S 6360: Clarifies provisions regarding the use of crossbows for hunting, allowing the department of environmental conservation to allow the use of crossbows for the taking of big game in any area long bows are permitted.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6360 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE March 11, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to clar- ifying provisions regarding the use of crossbows for hunting The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 11-0103 of the environmental conservation law is 2 amended by adding a new subdivision 33 to read as follows: 3 33. "Long bow" includes longbows, recurve bows, compound bows, and 4 crossbows. 5 § 2. Subparagraph 9 of paragraph b of subdivision 4 of section 11-0901 6 of the environmental conservation law, as added by section 6 of part EE 7 of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows: 8 (9) with a crossbow unless such crossbow shall consist of a bow and 9 string, either compound or recurve, [that launches a minimum fourteen 10 inch bolt, not including point,] mounted upon a stock with a trigger 11 that holds the string and limbs under tension until released. The trig- 12 ger unit of such crossbow must have a working safety. The [minimum limb 13 width of such crossbow shall be seventeen inches, have a] minimum peak 14 draw weight of such crossbow shall be one hundred pounds [and a maximum 15 peak draw weight of two hundred pounds. The minimum overall length of 16 such crossbow from buttstock to front of limbs shall be twenty-four 17 inches]. 18 § 3. Subparagraph 9 of paragraph c of subdivision 4 of section 11-0901 19 of the environmental conservation law, as added by section 7 of part EE 20 of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows: 21 (9) with a crossbow unless such crossbow shall consist of a bow and 22 string, either compound or recurve, [that launches a minimum fourteen 23 inch bolt, not including point,] mounted upon a stock with a trigger 24 that holds the string and limbs under tension until released. The trig- 25 ger unit of such crossbow must have a working safety. The [minimum limb EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10843-01-5 
 S. 6360 2 1 width of such crossbow shall be seventeen inches, have a] minimum peak 2 draw weight of such crossbow shall be one hundred pounds [and a maximum 3 peak draw weight of two hundred pounds. The minimum overall length of 4 such crossbow from buttstock to front of limbs shall be twenty-four 5 inches]. 6 § 4. Paragraph a of subdivision 1, paragraphs a and b of subdivision 8 7 and subdivision 10 of section 11-0907 of the environmental conservation 8 law, paragraph a of subdivision 1 as amended and subdivision 10 as added 9 by section 14 and paragraphs a and b of subdivision 8 as amended by 10 section 16 of part EE of chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, are amended to 11 read as follows: 12 a. Wild deer without antlers or having antlers measuring less than 13 three inches in length shall not be taken unless it is taken (1) by long 14 bow in a special long bow season established in subdivision [3] three of 15 this section, or (2) by muzzle-loading firearm [or crossbow] in a 16 special muzzle-loading firearm season established in subdivision [8] 17 eight of this section, or (3) by long bow in Westchester and Suffolk 18 Counties in a year in which a regular season for deer of either sex is 19 established for such counties, or (4) in a special open season for deer 20 of either sex fixed by regulation pursuant to subdivision [5] five or 21 [7] seven of section 11-0903 of this title, or (5) pursuant to a special 22 antlerless deer license in a special open season for antlerless deer in 23 a tract within a Wilderness Hunting Area fixed by regulation pursuant to 24 subdivision [6] six of section 11-0903 of this title, or (6) pursuant to 25 a deer management permit by a person eligible to take such deer pursuant 26 thereto as provided in section 11-0913 of this title, or (7) pursuant to 27 a permit issued to an eligible non-ambulatory person, pursuant to subdi- 28 vision [2] two of section 11-0931 of this title, while in possession of 29 a valid license issued by the department which authorizes the holder to 30 hunt big game. Nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed to limit 31 the power of the department to designate by regulation an area or areas 32 of the state consisting of a county or part of a county where such 33 season shall apply and whether the number of such special permits shall 34 be limited. 35 a. In every area identified in column one of the table set forth in 36 subdivision two of this section, except those areas restricted to 37 special seasons for taking deer by longbow only, special open seasons 38 may be established by regulation for taking deer and/or bear, by the use 39 of muzzle-loading firearms, of not less than .44 caliber shooting a 40 single projectile[, or by the use of a crossbow,] by the holders of a 41 hunting license with a valid muzzle-loading privilege. 42 b. Such special open season for the Southern Zone shall be for the 43 seven day period immediately preceding the regular open season for deer 44 stated in column two of the table set forth in subdivision two of this 45 section, except that the department may, by regulation, fix such open 46 season in the Southern Zone or any portion thereof to be either the 47 seven days immediately preceding or immediately following the regular 48 open season for deer[, provided, however, that any taking of deer or 49 bear by the use of a crossbow in a season or special season in which the 50 muzzle loader is the only firearm permitted shall succeed the regular 51 open hunting season for deer established pursuant to subdivision two of 52 of this section]. 53 10. Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, or any prior 54 notwithstanding language in this article, the department may, by regu- 55 lation, authorize the taking of big game by the use of a crossbow by any 56 licensed person in any big game season in any area [designated in items 
 S. 6360 3 1 (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (i), (k) and (l) of paragraph a of subdi- 2 vision two of this section] in which a [shotgun or muzzle loader] long 3 bow is permitted [provided however, that any crossbow use during an 4 archery-only season shall only take place during the last fourteen 5 consecutive days of such archery-only season in the southern zone 6 provided that such archery-only season shall consist of not less than 7 forty-five days and only during the last ten consecutive days of any 8 archery-only season in the northern zone provided that such archery-only 9 season shall consist of no less than twenty-three days. Any muzzle load- 10 ing season which occurs at the same time as a special archery season may 11 only occur during times when crossbows are authorized to be used]. 12 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.