Governor signs bill allowing Syracuse’s deer culling program to target more animals

[ManualF150]

Governor signs bill allowing Syracuse’s deer culling program to target more animals

The new law expands the area in which certified USDA sharpshooters can hunt nuisance animals within the city of Syracuse.

www.syracuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse’s yearly effort to hunt nuisance deer will expand this winter thanks to a newly signed state law.


Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed legislation approved last spring by the state Legislature that reduces the setbacks from occupied buildings required for specially trained U.S. Department of Agriculture sharpshooters who cull deer.


Syracuse is close to starting its fifth season using the program aimed at reducing deer overpopulation in residential areas. Since the winter of 2019-20, the USDA-trained hunters have been working on select nights to reduce the number of animals that are causing vegetation damage, increasing motor vehicle crash risk on city streets and dropping disease-carrying ticks.



After the program eliminated 159 deer in its first year, numbers dropped significantly in the following winters. City officials have been working with state legislators on a change in the law that governs Syracuse’s urban deer management program.



State Sen. Rachel May and state Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter ushered through a bill that reduces the distance from an occupied building that deer management sharpshooters could fire from 500 feet to 250 feet. Anything inside that perimeter needs written permission of 100% of the affected property owners.



With Hochul’s signature this month, the expansion can move forward. The Syracuse Common Council has approved a $50,000 USDA contract for this year’s program that anticipated the expanded hunting zones. City officials hope they can cull 150 deer, up from 79 killed last winter.



The deer sharpshooters use sound-suppressed rifles, infrared vision devices and spotlights. Their work takes place in the northwest, southwest and southeast areas of the city. Deer harvested are processed for free by Marsh Mill Ranch and donated to food pantries. Last year, about 1,913 pounds of venison were delivered, providing 7,652 meals.



“Syracuse can work more closely with USDA-certified specialists, guaranteeing the highest level of expertise and professionalism when culling,” May said in a news release. “We can better manage the destructive habits and public health risks of deer while still enjoying the many wildlife areas of Central New York.”



City officials expect the deer management work, which also includes baiting targeted areas where hunts take place, to start next week. The program typically runs into the early spring.



“We’ve made significant progress in reducing the overpopulation of deer in the city over the past five years, but there continue to be parts of Syracuse where the problem is still serious,” Mayor Ben Walsh said in a written statement. “We expect this legislation will allow the City to safely conduct deer removal in additional locations, so we can improve public health and safety.”

 

[JunkBoxFull]

Now don`t you just LOVE, how they are suddenly allowed to use suppressors (which are deemed illegal in NYS),
and then the distance from a dwelling cut in half from 500ft down to 250ft, which they rushed a change of law right in there ?!?!?!

Communist dick tater`s!

 

[JunkBoxFull]

Only reason the gov`ho approved it, was to train up her elites. The deer population is unarmed!
If she gets her way, we will be unarmed, and next on the list.

 

[MothMan]

I live in the Cuse. The effin deer are eating up our gardens. Had a 4 pointer chewing on the arborvitae in back yard during broad daylight. Could hardly spook him away.

 

[FP1201]

The USDA Guys have been exterminating Deer on in the Fort Drum Containment Area for years...most folks never even know they were there, and they DO have some very cool toys.
Friend of mine supplies Apples for Bait Piles to them, another one helps with Meat distribution & processing.

 

[Saltwater60]

$50,000 to shoot 150 deer I’m in the wrong job.

 

[GOYABEAN]

Pretty soon the wildlife in land will disappear the millions of illegal invaders are gonna have to eat

 

[jimc]

Sound-suppressed rifles? Infrared vision devices? Those sound like weapons of war. Designed only to kill as many people as possible as fast as possible. They should be illegal!

 

[FP1201]

Sound-suppressed rifles? Infrared vision devices? Those sound like weapons of war. Designed only to kill as many people as possible as fast as possible. They should be illegal!

Actually, I think I should have the opportunity to own everything they use...come to think of it I COULD if I lived in a Free State.

 

[jimc]

Actually, I think I should have the opportunity to own everything they use...come to think of it I COULD if I lived in a Free State.

I would love a suppressor or three...

 

[FP1201]

I would love a suppressor or three...

There are MANY field expedient options for creating them, which I believe was but one reason why the "Hearing Protection" Legislation was introduced, but once again the Republicans dopped the Ball in the middle of a slam-dunk.

 

[S&W Fan]

I live in the Cuse. The effin deer are eating up our gardens. Had a 4 pointer chewing on the arborvitae in back yard during broad daylight. Could hardly spook him away.

A crossbow is your friend. Process said invasive species and enjoy !

 

[Apeman]

Funny how they get to use everything we can't AND get to hunt at night. I bet they aren't limited to 5 round mags either. A suppressed rifle 250 ft from a building is still going to be loud

I hope they get 1000 calls from pissed off residents that are bothered by the shooting so close to them

 

[FP1201]

Funny how they get to use everything we can't AND get to hunt at night. I bet they aren't limited to 5 round mags either. A suppressed rifle 250 ft from a building is still going to be loud

I hope they get 1000 calls from pissed off residents that are bothered by the shooting so close to them

Law Enforcement is made well aware of their Prescence well in advance and told where to pick up the dead animals should they want one.

