What follows is from a DEC press release:
DEC ANNOUNCES NEW BIG GAME HUNTING LAWS
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced two recent changes to laws affecting big game hunting this year in Cortland County and in parts of Delaware, Sullivan and Ulster counties. These bills were signed into law in mid-August, therefore, they are not included in the hard copy version of the 2011-2012 New York Hunting & Trapping Regulations Guide, but are reflected on the DEC website (
www.dec.ny.gov) and in the electronic version of the hunting guide (
www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/37136.html.)
Specifically, hunters should be aware that:
· In Cortland County – A new law allows the use of rifles for big game hunting in Cortland County, but does not allow the use of crossbows in this county during the regular big game season. However, crossbows may be used in Cortland County during the late muzzleloader season. See
www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/35010.html for a map of where rifles, shotguns, vertical bows and crossbows can be used for big game hunting and
www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/68802.html for details about hunting with crossbows and the required Certificate of Qualification. Separate legislation authorizing the use of rifles for big game hunting in Wyoming County and in the portion of Chautauqua County south of Route 20 also allows the use of crossbows during the regular big game season and late muzzleloader season in those counties.
· In Delaware, Sullivan and Ulster counties – A new law establishes mandatory antler restrictions in the portion of Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) 3A that lies south and west of State Route 28 (this includes parts of Delaware, Sullivan and Ulster counties). The law prohibits hunters from taking any antlered deer except those that have at least one antler with at least three points that are at least one inch long. The law applies to all public and private lands and all deer hunting seasons. Only hunters under the age of 17 are exempt and may take any antlered deer with at least one antler measuring three or more inches in length. Deer hunting regulations in all other WMUs were not affected by this legislation. See
www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/28605.html for a map of deer hunting seasons including the area with mandatory antler restrictions and
www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/27663.html for information of antler restrictions in New York.
These laws are in effect for the 2011 hunting seasons.
End of press release....
Also, for those that hunt bear in the southern zone, the deer and bear seasons are now the same-19November to 11 December, 2001. The regulation was changed to do away with the delayed bear season opener. I'm looking forward to the increased week of hunting bear.
Hopefully the crossbow confusion in Cortland County will get straightened out soon so that the law is uniform across the state. The Cortland County rifle bill was written before the crossbow law was passed but since the rifle bill passed later the language did not reflect crossbows as legal implements.
Lance
