S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
3150
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
February 2, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. J. A. GIGLIO -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Environmental 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 may, at the discretion of
the department of environmental conservation:
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;
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07252-01-3
A. 3150 2
h. allow the department of environmental conservation to regulate the
standards for the harvesting of bucks or antlered deer within the town
of Southold;
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 regarding the taking of deer
within the town of Southold as deemed necessary;
k. regulate deer culling by qualified professionals holding special
permits under controlled circumstances, 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 regarding the taking of deer 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 discharge firearms within
500 feet of a currently occupied dwelling or structure with the written
or verbal approval of the owner of the property on which such dwelling
or structure stands, or the current occupant of such dwelling or struc-
ture;
(3) authorizing the use of firearms equipped with sound suppression;
(4) authorizing the use of rifles; and
(5) any other rules or regulations regarding the taking of deer by
such special permit holders as the department of environmental conserva-
tion deems fit within the town of Southold.
ยง 2. This act shall take effect immediately.