[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]You may have seen the February 22, 2022 DEC (Bureau of Wildlife) report at the link above. It just came to LOHV/NY’s attention as it was discussed today in the Erie County Environmental Committee. The DEC (Bureau of Wildlife) is pressuring Erie County to allow 12 and 13-year-olds to hunt big game, including bears. The report consists of shocking recommendations as they push for a rescission of Mark Poloncarz’s veto of the opt-in vote to lower the age for hunting big game.
Should their recommendations be implemented, it would wipe out any gains made by Senator Krueger in the 2021 budget bill. It would deny home rule to counties with regard to a lower age for hunting big game, and it would rescind the exclusion of bears from being killed by young children.
Here is a summary of their recommendations:
Recommendation 1 would make the lower hunting age for killing big game permanent immediately, rather than waiting for the 3-year pilot to end and then making a decision. This recommendation would take away the ability of counties to make their own decisions about youth hunting where there is a possibility that sentiment could change as more of the public becomes aware of the program.
Recommendation 2 would overturn the bear exclusion that was wonderfully put into the 2021 budget bill by Sen. Krueger. The DEC (Bureau of Wildlife) recommends that bears be included with deer to become victims of hunters’ firearms (including AK-47s and AR-15s and crossbows that shoot like guns).
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Recommendation 3 would eliminate the “opt-in” option and extend the lower hunting age for all of NYS. They specifically target the exempt counties of Westchester, Suffolk, and Westchester for the ostensible sake of “uniformity” and con- venience of the hunters. Basically, it’s the same recommendation as their first, that the state should simply impose the lower hunting age on all counties.
The Bureau of Wildlife’s imposition on counties should no longer be tolerated, and their reversal or side-stepping of law that passed in 2021 should not be allowed.
We look forward to hearing from you and look forward to any recommendations you may have.
Best,
Anne Muller
League of Humane Voters/NY, 914-388-5221
BOW’s full report to the NYS Legislature: https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/jrhunterlegislativereport21.pdf
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