Livingston County Rifle Hunting Bill Passes The Senate

ALBANY - Senator Catharine Young (R,C,I- 57th District) and Senator Patrick Gallivan (R,C,I- 59th District) announced today that legislation they sponsor to permanently authorize big game rifle hunting in Livingston County has passed the State Senate.

In 2014, Senators Young and Gallivan secured passage of legislation that allowed Livingston County hunters to be able to take big game with a rifle, but the bill only allowed for it on a temporary basis. As with other counties where rifle hunting is newly authorized, it was enacted on a two year trial period, and the law is scheduled to sunset on October 1, 2016.

Under the new bill, Senate Bill 7187, rifle hunting for big game would now be permanently authorized for Livingston County.

“Sportsmen are an invaluable booster to our economy, and for many, hunting is a way of life. Our sportsmen support area small businesses, are faithful stewards of our environment, and play an important role in teaching younger generations about responsible firearm ownership and usage. Permanently allowing rifle hunting will continue to grow Livingston County’s economy and keep local rifle hunters from having to travel into neighboring counties to hunt,” said Senator Young.

“The temporary law allowing rifle hunting in Livingston County has been a success and it’s time to make the law permanent. This is great news for the sportsmen and women of our region and the local businesses that support hunting. It will also attract sportsmen from outside the region to Livingston County, which will help boost the local economy,” said Senator Gallivan.

If enacted, Livingston will be among 44 other counties across the state that allow rifle hunting for deer and bear, including the adjacent counties of Wyoming, Allegany, Steuben, Ontario and Genesee, where big game hunting with rifles is already permitted. Rifle hunting for small game has been permissible in the county for many years, but big game was excluded and needed special legislation before it could be legalized.

According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, hunting is among the most popular forms of wildlife recreation in New York State, with nearly 700,000 New Yorkers licensed to hunt and another 50,000 nonresidents hunting in New York State.