As an avid hunter in New York State, I've witnessed the challenges resulting from the recent changes to our hunting licenses. Paper licenses, contrary to the former plastic versions, easily get damaged and are less effective in maintaining the credibility of our hunting tradition. 

With the shift to paper, the licenses become at risk for being destroyed while hunters deal with non favorable weather conditions Moreover, the very fabric of ethical hunting is being threatened. The move to paper licenses has inadvertently opened a gateway for fraudulent activities; false fabricating of tags has become increasingly easy, thus affecting the sustainability of our deer population.

Uncontrolled printing of multiple tags has potential to distort our deer population. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the deer hunting season of 2018-2019 saw an estimated deer harvest of 227,787. Imagine what unrestricted hunting could do to the whitetail population in New York State. 

Let's preserve not only our treasured hunting tradition but the wildlife that we respect and are responsible for. We urge the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to revert to issuing hunting licenses in durable plastic form.