NY & Mass threat to Bowhunting

[Mint]

New York and Massachusetts Bills Create Unnecessary No Hunting Zones
5/26/11

 

Bills in New York and Massachusetts would arbitrarily decrease land open for hunting.

New York Assembly Bill 7878, introduced by Assemblyman Fred Thiele (I-Sag Harbor), would double the state’s no hunting zones near houses and other buildings.

Current New York law prohibits hunting with a firearm or bow within 500 feet of a dwelling, including a home, school building, school playground, or occupied farm building, factory, or church.  Hunting within this zone near a dwelling, even if the dwelling is on an adjacent property, is only allowed with permission from the dwelling’s owner.  Assembly Bill 7878 would unnecessarily expand the no hunting zone to 1,000 feet.

Massachusetts House Bill 657, introduced by Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein (D- Suffolk), would also increase Massachusetts’ no hunting zones near occupied dwellings from 500 to 1,000 feet.

State law in Massachusetts already prohibits possessing a loaded firearm or hunting on someone else’s land within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling without the dwelling owner’s permission.  This bill would arbitrarily double that distance to 1,000 feet.

“If either bill is passed, sportsmen will be forced to ask permission from a neighboring landowner to hunt on lands they have safely hunted on for years,” said Jeremy Rine, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance associate director of state services.  “If that landowner is an anti-hunter, sportsmen will be effectively banned from hunting on these areas.”

Take Action!  Sportsmen need to reach out to their legislators today and let them know that these bills unfairly limit hunting land access and will infringe on private property rights.

New York sportsmen should contact their state assembly person and ask them to oppose Assembly Bill 7878.

Massachusetts sportsmen should contact their state representative and ask them to oppose House Bill 657.

To find your state legislator’s contact information, please visit  www.ussportsmen.org/LAC.

[GreyGoose]

This is a clear case of a "solution" to a problem that doesn't exist. Hope it fails.

[Mint]

It will in effect end a lot of hunting on Long Island since most of the hunting is done on small woodlots.

[East Coast archer]

I'm shocked.  In NJ we just got the safety zone reduced last year from 500' to 250' for bowhunting from a treestand and I thought NJ was the most antihunting legislation state in the Union!!  I would suggest all members from those two states contact their reps. and let them know.

[Buckeye Trad Hunter]

I understand the concern and hate to be the devils advocate here but if I don't know you, I really am not comfortable with you using a firearm within 500 feet of my home anyway.  I don't understand from the above posting how that if you have had permission for years to hunt a piece of property that this would change it.  It doesn't say anywhere that you have to ask my neighbor for permission to hunt my property.  All that aside, if there is no reason to change this law then it should be left alone.  If there haven't been a rash of homes being shot up by irresponsible hunters then legislaters need to work on real problems instead of pulling out the ole smoke and mirrors so it will seem as if they accomplished something when the reality is it was just slight of hand.

[GreyGoose]

Originally posted by Buckeye Trad Hunter:
....If there haven't been a rash of homes being shot up by irresponsible hunters then legislaters need to work on real problems .

What I was trying to say, Buckeye - thanks

[briarpatch]

Originally posted by East Coast archer:
I'm shocked.  In NJ we just got the safety zone reduced last year from 500' to 250' for bowhunting from a treestand and I thought NJ was the most antihunting legislation state in the Union!!  I would suggest all members from those two states contact their reps. and let them know.

Actually...our safety zone for bowhunting in NJ was reduced to 150 feet....from an occupied dwelling....it remained 450 feet from a school or playground...the safety zone for firearms was unchanged (450 feet)

[Cyclic-Rivers]

The issue with expanding the zone will mean most of westchester county will be off limits to hunting.  The idea that you would need to gain permission to hunt on you own land by a homeowner that lives 1000 feet away from a stand you have hunted for years is crazy. I understand what you mean buckeye about houses being shot up but I think most house are not being pelted by quiver loads of arrows.

Personally I think NJ went in the right direction!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Places like Westchester already have landowners begging to kill the deer that are destroying their yards, but if you cannot hunt them, they will have an explosion of deer, coyotes and Ticks.

[briarpatch]

Originally posted by Cyclic-Rivers:
Personally I think NJ went in the right direction!

that's not something we hear very often!!!

[Mint]

Buckeye Trad hunter,
This bill is being pushed because one assembly man is getting complaints from his very wealthy constituents ( Hamptons Area ) that do not want people near there multi-million dollar homes. Ive never heard of any mishaps in the area. There just want to have this extra land bordering them as an extension of there own land.

[horatio1226]

Typical New York city politicians ruining our beautiful upstate.  :mad: