East end beaches are the best. Smith’s Point, Tiana, et al. Still go during the week to avoid the NYC crowds. New York is diverse:there are upstaters, downstaters, city-people, Long Islanders, and us East-Enders. We summered as kids way back when out in Springs, with the “bonackers.” Dug clams from Three Mile harbor. Did some marketing for Marders in another lifetime in Bridgehampton. Several real nice sculpture gardens.

my son played on a little league team Charlie sponsored with his son. small world!

Harry, sorry I didn't see this. Apparently the new law stipulates that you have to have a permit to buy a semi auto rifle, and I'm not sure if that means .22LR as well. And microstamping is apparently in the law to be signed. They're now considering background checks for ammo for the next legislative session. This information is all second hand to me, and I have yet to verify it all. I sent an email to the NYS Rifle and Pistol Association but haven't heard back yet on all the details, and I'm sure they'll respond when it's signed into law.

It's an amazing state, with lots of geography. As a hunter ed instructor here in CNY, I've had folks from every corner of the state come in. We used to a 3-day class - Fri night, Sat and Sun when there was allowed a combined gun/bow event. A father/ son combo from Montauk came for that because nothing out on the Island. It is a small world!

Not surprised about the Hunter-Ed. When I went to renew my decades old license, no longer in the system, I had to attend a one day course. They filled up within hours of announcement.

Hi John,

Until last year, I volunteered in the DEC booth at the NYS Fair in Syracuse every year. And we'd get accosted by people telling us we needed to hold more classes, with the same claim you just made - filling up quickly (usually within minutes of it going live to sign up). When we told those folks we were all volunteers, it usually changed their tone about it. It is a mostly thankless job, but all of us get some satisfaction from holding them. It has been tough with COVID, since we were prohibited from doing the in-person classes. It was interesting, as the numbers of new hunters was way up, with hunting related incidents at one of the lowest ever. My nephew and brother did the online class, and there was a lot that got lost in that format, but real-world experience is paying off for them both as they hunted last year.

It was nice to see the large number of younger people attending the HE course. Fathers with sons ad daughters, mothers with same, and a sprinkling of us older folk. The course was, for one day, fairly comprehensive. This was pre-covid. And yes, all very civic minded volunteers.