Does anyone know if you need a hunting license to shoot squirrels in NYS - ? I can find nothing definitive.

I am not talking about pest control (although I suppose the shooter could argue that shooting them is, in fact, pest control and not "sport") but just someone out in the backyard, shooting squirrels, in season.

I don't know how to remove a post so I'll answer my own question. The DEC JUST advised me (shotgun opened yesterday so they are fully staffed) that squirrel season in NY is 9/1-2/28 AND a hunting license is required for pellet, shotgun, bb gun and just about every other firearm. The "pest control" argument will not fly unless the person doing the shooting has a pesticide license OR is a farmer and can show proof of extreme "squirrel" activity. Odd choice of words.

In fact, you cannot fire any of the above within 500 feet of a residence, pest control or not.

Anyway - that's the answer.

Typiical lawyer talk, asked and answered LOL. Not up on NY law but in Illinois you can't expect to take a squirrel even if you have a license. The state and each county has limits to the distance you must be from a home or a road to discharge a fire arm. When you take that measurement you must include the measurement to your own house. I can't get 1500 yards away from my home without being under 1500 yards to the next house.

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Originally Posted by ballengerb1

Typiical lawyer talk, asked and answered LOL. Not up on NY law but in Illinois you can't expect to take a squirrel even if you have a license. The state and each county has limits to the distance you must be from a home or a road to discharge a fire arm. When you take that measurement you must include the measurement to your own house. I can't get 1500 yards away from my home without being under 1500 yards to the next house.

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Well, I DID charge myself for the legal advice I gave myself - and I rounded off to the next hour and charged for my time on the Internet. I can't wait until I get the bill from myself!

Here it's 500 feet, which seems very close.

Gad, 500' is still in the kill zone of a BB gun. Not sure how they picked that measurement, a 22 cal can easily travel 5280' . Squirrels are safe for now and you had a great lawyer.

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Originally Posted by ballengerb1

gad, 500' is still in the kill zone of a bb gun. Not sure how they opicked that measurement, a 22 cal can easily travel 5280' . Squirrels are safe for now and you had a great lawyer.

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:d:d