Well, the rumors are flying and my phone has been ringing.

"Are rifles going to be legal for deer in this area?"

It looks that way.

I talked to the Department of Environmental Conservation on Thursday morning and Otsego, Schoharie and several other counties in the Southern Tier will allow rifles for big-game hunting this fall. I have mixed feelings about the subject, but one of my main concerns is that if they allow long-range rifles, why did they not pass the blaze-orange ruling?

I personally feel the quality of deer hunting in a shotgun area is far better than in rifle country. A nice buck can be easily harvested when spotted at 200 or 300 yards away in a rifle zone.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]But in a shotgun area, hunters must use more woods skill and close the distance considerably. Many of those deer simply would vanish before finding themselves in the sights of a shotgun hunter.

With today’s sabot slugs and rifled barrels on a shotgun, the distance of accurate shots has been stretched considerably. Times are certainly changing, as is gun technology.

Currently, we can shoot with a pistol that uses rifle cartridges and in-line muzzleloaders that can reach out beyond 200 yards, so why not a rifle? I guess there’s no difference.

Let’s face it: Most hunters go out of their way to be safe in the woods. They don’t take "sound shots" and they usually make sure of their target.

With rifles, though, I think we all have to take an extra step. We must know what’s behind that deer. A .30-06, 7mm magnum or any number of high-powered rifles can accurately shoot 300-to-400 yards. When it passes through a deer, it still can travel a good distance. We must be aware of what is over the hill or on the other side of the meadow.

By the way, the push to use rifles in the area was not initiated by the DEC or any lobby by the insurance companies. The proposed legislation came from the NYS Conservation Council; it came from the hunters.

Even though you can hunt with about anything you want this fall — with the exception of a spear — your deer take will be down. Doe permits will be scarce. Lower Delaware County will have none, while upper Delaware and Otsego counties will see a drastic reduction in the numbers.

So, don’t be upset when you buy your license and you don’t get a doe permit. You’ll be the rule rather than the exception. Unless you own property and get a landowner’s permit, your chances will be slim. This might affect the number of city and out-of-state hunters, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Our deer herd is low in most areas. Luckily, we will see an increase in deer numbers over the next few years. Fewer deer make a better deer habitat. It’s only a matter of time.

I know many of you wanted to see the three-point-antler restriction like Pennsylvania has. We would like to see more quality deer management rather than quantity.

That, too, may happen, but it’s a few years down the road. Until then, be safe and enjoy the time you have out in the woods.

And remember, take your son or even the kid next door with you on your next hunting trip. We need more hunters to carry on the tradition.

Rick Brockway writes a weekly outdoors column for The Daily Star. E-mail her at brockway@dmcom.net.