 

[JunkBoxFull]

There are MANY field expedient options for creating them, which I believe was but one reason why the "Hearing Protection" Legislation was introduced, but once again the Republicans dopped the Ball in the middle of a slam-dunk.

Yes sir reeeeeeeeee! Matt Gaetz had the bill on his desk during the trump presidency, with ALL 3 branches, shoved it aside into the dust pile. Then when trump was gone, here come good ole dumbass Matt Gaetz with the HPA in HAND, parading around in congress looking for votes when he KNEW he wouldn`t get any votes AFTER we lost all 3 branches.

Worthless (R) phuck!

 

[FrankenCub]

Sound-suppressed rifles? Infrared vision devices? Those sound like weapons of war. Designed only to kill as many people as possible as fast as possible. They should be illegal!

So this is for non resident hunters then? Unless it LE using sound-suppressed rifles?

NVM... read the article. Gov bois doing the hunting. Figures.

 

[Saltwater60]

I think we should protest this and get PETA involved.

 

[Willyone]

Let's hope they pass the ammo BG check.

 

[Apeman]

Law Enforcement is made well aware of their Prescence well in advance and told where to pick up the dead animals should they want one.

That's not what I meant. It doesn't matter who authorized this or if the cops know. How pissed would you be if someone started shooting 250' from your house in the middle of the night? Even during the day if they start popping them in someone's neighborhood it's going to cause an issue. I understand that the deer need to go. Maybe these guys will stay away from houses and it won't be an issue.

 

[FP1201]

That's not what I meant. It doesn't matter who authorized this or if the cops know. How pissed would you be if someone started shooting 250' from your house in the middle of the night? Even during the day if they start popping them in someone's neighborhood it's going to cause an issue. I understand that the deer need to go. Maybe these guys will stay away from houses and it won't be an issue.

The Shooters adhere to strict and clearly defined rules: They're responsible for where every bullet lands, and just because they can hunt within 250' does not mean they are or that the Home and occupants are in danger...This ain't Bubba and his cousin out jack-lighting Deer.

 

[Acer-m14]

"U.S. Department of Agriculture sharpshooters "

i want to see them shoot .. prove to me they are sharpshooters .. ..

hell they prolly don't even know what a DEER is ..

they will be shooting all the John Deer Tractors out in the wild ..

hell NYPD can't hit the broad side of a barn

 

[Acer-m14]

PS .. the Deer were here First .. the people need to go ,,,

you took the Deer's land ...

 

[Acer-m14]

back in the days .. didn't Monroe county do the like the same in kodak park i think ...

to many deer .. .. they didn't do jack shit with there govt trained hunters .. it was a failure

 

[Apeman]

The Shooters adhere to strict and clearly defined rules: They're responsible for where every bullet lands, and just because they can hunt within 250' does not mean they are or that the Home and occupants are in danger...This ain't Bubba and his cousin out jack-lighting Deer.

I'm not implying that people are in danger. It's the noise and nuisance of having them that close to your house.

 

[Deplorable Me]

How can you shoot deer without ammo?

 

[Grimscale]

Pretty soon the wildlife in land will disappear

Ironic, since it is the Party that always ran on the "friends of the environment" schtick. Once again, proving they don't give a damn about the environment since their failed policies are usually the culprit that causes major population imbalances.

Funny how they get to use everything we can't AND get to hunt at night.

They're SO special!

The Shooters adhere to strict and clearly defined rules: They're responsible for where every bullet lands, and just because they can hunt within 250' does not mean they are or that the Home and occupants are in danger...This ain't Bubba and his cousin out jack-lighting Deer.

No, this is NY Law Enforcement... the groups who have already, and on multiple occasions, demonstrated they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn from inside, in full lighting, using tripods.

back in the days .. didn't Monroe county do the like the same in kodak park i think ...

I believe it was Durand Eastman Park, and yeah, I remember it was a fiasco and made them a laughing stock. Hundreds, of not thousands, of rounds of ammo shot off and only a small handful of deer "culled". Then, after promising the meat to homeless shelters, they backed out of that deal and had the animals destroyed (proving once again that political promises aren't worth the spit that drools out when they are uttered).

 

[MothMan]

This program started a few years back in another part of the Cuse. Then we had a deer in the backyard every so often, more during the winter as they would yard up sometimes in the yard. Now nighttime, daytime, winter, summer there are deer in the yard eating flowers or shrubs. What the deer did was learn that the people out at night with funny binoculars on their head were trying to kill them. So they got out of dodge and moved to a different neighborhood. They ain't that dumb!

 

[FP1201]

reply totally fucked up, working on another

 

[Cavalry]

"U.S. Department of Agriculture sharpshooters "

i want to see them shoot .. prove to me they are sharpshooters .. ..

Supposedly, their qualification is 3 consecutive shots at 100 yards with a 1" group.

1 MOA qualification if true is not a terrible shot and certainly not happening with out of the box gear.

 

[Willyone]

Wabbits & woodchucks are also destructive to property. People bitch about them as much if not more than the deer. Are those critters next?

Then there are the destructive and life threatening 2 legged critters in/around Syracuse. Sometimes referred to as hood-rats, those critters actually kill folks. No plans to cull them critters though.