This could be a problem..

[venisonman]

Following is a bill in NYS
A06429 Summary:
SAME AS    Same as S 901                                                       
                                                                               
SPONSOR    Magee                                                               
                                                                               
COSPNSR                                                                       
                                                                               
MLTSPNSR                                                                       
                                                                               
Add Art 11 Title 8 SS11-0801 - 11-0809, En Con L; amd SS96-g, 198 & 199, Ag & 
Mkts L                                                                         
Authorizes the commercial hunting of deer in this state and the sale of venison
so acquired; subjects such sales to such laws and regulations as apply to the 
sale of beef.                                                                 


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A06429 Actions:
03/11/2005 referred to environmental conservation                             


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A06429 Votes:


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A06429 Memo:
TITLE  OF BILL:   An act to amend the environmental conservation law and       
the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the commercial  hunting,       
taking, transportation, and sale of deer and venison                           
                                                                               
PURPOSE:  This bill authorizes the commercial taking of venison for sale       
under  strict  regulation  by the Departments of Environmental Conserva-       
tion, Agriculture & Markets and Health. This is a  study  bill  that  is       
being  introduced  to obtain public comments on the proposition that the       
commercial taking of deer needs to be considered and  perhaps  added  to       
the other deer management tools that are at the disposal of the Environ-       
mental Conservation Department to adequately manage deer herds.               
                                                                               
SUMMARY  OF  PROVISIONS:   Section 1: Adds a new title 8 to the Environ-       
mental Conservation Law to authorize  the  commercial  hunting,  taking,       
transportation  and  sale  of  venison  and  other  deer  products.  The       
provisions are as follows:                                                     
                                                                               
- 11-0801 - This article shall apply  only  to  those  persons  who  are       
licensed to take deer for commercial sale.                                     
                                                                               
-  11-0803  -  The  Department  of  Environmental Conservation (DEC) may       
impose limitations on the time, place and  manner  of  taking  deer  for       
commercial sale to ensure that deer populations are properly managed.         
                                                                               
-  11-0805  -  This section establishes the licensing procedure for this       
new type of license. It establishes that only  experienced  hunters  can       
obtain such a license.                                                         
                                                                               
- 11-0807 - Requires that the commercial hunting season shall only begin       
after  the recreational hunting season for wild deer has ended.  Author-       
izes the DEC to establish the  time,  bag  limits  and  zones  in  which       
commercial  licenses may be issued. Sets out standards for the number of       
licenses to be issued  so  that  deer  populations  will  be  adequately       
managed.  Ensures that the number of permits issued will be set to prop-       
erly manage deer populations to reduce the risk of  damage  to  agricul-       
tural  crops, minimize the number of motor vehicle collisions with deer,       
the spread of diseases such as Lyme disease, and to better manage forest       
resources.                                                                     
                                                                               
- 11-0809 - This provision outlines what, where, who and how such  veni-       
son  can  be sold to commercial establishments. It also ensures that all       
venison will be processed in a manner that conforms with New York  State       
health regulations.                                                           
                                                                               
EXISTING  LAW:    Under current law, no commercial hunting of venison is       
permitted.                                                                     
                                                                               
JUSTIFICATION:  Since the 1960`s the amount of land that is under culti-       
vation has decreased substantially. In place of these farms  have  grown       
secondary  growth  forests  which  has  greatly expanded the habitat for       
                                                                               
deer.  Consequently, deer populations have been  and  continue  to  grow       
very  rapidly.  Unfortunately,  the sizable increase in deer populations       
has had many significant  detrimental  effects.  Among  the  detrimental       
effects  include, the loss of approximately $59 million dollars in agri-       
cultural production and income each year, damage to new  and  old  fruit       
trees  and vineyards, increases in the number of motor vehicle accidents       
with deer with consequential loss of life and  property,  the  increased       
spread  of  diseases  such  as  Lyme  disease  by deer acting as disease       
vectors, and the destruction of home and commercial landscaping in resi-       
dential neighborhoods.                                                         
                                                                               
