Erie County Legislature overrides youth hunting veto

Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Erie County Legislature has overridden Mark Poloncarz's veto of a bill they passed, which will allow 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt with adult supervision.

The over ride vote was a rare occurrence for legislature and marked the end of a prolonged back-and-forth between Poloncarz and the lawmakers.

"Quite frankly, this should have been voted into law five years ago," said Legislator Chris Greene, R-Clarence.

Greene was one of eight legislators to vote for the over ride. He was joined Frank Todaro, John Mills, Lindsay Lorigo, John Bargnesi, Timothy Meyers, John Gilmour and Michael Kooshoian.

Opposing the over ride were Taisha St. Jean Tard, Jeanne Vinal and Lawrence Dupre.

"I just think 12 and 13 years old is a little too young to be hunting with a rifle or crossbow," St. Jean Tard said.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation, in 2021, enacted a pilot program that allowed 12 and 13-year-olds to be licensed big game hunters, provided they take educational, training programs and must be accompanied by an adult.

Only Erie and Rockland counties have not taken part in the program while 52 of New York's other counties are participating in the program. New York has 62 total counties - some were not eligible to take part in the program.

Poloncarz, who said he supports hunting, feels that allowing 12 and 13 years old to participate in big game hunting is an accident waiting to happen.

"Firearms and crossbows are tools that require sustained judgment, focus and discipline," Poloncarz wrote in a May 19 veto letter to the legislature. " "Like any dangerous tool, they carry the possibility of catastrophic harm when misued or when concentration is lost, even momentarily."

Teenaged and youth big game hunting - for animals like deer and moose - continue to gain popularity.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reported, last year, nationwide there were 14.4 million licensed 12 and 13-year-old big game hunters.

In New York state, there were 12,632 licensed 12 and 13-year-old big game hunters.

The DEC reported in the first five years of the pilot program, no 12 or 13-year-old big game hunter was hurt or killed.

"It is important to let our youth out into the woods to learn and respect nature," said veteran hunterJerold Lewandowski of Colden.