Governor Hochul vetoes New York’s ‘holiday hunt’ opt-out bill

As reported here On Dec. 6, the New York State Legislature had passed a bill that would have allowed counties to opt out of the 2021 “holiday hunting” law, which added a deer hunting period to the December 26 to January 1 of each year in the designated southern area of ​​New York State. For those non-hunters, the South Zone is pretty much all the way south of the Adirondacks. Democratic state senator John Mannion sponsored the opt-out bill and another powerful Democrat ended his efforts.

Governor Kathy Hochul reportedly vetoed the county’s opt-out bill for “holiday hunting” much to the dismay of her fellow Democrat. Steve Featherstone of syracuse.com reported that Mannion provided a statement and said he would continue to pursue a “legislative solution” allowing counties to opt out of vacation hunting. “Deer hunters, sports organizations, local governments and conservation officers have all supported this bill because it makes outdoor recreation safer and protects a deer population that is depleted at this time of year. ‘year,” State Senator Mannion said in the statement.

Not everyone is unhappy that the opt-out bill was vetoed. The Department of Environmental Conservation, among others, was very much in favor of “holiday hunting”. They discovered that this could be a valuable time to expand outdoor activity in New York State. The idea being that family members use the extended vacation to teach young hunters during that week. Other outdoor sports enthusiasts, like Onondaga County Federation of Athletics Clubs Board Member Dave Simmons, cut to the chase with syracuse.com. “The governor’s veto says the legislature should do what it knows best, which is not to regulate wildlife.” Good luck to everyone enjoying the ‘Holiday Hunt’ in New York this season.