DEC says latest hunting season second safest on record
State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar announced Friday, Feb. 14 another safe year of hunting seasons, with the 2024-25 season being the second safest on record in New York.
DEC released its annual report documenting hunting-related shooting incidents and tree stand/elevated hunting incidents, and the numbers are consistent with the low incident rates observed across the state in recent years.
'Hunting-related incidents are preventable when hunters follow safe and legal hunting practices and proper tree-stand safety measures,' Mahar said. 'Thanks to New York's exceptional Hunter Education Program and hunters adhering to New York's hunting regulations, requirements and firearm safety, hunting continues to be a safe and enjoyable activity for hundreds of New Yorkers and visitors each year.'
DEC documented 11 incidents in 2024, including four two-party firearm incidents and seven self-inflicted incidents. Unfortunately, one of the incidents was a self-inflicted fatality. Two incidents involved individuals who were not legally hunting.
All first-time hunters, bowhunters and trappers are required to complete a hunter or trapper safety course and pass the final exam before being eligible to purchase a hunting or trapping license. These additional efforts to increase public awareness about hunting safety has resulted in a sharp decrease in hunting-related incidents from decades ago, the release stated. For example, 166 hunting-related shooting incidents were reported in 1966.
DEC also documented 11 elevated hunting incidents in 2024, though not all falls are reported. Of these incidents, nine involved hunters failing to wear a safety harness or failing to connect the harness to a tree. Two of the falls were fatal, the others resulted in serious injuries. All incidents could have been prevented by proper use of a fall-arrest harness system that remains connected to the tree, the release stated.
Used correctly, a harness and fall-arrest system keep the hunter connected from the time they leave the ground to the moment they get back down.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Volunteer bit on hand at Rep. Mamdani event: NYPD
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) — A man is accused of biting a volunteer on the hand at Rep. Zohran Mamdani's press conference in Manhattan Friday, police said. The 29-year-old woman was attacked at the event across the street from 123 William St. in Lower Manhattan at around 11:15 a.m., police said. The woman was taken to the hospital for treatment. Raul Rivera, 55, of the Bronx, was arrested and charged with assault, according to the NYPD. The New York City mayoral candidate was holding a press event slamming former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's $2.5 million donation from a landlord lobby, according to Mamdani's campaign. Mamdani said the cost to rent an apartment grew by 52% under Cuomo, and he promises to freeze the rent for New Yorkers who live in rent-stabilized apartments if he is elected mayor. Exclusive polling from PIX11, Emerson College, and The Hill showed the Queens Assemblyman is tightening the race for mayor, but still a bit behind Cuomo. This is a developing story. Refresh the page for updates. Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She has been with PIX11 News for two years. See more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
20 hours ago
- New York Post
New York state lawmakers vote to stop NYPD's attempt to block radio communications from public
New York state lawmakers voted to stop the NYPD's attempt to block its radio communications from the public Thursday, with the bill expected to head to Gov. Kathy Hochul's desk. The 'Keep Police Radio Public Act' passed both the state Senate and state Assembly, with a sponsor of the legislation arguing the proposal strikes the 'proper balance' in the battle between transparency and sensitive information. 3 The NYPD has gone to great lengths to block radio communications from the public. Christopher Sadowski Advertisement 'Preserving access to police radio is critical for a free press and to preserve the freedoms and protections afforded by the public availability of this information,' state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Queens) said in a statement. 'As encrypted radio usage grows, my proposal strikes the proper balance between legitimate law enforcement needs and the rights and interests of New Yorkers.' The bill, which was sponsored in the Assembly by lawmaker Karines Reyes (D-Bronx), is meant to make real-time police radio communications accessible to emergency services organizations and reporters. Advertisement 'Sensitive information' would still be kept private, according to the legislation. The NYPD began a plan in late 2023 to fully encrypt its radio broadcasts as part of a massive system upgrade that quickly led to outcry from press advocates and local officials. 