On Monday during a meeting in regular session, the Schuyler County legislature unanimously voted to enact a local law that allows 12 and 13-year-old youth to hunt with a firearm or crossbow this fall season.
This pilot program will go through 2023 and all youth must be under the supervision of an experienced adult hunter.
Schuyler County Sheriff William Yessman, Undersheriff Breck Spaulding, County Clerk Theresa Philbin, and County Attorney Steven Getman all supported the law prior to it passing and a retired New York State Conservation officer spoke at the meeting Monday in favor of it. Nobody opposed legislation.
Statewide there are currently 18 counties who have chosen to allow youth hunting including Yates, Steuben, Chemung, and Livingston.
As counties choose to pass laws that allow youth hunting, they will be added to a regularly updated map on the DEC’s Junior Big Game Hunting website.
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