NY game laws… Head shakers!

hunt0168

hunt0168

Well-known member
Just something for the sake of conversation…

So we have a season on coyotes. October 1st thru March 31st. 24 hours a day, no limits.

During the off season there is the right to protect your property. Buildings, animals, livestock etc. This can be done by the landowner or lease holder, immediate family of the landowner or employee of landowner.

This seems okay at first blush but I’ve spoken to our conservation dept. and you need to be able to prove you have a problem. To quote the encon officer I spoke with, he said “Not every coyote that crosses the back 40 is a nuisance animal.”

While I agree with this, I also understand and respect the perspective of the farmers that call on me to help protect their stock. The D.E.C. (Dept of Environmental Conservation) needs proof so a Farmer needs to wait for injury or death of their property. Farmers don’t want to lose a $1000 calf to show proof.

I personally do not enjoy the heat and mosquitoes during the summer months but I do help out the farmers when they need it. I’d rather let the pups make it to fall when it’s more enjoyable for me and better suited to pup survival. I have a different perspective of coyotes than these folks. I hunt for the enjoyment and to feed my addiction! They’re trying to make a living.

Anyone deal with similar laws or moral struggles dealing with the law and landowners?
 
DoubleLungRage said:
Here in SC it's kinda the opposite. They limit the number of deer that hunters can kill, yet give farmers depredation permits to kill deer out of season.

Fortunately, pigs and coyotes are not considered game animals therefore they can be killed 24/7.
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Deer is a whole nother topic but it’s similar to what you say but not exact. Limits on DDP’s and sometimes it’s limited to harassment techniques over lethal means.

The waiting for something to happen before you take action on coyotes is kinda crazy to me. Not sure why or how that makes sense? For half of the year you can kill all you want 24/7 but to protect your property the other 6 months you’re supposed to have proof and reason to protect yourself.
 
hunt0168 said:
Deer is a whole nother topic but it’s similar to what you say but not exact. Limits on DDP’s and sometimes it’s limited to harassment techniques over lethal means.

The waiting for something to happen before you take action on coyotes is kinda crazy to me. Not sure why or how that makes sense? For half of the year you can kill all you want 24/7 but to protect your property the other 6 months you’re supposed to have proof and reason to protect yourself.
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I agree.

One here in SC that gets to me is the way coons are protected.

The DNR says that coons are destroying turkey nests and that our turkey numbers VERY low, yet under the current rules it's almost impossible to kill a coon.


Also... In SC our game "laws" are actual laws and are made by the General Assembly which is a group of politicians that have NO knowledge of biology.
 
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Just take care of what needs taken care of, lol. Same with deer during season. Now I don’t believe in wasting deer, we find homes for them all and even though we manage the property based on biological recommendations, we still have folks and processors wanting deer when the season ends. Those folks get put on the top of the list for next year.
Thankfully GA allows the taking of coyotes, coons, possums, hogs, and beaver year round 24/7 with no limits.
 
Spurchaser said:
Just take care of what needs taken care of, lol.
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Easier said than done when you think about it. A person “taking care of things” without the correct information to show to the law when they get a call from someone that heard a shot or saw something puts them in a position where they are now in a criminal act. Losing my equipment or right to hunt, fines or possibly jail time doesn’t set well with me. Meanwhile my property owners are wanting to protect their animals and not wait for catastrophe to occur.

Like I said, it is hard to wrap your head around the logic behind the law. If NY let private owners control their property it would be a huge step in the right direction. Close public ground to hunting during off season but let property owners handle things as they see fit. But it’s NY so???
 
Yeah, I can see that. All my properties are gated and locked and most GW ask permission before entering and talk to managers/landowners first. But all these guys have serious money too…that may be part of why things are this way. They pretty much only show up if called by them, not nearby property owners. All my shooting is at night and suppressed.
 
hunt0168 said:
Just something for the sake of conversation…

So we have a season on coyotes. October 1st thru March 31st. 24 hours a day, no limits.

During the off season there is the right to protect your property. Buildings, animals, livestock etc. This can be done by the landowner or lease holder, immediate family of the landowner or employee of landowner.

This seems okay at first blush but I’ve spoken to our conservation dept. and you need to be able to prove you have a problem. To quote the encon officer I spoke with, he said “Not every coyote that crosses the back 40 is a nuisance animal.”

While I agree with this, I also understand and respect the perspective of the farmers that call on me to help protect their stock. The D.E.C. (Dept of Environmental Conservation) needs proof so a Farmer needs to wait for injury or death of their property. Farmers don’t want to lose a $1000 calf to show proof.

I personally do not enjoy the heat and mosquitoes during the summer months but I do help out the farmers when they need it. I’d rather let the pups make it to fall when it’s more enjoyable for me and better suited to pup survival. I have a different perspective of coyotes than these folks. I hunt for the enjoyment and to feed my addiction! They’re trying to make a living.

Anyone deal with similar laws or moral struggles dealing with the law and landowners?
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Actually, NYSCL Section 11-0521 only requires proof if it's a bear. 11-0523, subsection 6 and 8, says a farmer can take a cayote, as well as other specific wild animals, at any time by any manner and do not need a license or permit on their property. The only issue for me is whether a coyote hunter, with the Owner's permission, can act as an unpaid employee (volunteer) and satisfy the law's requirement that they be an employee.
 
Who said anything about "unpaid" or "volunteer"?

§ 11-0523. Destructive or menacing wildlife; taking without permit.

6. Raccoons, muskrats, coyotes or fox injuring private property may be taken by the owner, occupant or lessee thereof, or an employee or family member of such owner, occupant or lessee, at any time in any manner.
 
hunt0168 said:
Who said anything about "unpaid" or "volunteer"?

§ 11-0523. Destructive or menacing wildlife; taking without permit.

6. Raccoons, muskrats, coyotes or fox injuring private property may be taken by the owner, occupant or lessee thereof, or an employee or family member of such owner, occupant or lessee, at any time in any manner.
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Listen sir, I'm going to need to marry your daughter to solve your coyote problem.

Could be worse..
 
Thanks for repeating what I said. My issue is the "employee" requirement. Volunteers - unpaid workers - are considered employees by some NY departments. The issue is does DEC? I wrote the DEC Office of the General Counsel and asked that question. I'm waiting on a response.
 
I forgot that you guys are in New York. Here in TN, every farm owner's daughter is a 7 or better..

It's a state law.

We don't have any of those confused boys in dresses here.

It's another state law..
 
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