3 State Sen. Michael Gianaris backed the legislation. MANDATORY CREDIT: Anthony Fioran The move has made it more difficult for journalists to cover breaking news — and led to less information flowing to the public. Advertisement But the NYPD, which has now shielded most radio communications, has argued that making the network go dark was necessary — a point the department repeated Thursday. 'Encrypting police radio communications is necessary for both the safety of law enforcement, as well as to protect the privacy interests of victims and witnesses,' an NYPD spokesperson said in an email. 'Requiring the NYPD to provide real-time access could jeopardize officer safety and victim privacy.' 3 The bill passed the state Assembly and Senate. Daniel Beckemeier – Advertisement Hochul's office didn't provide much insight into the state leader's thinking on the bill. 'The governor will review all legislation that passes both houses of the legislature,' a spokesperson said Thursday. The proposal would cover police agencies across the Empire State.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Democratic candidates for New York mayor spar over housing, Covid and Trump
Nine Democratic candidates for New York City mayor faced off on Wednesday evening in the first of two debates ahead of this month's primary election. Held without a live audience, the two-hour debate focused on issues facing New York City, including housing, affordability, crime, policing, public safety, and how each candidate would handle the Trump administration if elected. From the outset, the two frontrunners, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Queens Assemblyman and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, sparred over their records. Related: Eric Adams announces run for New York City mayor as independent Mamdani, who has seen a recent surge in popularity, accused Cuomo of being beholden to wealthy donors and corporate interests, adding that he cared more about the '1%', 'the billionaires and the profitable corporations' than 'working-class New Yorkers.' 'The difference between myself and Andrew Cuomo is that my campaign is not funded by the very billionaires who put Donald Trump in DC,' Mamdani said. Cuomo, who is mounting a political comeback after resigning from office in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations, dismissed 33-year-old Mamdani as inexperienced. 'He's been in government 27 minutes' Cuomo said. If Mamdani were elected Mayor, Cuomo added, Trump would go through him like a 'hot knife through butter.' The crowded debate stage also featured Adrienne Adams, speaker of the New York City Council; Brad Lander, the current New York City comptroller; Scott Stringer, the former comptroller; Michael Blake, a former state assemblyman from the Bronx; Zellnor Myrie, a Brooklyn state senator; Jessica Ramos, a Queens state senator; and Whitney Tilson, a former hedge fund manager. Cuomo was a frequent target throughout the night, with candidates launching attacks at his record, criticizing his handling of nursing home deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic and the sexual harassment allegations. A 2021 report by the New York attorney general found that the Cuomo administration undercounted thousands of deaths of state nursing home residents during the pandemic. On Wednesday, Cuomo defended the report and insisted that nursing home deaths were not undercounted. 'There was no doubt that my administration produced the report, and it did not undercount the deaths,' Cuomo said. He also defended himself against the harassment claims, saying, 'the report was done. Nothing has come out of it.' Current New York City Mayor Eric Adams was also frequently criticized on the debate stage despite not being there. Adams announced earlier this year that he would seek re-election as an independent candidate although he ran as a Democrat in 2021. At one point, when asked about their biggest political regrets, City Council speaker Adrienne Adams replied, 'My biggest regret is believing that Eric Adams would be a good mayor for all New Yorkers.' Mamdani said his regret was 'trusting leaders of Democratic party like Cuomo.' While Cuomo answered: 'the state of the Democratic party' prompting backlash from Speaker Adams. 'No personal regrets?' she asked. 'No regrets when it comes to cutting Medicaid or healthcare? No regrets when it comes to slow-walking PPE and vaccinations in the season of Covid to Black and brown communities? Really, no regrets?'. Cuomo pushed back, calling her claims 'inaccurate' and saying that 'Medicaid went up under me.' Wednesday's debate marked the first of two scheduled Democratic primary debates before the primary election later this month. The second debate is set for 12 June. The Democratic primary election will be held on 24 June, with early voting beginning 10 days earlier, on 14 June. New Yorkers will cast their votes using ranked-choice ballot, allowing them to select up to five candidates in order of preference. The general mayoral election is scheduled for 4 November.
