New Regulations Being Rolled Out For New York Deer Hunters

If you plan on hunting deer or moose this year in New York, be advised there are some new regulations from the DEC.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation plan on implementing the strongest efforts in the country to combat chronic wasting disease. For those that don't know, this is a fatal brain disease found in certain species of the deer family. It was actually discovered here in Central New York, specifically in Oneida County back in 2005.

More than 49,000 deer have been tested statewide since 2002, and there have been no re occurrences of the disease since 2005. New York is still the only state to have eliminated CWD once it was found in wild populations. Other states have not been as fortunate.

New York has several regulations about to be rolled out to help combat this even more:

In addition to conducting joint inspections of cervid farms and increased record sharing among agencies, the plan will prohibit the importation of certain parts from any CWD-susceptible cervid taken outside of New York and includes specific restrictions on what will be allowed into the state.
The plan also calls for increased public participation in the state's efforts, and DEC and Ag & Markets are urging hunters and citizens to:
- Report sick or abnormally behaving deer;
- Do not feed wild deer;
- Dispose of carcasses properly at approved landfills;
- Report violators;
- Use alternatives to urine-based lures or use synthetic forms of deer urine."

The final CWD plan is available on DEC's website. You can read it at any time.