For Release: Monday, March 10, 2008

DEC Submits Fish/Wildlife Bills to Legislature

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today that the following bills regarding Fish and Wildlife programs have been submitted for introduction during the 2008 Legislative Session:

Junior Hunter/Trapper Mentoring
This bill would establish a junior big-game hunting license and a junior trapper mentoring program. The junior hunting license would allow 14- and 15-year-olds (who can already hunt small game with a firearm) to obtain a license to hunt big game with a firearm. The junior hunter would have to be accompanied by an adult who a) is 21 years or older and has at least three years of big-game hunting experience and b) exercises control over the junior hunter at all times during hunting.
The trapper mentoring program would allow licensed trappers to serve as "mentors" and allow someone younger than 12 (who doesn't have a trapping license) to assist with trapping.

Modernize Fish and Wildlife Law
The bill would:

Give DEC authority to regulate ring-necked pheasant and quail statewide.
Enable the final federal regulations to set migratory game-bird hunting seasons in NYS, except where more restrictive regulations have been adopted by DEC.
Permit the use of longbows beyond 250 feet of structures.
Allow the taking of snapping turtles by hand, net or turtle trap.
Allow the use of crossbows by seniors/persons with disabilities.
Allow the use of live-restraint cable devices for trapping furbearing animals.

Increase Penalties
This bill would increase civil and criminal penalties for certain violations of the Environmental Conservation Law, including illegal taking of deer (deer-jacking).