An insurance industry study concluded that nationwide  over  150  people       
die  each year due to deer induced traffic accidents. Further the direct       
economic damages from these accidents is approximately $1.1 Billion each       
year. In New York, one group cited that annually there are approximately       
10,000 reported incidents where deer are hit by motor vehicles. However,       
other researchers maintain that the number is closer to  between  50,000       
and  70,000  each year because many collisions go unreported. The Insur-       
ance Information Institute  estimates  that  each  deer  accident  costs       
approximately  $2,000  for  each claim. Therefore, the property/casualty       
and personal injury claims caused by deer accidents in New  York  is  at       
least  $20,000,000  each  year and could be as high as $140,000,000 each       
year.                                                                         
                                                                               
The losses sustained by New York agriculture from deer  browsing  damage       
is also quite high. In the Hudson Valley, NYS Farm Bureau estimates that       
deer  damage is approximately $68 per acre or $14.6 million annually. On       
a statewide basis, the total damage  to  the  agricultural  industry  is       
approximately $59 million each year.                                           
                                                                               
With  the  surge in deer populations and the reduced numbers of individ-       
uals that hunt deer, Cornell University reports that other means of deer       
management need to be developed and instituted to stem the loss of  life       
and  property/casualty damage due to motor vehicle accidents and loss of       
agricultural crops. This bill is one method by which  deer  populations,       
under the strict scrutiny of DEC, can be brought back to more manageable       
and  self-sustaining  numbers.  Without instituting measures such as the       
one contained in this bill,  deer  populations  will  continue  to  grow       
beyond  the  bounds  of  our  current environment to sustain these popu-       
lations. This will lead to further loss of human life,  economic  damage       
and more deer dying during winter seasons due to the lack of food.             
                                                                               
In  addition, this bill promotes the utilization of New York`s resources       
to supply additional meat for consumption  within  this  state  and  for       
export  to other areas of the country. In the southwest portions of this       
country, more than a few restaurants utilize venison in  local  cuisine.       
This  measure  would  increase  the  supply  of venison and increase the       
possibility that a local New York cuisine  movement  could  develop  and       
center on the preparation and consumption of venison.                         
                                                                               
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:  Same as S.6287                                           
                                                                               
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:  None.                                                   
                                                                               
LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:  None.                                             
                                                                               
EFFECTIVE DATE:  180 days after this act shall take effect.                   
                                                                               

[devil-man]

I definitely have a problem with it!
I can only imagine what some people would do after they obtained a commercial license.

 

[bird dog]

So long as they regulate and research any and all that are going to apply for such a permit. Have an in depth background search of each applicant and areas that are planned to be hunted. I think that it could be a resourceful method of management. However, a concern of mine would be that by the end of our regular season we have bucks shedding already. I truly don't believe that the management of our deer herd has a place for buck removal, at least at the level that I think they would be harvested under the circumstances.

[Chucker]

The Department of Health would have a cow.  (ha, get it?)

The guy obviously has no concept of the mild paranoia surrounding CWD either.  It'll never fly.

[smokepole]

Sounds like BS to me, plus I don't think a lot of it is true.  When I first started deer hunting 25 years ago, it was nothing to see 25 - 50 deer on opening day of gun season.  No way there is that many deer that it is such a problem that commercial ventures are needed to control populations.  If so, why are doe permits greatly reduced?  And if control is needed, give me more than one buck tag for the bow!  In order to hunt a decent rack, I have to let the tasty smaller bucks go, which means I am taking a risk of not getting anything.  Another buck bow tag would mean I can shoot any buck for the freezer, then hold out for a wall mounter, and then there would be no 'need' for commercial ventures.

