The “150 Feet” Law Underway In New York State

There is a law on the books here in New York State that hundreds need to keep in mind this fall. As the cooler days arrive, and the leaves start to drop, hunting season has also arrived!

The fall is the best time of the year for a variety of reasons. Here in New York State the fall foliage is hard to beat! From Buffalo, to the Adirondack Mountains, the colors are vibrant this year! There are also dozens of things for families to see and do in the fall.

But for hundreds of archery hunters, this is the time of the year to head back to the outdoors and try to harvest a whitetail deer or bear.

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But before hunters can take a bear, deer or other wild game animal, they need to obtain a license and take a training course. There are a variety of laws that hunters need to abide by and one of them comes up often in discussion.

How far do you have to be from a house to shoot a bow? Here in New York State, the are defined distances for where you can legally discharge a firearm and, more specifically for this time of the year, a bow and arrow.

In New York State it is against the law to shoot: "within 500 feet (for a firearm), 250 feet (for a crossbow) or 150 feet (for a bow) of a dwelling, farm building, or structure in occupation or use unless you own it, lease it, are an immediate member of the family, an employee, or have the owner's consent".

There are warm temps and showers expected for the first few days of October with a clear and cool weekend ahead! Good luck to all of those who are headed to the woods for the archery season.