impressed with the amount of Bowhunters that were gathered that night and a few of the Legislators even raved about the food!
The Game Dinner is a MONSTER, there really is no other way to describe it. It’s a monster as it relates to the time required for its’ planning, preparation, and implementation for all those involved; and I would like to pass on a special thank you to a group of people that generally receive no recognition; I’d like to say THANK YOU to the wives, husbands, and significant others of all those involved with the Game Dinner! In my opinion, they make the greatest donation to the Game Dinner possible!
Each of the Dinners has been a memorable night with family and friends, both new and old, and each person who attends will take something special away from the night. This year, for me, that special moment was the opportunity to gather four Past Presidents of the UBNJ together for a group photo (which should be in this issue or we’ll be looking for a new Editor…) and talk about the past, present, and future of bowhunting in New Jersey. Chris Errickson, Mike Volpe, Jack Spoto, and Joe Mills; I know these men and their selfless dedication and sacrifices to the sport that they love. They are an inspiration to me, and I hope that I measure up to the high standard that each of these men has set.
Speaking of inspiration…well for me it’s more admiration. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate someone I consider a close friend on a promotion! Marcia Karrow has been selected to replace State Senator Leonard Lance in District 23 (Hunterdon/Warren), Senator Karrow moves from her former position in the State Assembly, where as an Assemblywoman she sponsored sportsman friendly bills such as the “Bowhunter’s Safety Zone” and the “No Net Loss of Hunting Ground” bills that are currently pending in the State Legislature. The UBNJ wishes Senator Karrow continued success as she makes the transition from the Assembly to the Senate. The residents of District 23 are definitely in good hands!
I would like to take an opportunity to touch on crossbows for a moment...You know, the lightning rod of debate that seems to be able to bring out the worst in all hunters…The UBNJ’s official position on crossbow inclusion in New Jersey is this: We do not support the Fish & Game Council’s proposal for full inclusion. There are two very real, and pertinent, reasons that the UBNJ has taken this position. First, the Fish & Game Council proposal does not include any method to track the usage of the crossbow. There have been many numbers bandied around about how many “new” hunters the crossbow will recruit or create. Wouldn’t be smart, responsible in fact, to have a system that would track the actual usage of the weapon? To see what the increase truly is? Secondly, because the crossbow will be categorized as a bow, once the definition of a bow is re-written by the State, and deer harvests with a crossbow will be counted as archery harvests; there will be no way to track the impact of crossbows on the resource (Deer). In a day and age where deer harvest numbers are declining and hunters complain of “not seeing deer” isn’t it irresponsible NOT to be able to track the impact the crossbow will have on the resource?
Now, you may or may not like the UBNJ’s position on the crossbow; but our charter demands that the UBNJ “protect” bowseasons. The crossbow has the potential to impact bowseasons adversely, especially as it relates to deer harvest rates. IF harvest rates increase, bowhunters could see the reintroduction of Earn-A-Buck and/or shortening of bowseasons. The Assistant Director of Fish & Wildlife could not tell us that we wouldn’t see these measures put into place if archery harvests rise. Now I’m not saying any of this is going to happen, I’m not a “the sky is falling” kinda guy. None of us knows what impact crossbows will have on deer harvests; but wouldn’t it make sense to have a system in place that would?
This is my second Campfire, and the realization dawned on me that while I am well-known in the circles I travel, there are many of you who know little about me. So if you will indulge me, I’ll give you a brief glimpse into my world…My outdoor “heritage” began when I was introduced to hunting and fishing by my Father. I can remember walking cornfields with my Dad and our beagle Daisy when I was a young boy, and later hunting birds and rabbits by my Dad’s side. Pheasants, rabbits, and shotguns were my start in this sport, a sport that has been a part of my life for the past 28 years. Then, about 18 years ago, a good friend of mine introduced me to bowhunting. I haven’t looked back since. To me there is no feeling like being in the middle of nature and watching it unfold, and the only way to truly experience it is to be a bowhunter. The ability to sit in the middle of nature undetected while life happens around you is awe-inspiring; from squirrels chasing each other back and forth to a buck on a doe’s trail, from the changing colors of autumn’s leaves to winter’s first gentle snow; I've never felt closer to the Creator then when I'm sitting in the woods enjoying nature.
Daisy has long since passed away and most of the cornfields I roamed through my adolescent years are now houses, but my love of the outdoors is as strong as the memory of that first November walk through the corn. I don’t get out for birds or hunt with a gun as much as I used to. In recent years it’s been a conscience decision not to; it gives me more time with my bow in the fall woods and a certain personal satisfaction that only a bowhunter would know. When you’re hunting and a deer is so close that you can see its eyelashes, and in your minds-eye you make that perfect shot, while you simply watch it wander off mesmerized by nature’s sheer beauty; you know that you have arrived as a bowhunter. For me the thrill is not in the catch or the kill; the thrill is nature itself.
Semper Fidelis…
Brian Dolobacs