New York Governor Kathy Hochul Vetoes Bill to Ban Holiday Hunting

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has vetoed a bill that would have allowed upstate New York Counties to ban holiday hunting.

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According to a report by Steve Featherstone of NYup.com, the bill would have allowed upstate New York counties to opt out of the holiday hunt season. The holiday hunt season runs from December 26 to January 1 and covers counties in the Southern Zone, which includes Southern Tier counties. It gives hunters an extra week of the hunting season and it gives younger hunters the chance to hunt during the winter break from school.

State Senator John Mannion, who sponsored the bill, said "Deer hunters, sportsman's organizations, local governments, and conservation officers all supported this bill because it makes outdoor recreation safer and protects a deer population that is exhausted by this time of year." Mannion also claimed the holiday hunting season was a burden to municipalities and that he would continue trying to find a legislative solution to the problem.

According to the report, some hunters actually supported the bill, saying that New York already has a particularly long season of 31 days not including the holiday hunting season.

Dave Simmons, Onondaga County Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs board member, said "The governor's veto affirms that the legislature should stick to what they know best, which is not regulating wildlife."

I'm not an avid hunter myself, but to me it appears that there's little harm in giving hunters an extra week in the season, especially for the younger hunters who might otherwise miss the season because of school and other responsibilities.