Holding Court is a series by retired Rye City Court Judge Joe Latwin. Latwin retired from the court in December 2022 after thirteen years of service to the City.
What topics do you want addressed by Judge Latwin? Tell us.
This week, we are on the topic of deer once again. See our recent articles on the deer management committee and on mayoral and council candidate views on deer control.
By Joe Latwin
Where does meat come from?
Not necessarily from Acme! Meat (at least the real stuff) comes from animals. These animals are either grown on ranches or farms or are hunted in the wild.
Back in England, the deer in the forests belonged to the King. He still owns the whales and dolphins. If you took a deer in the woods, you could be arrested. Accordingly, the prices for deer meat were dear. Remember Robin Hood and his merry men were hunting deer in Sherwood Forest and became outlaws. They didn’t steal from the rich to give to the poor; they stole from the government (the King).
These days the King no longer owns the deer that roam New York. However, you may be able to hunt.
New York State offers opportunities to hunt a diverse array of wildlife, including big game, small game, game birds, waterfowl and furbearers at various times throughout the year. But you need a hunting license.
Anyone 12 years and older (parental or guardian consent needed if under 16 years old) can get a hunting license. You don’t need a hunting license when hunting small game on your own land if you are primarily engaged in farming on farm lands they occupy or cultivate, or if you are a Native American living and hunting small game on reservation land.
A license grants the right to pursue and harvest wild game during the regulated hunting seasons.
You can buy a hunting license online. Fourteen days after applying you should receive your license and tags in the mail. To apply you will need: (a) One proof of residency (for resident fee); (b) a Hunter education certificate (for hunting license), or a Bowhunter education certificate (for bowhunting privilege); & (c) A credit card or debit card to pay for the fees, which are $22 annually for residents (ages 16-69), $5 for 70+ or 12- to 15-year-olds. You can buy a lifetime permit for $535.
The Department of Environmental Conservation sets the hunting seasons and the areas where firearms and longbow hunting are permitted. You also need to obtain the permission of the owner of the land on which you hunt. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) allows deer, bear, turkey, and small game hunting on designated City Water Supply lands as provided by New York State regulations. DEP is no longer issuing Hunting Tags for hunting on City Water Supply Lands.
In Westchester, deer hunting runs from October 1through December 31 and only bowhunting is allowed. There are also limits on the number of ducks you can bag. New York State has both spring and fall hunting seasons. The most successful turkey hunters use a variety of calls (e.g., box calls, slate calls, mouth calls) to bring a bird within gun range (usually 30 yards or less). I prefer to hunt turkey in the frozen section of Stop and Shop or at the deli counter – no permit required.
There are also local laws that limit the discharge of firearms and the distance from residence at which you can bow hunt.
