On Monday, December 17, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, at the request of the majority of the New York sportsmen’s community vetoed Assembly Bill 10583A. AB 10583A would have authorized the continued use of crossbows in firearms and late archery/muzzleloader seasons. However, language in the bill would have made it impossible for the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to continue their highly successful youth firearms deer hunt which was held for the first time this year on Columbus Day weekend.
The New York Sportsmen’s Advisory Council (an advisory group for the New York Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus made up of national and state-based sportsmen’s organizations governed by a board of directors comprised of leaders of the sportsmen’s community) was highly engaged on this issue – urging the governor to veto this bill, and rallying the support of their membership bases to do the same. Following Governor Cuomo’s veto, the youth hunt will now be able to occur, as planned, in 2013 and crossbow usage will have to be addressed in separate legislation in the 2013 legislative session.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