[bird dog]

There are more deer now than we have had in many years, in N.Y. it is cause for concern, sickness, car/deer collisions, landscaping, crops being decimated and many more. I also was hunting 20 years ago and can remember that we had to have 4 guys on a DMU permit. Now that biology has shown us that giving extra buck tags is not a solution to our growing herd. That is why several years back they made antlerless only DMU permits and then started to give them out to almost all that applied. Buck harvesting does not control the herd, bottom line. The doe is the key to balancing the herd. Loss of huntable land and hunters has played a huge part of the unbalanced herd numbers. 1-1 is ideal, not going to happen in most cases. Trying to get it as close is what the permit game is all about. On average in my area we will get 2 min, DMU permits, more than likely 4. Similar in other areas also. This so that the doe will be harvested not the 1.5 yr old bucks or the 2yr olds. If those bucks are allowed to get to maturity the overall deer hunting in your area will improve greatly. Giving more tags for bucks will do nothing for the overall herd, it may help your ego but that is the extent of it. None of this is intended to be argumentative, there is so much info out there to help hunters focus on the problems at hand, to help the herd overall. If CWD hits here hard we will wish that we had done something sooner to reduce the herd instead of complaining about bucks. I would love to see a state wide antler restriction,it would settle down some of the run and gun guys and make people responsible for their actions.Unfortunately it will create a poaching problem. Join a club or read those articles about balancing a herd, talk to people around you and make a difference together

[smokepole]

bird dog, I'm not sure where you are in NY, but where I live, the population is probably half what it was when I started hunting 25 years ago.  And in 1980, our area was 2 people on a permit.  I remember that because it was my Dad and I on a permit every year until they made it one man per.  And I do utilize my doe tags, but I wish I could get another buck with the bow, that's all.  I currently pass up the 1.5 - 2.5 year old bucks, hoping to get a 3.5 - 4.5 year old, which is taking a risk of not getting a deer in the freezer.  The point I am making, is that there is legislation out there to control the deer herd, but the amount of permits was dramatically reduced - that seems like a conflict, no?  So, I was saying that if it is ok for commercial hunters to take deer, I wish I could get a second tag.  I fully understand the balance of a deer herd, does vs bucks, and luckily, our area has a decent balance.  Altho I do know there are areas near me where 19 out of 20 deer are does.  No lie, but there are some years I pass up 8 or 10 buck before I see a doe.  And I usually prefer to hunt apples or acorns, places where does congregate.  As for poaching, it is rampant in my area, as it probably is in yours and all places.  I have even heard rumors of a hunting tourney in town where I live, where the winner is the one with the most deer taken, by any means.  Good hunting...

[venisonman]

On average in my area we will get 2 min, DMU permits, more than likely 4. Similar in other areas also.

So what area of NY are you in? There are extremely few areas in NY where you can get 2 let alone 4!

[archbishop]

over here in WNY we have the highest deer population and largest deer take in NY. heck the 4 southern tier counties of western NY have more of a deer take than any 8 or 9 other counties combined, we got 58% of the deer take for the whole state last year. i have never heard of 4 DMU permits. in the book it only shows you get 2 and the past couple of years that has been a chore

from NY game and fish.

WESTERN NEW YORK
New York's western counties saw significant harvest reductions in almost all counties and WMUs, but hunters in this part of the state still took more deer than most other counties. These WMUs boast some of the highest deer densities and buck densities in the state. Western New York produced 120,608 deer, or 58 percent of the statewide count.

[smokepole]

over here in WNY we have the highest deer population and largest deer take in NY. heck the 4 southern tier counties of western NY have more of a deer take than any 8 or 9 other counties combined, we got 58% of the deer take for the whole state last year.

Wow, didn't know that...

i have never heard of 4 DMU permits. in the book it only shows you get 2 and the past couple of years that has been a chore

2 has been the limit here also.  they went so fast this year, they were totally out in all the zones around me when I got my license.

[bird dog]

I hunt in 8h & 8n, last year everyone that I know got two the first time around, then they offer on a first come first serve deal and we all got two more last year. This year we all got two the first time, the second chance isn't until a few more weeks. It is very common here to get that many. I am talking about 20 or more hunters in the area, not just my family. We have way too many deer in our area, the heard is too large for the natural carring capacity of this area. It is slowly comming into check but I think it will take at least anouther good year of havesting to get to the point that they don't give out so many DMU's. Last year was not a good year for most the weather was warm, deer didn't move as much and people said they didn't see deer. We have deer down here!!!

[bird dog]

I am sorry I just noticed that I have a typo in my statements, I meant to say DMP's, not DMU's, I think that most of you know what I was referring to at any rate. Take care