BILL NUMBER: S7976

SPONSOR: RYAN C
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend chapter 230 of the laws of 2023, amending the environ-
mental conservation law relating to big game hunting authorization for
the county of Onondaga, in relation to the effectiveness thereof

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of this bill is to allow hunting of big game with a rifle in
Onondaga County.   
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Amends paragraph A of subdivision 2 of section 11-0907 of the
Environmental Conservation Law by adding a new item (o) to allow rifle
hunting of big game in Onondaga County from the first Saturday after
November 15 through the first Sunday after December 7.

Section 2: Amends item (f) of paragraph A of subdivision 2 of section
11-0907 of the Environmental Conservation Law to include a new item (o)
to allow rifle hunting of big game in Onondaga County from the first
              

Monday after November 15.through the first Tuesday after December 7.

Section 3: Amends paragraph A of subdivision 2 of section 11-0907 of the
Environmental Conservation Law by adding a new item (m) to allow rifle
hunting of big game in Onondaga County, from the first Saturday after
November 15 through the first Sunday after December 7.

Section 4: Amends item (f) of paragraph A of subdivision 2 of section
11-0907 of the Environmental Conservation Law to include a new item (m)
to allow rifle hunting of big game in Onondaga County from the first
Monday after November 15 through the first Tuesday after December 7.

Section 5: Provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Over 700,000 New York State residents hunt for big game in the State
each year. Hunting is a crucial conservation tool that keeps deer and
bear populations in check. Due to a variety of factors, the State's deer
population has rapidly increased to over 1.2 million. The overabundance
of deer negatively impacts farmers, homeowners, foresters, and drivers.
According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, hunters take
around 220,000 deer annually, thereby reducing the problems that accom-
pany deer overabundance. Hunters across most of the State are permitted
to use rifles to hunt big game except in two Upstate counties - Onondaga
and Livingston. Since 2005, several counties in the Finger Lakes Region,
Central New York, and the Southern Tier have permitted hunting big game
with rifles with very few reported itic:ittetifs or problems. Most
recently, in 2020, Tompkins County was authorized to allow licensed
hunters to use rifles for hunting big game. Since then, there have been
no serious incidents reported in that county because of that authori-
zation.  Therefore, this bill should be passed to authorize big game
hunting with rifles in Onondaga County.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-24: S6125 signed chap.230
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.