Assembly Bill A10175

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10175
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                May 4, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced   by   COMMITTEE  ON  RULES  --  (at  request  of  M.  of  A.
   J. A. Giglio) -- read once and referred to the Committee  on  Environ-
   mental Conservation
 
 AN  ACT directing the department of environmental conservation to estab-
   lish a deer management pilot program in the town of Southold
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, rule, or regu-
 lation  to the contrary, the department of environmental conservation is
 hereby authorized and directed to  establish  a  deer  management  pilot
 program in the town of Southold. Such program shall:
   a.  set  and  modify deer hunting seasons and regulate methods of take
 and bag limits in the town of Southold;
   b. allow use of firearms to take deer during the  regular  season  and
 eliminate  acreage  minimums  and  special season constraints within the
 town of Southold;
   c. regulate crossbow use within the town of Southold, including  when,
 where, and who is eligible to use crossbows for the taking of deer;
   d. set conditions under which hunters can receive some form of compen-
 sation for killing deer within the town of Southold;
   e. allow 12- and 13-year-old hunters to hunt deer with the supervision
 of a licensed, experienced adult within the town of Southold;
   f.  allow  12-  and  13-year-old hunters to hunt using firearms from a
 tree stand within the town of Southold, provided  it  is  a  tree  stand
 designed  to  accommodate  two or more persons and provided further that
 the supervising, experienced hunter is in the tree stand with the 12- or
 13-year-old;
   g. allow the department of environmental conservation to establish  or
 extend,  as  needed, a special January firearm season within the town of
 Southold;
   h. allow the department of environmental conservation to regulate  the
 standards  for  the harvesting of bucks or antlered deer within the town
 of Southold;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD15598-02-2
              

 A. 10175                            2
 
   i. establish other incentives for hunters  and  landowners  to  permit
 public deer hunting on private land within the town of Southold;
   j. issue any other rules or regulations as deemed necessary within the
 town of Southold;
   k.  regulate  deer  culling  by  qualified professionals under circum-
 stances holding special permits, including:
   (i) authorizing the department of environmental conservation to  issue
 special  permits  for  qualified  professionals under controlled circum-
 stances to conduct professional culling within the town of Southold;
   (ii) granting the department of environmental conservation full  regu-
 latory  authority over the issuance of such special permits and granting
 the department authority to establish any rules and  regulations  neces-
 sary within the town of Southold, including but not limited to:
   (1) authorizing the use of bait within 300 feet of a road;
   (2) authorizing special permit holders to shoot from a vehicle;
   (3)  authorizing  special  permit holders to discharge firearms within
 500 feet of a dwelling or structure;
   (4) authorizing the use of firearms equipped with sound suppression;
   (5) authorizing the use of rifles; and
   (6) any other rules or regulations for such  special  permits  as  the
 department  of  environmental  conservation deems fit within the town of
 Southold.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.