Authorizes the commercial hunting of deer in this state and the sale of venison so acquired

- 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. Authorizes 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 properly manage deer populations to reduce the risk of damage to agricultural 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 venison 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 1960s the amount of land that is under cultivation 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 in agricultural 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 residential 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 Insurance 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 individuals 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 populations. 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

See S.6287 of 2004, S.901 of 2005/2006, S.239 of 2007/2008

Fiscal implications

None.

Local fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

180 days after this act shall take effect.