Press Releases
Federal Agency Responsible for "Safe" Deer Management in Suffolk County Kills Dog and Injures Boy with Cyanide Bomb
HUNTINGTON, N.Y. – March 18, 2017 – USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, the federal agency hired by numerous Suffolk County municipalities and large landowners to kill deer, on Thursday injured a boy and killed his pet dog with a cyanide bomb. It is not the first time that a cyanide bomb, billed by the USDA as a "safe" method of killing predators, has injured humans or killed pets.
In addition to its appalling record with respect to humans and pets, from 1990 to 2011 the USDA unintentionally killed 174,404 wildlife in various categories of protection, including endangered species.
An Accident Waiting to Happen in Suffolk County?
The USDA, which claims that its mass shootings of deer in the middle of the night in Suffolk County - using firearms defined in New York state as "assault" rifles - also is "safe," openly violates New York State law by shooting their rifles within 500 feet of homes, from trucks and using silencers. USDA frequently conducts these activities in public parks and other areas where there is no way to prevent human access.
"Sharpshooters"
USDA claims that its staff killing deer at night near homes with AR-15s are "sharpshooters." However, to get this designation a USDA shooter must merely hit a target on four out of five shots from 100 yards with a scoped rifle resting on a support. One shot can be a complete miss which could equate, in real life, to a fatal injury to a bystander. An inability to hit the target 20% of the time in these ideal conditions calls into question the accuracy of firearms discharges from trucks in total darkness within 500 feet of Suffolk County residences.
Funded by Taxpayers
Local taxpayers foot the bill for USDA's dangerous killings, the costs of which can exceed $1,000 a deer. This is especially notable considering the nearly perfect safety record of bowhunting in New York State, an activity which, through license fees, benefits taxpayers. To learn more about bowhunting, consider the free hunting and bowhunting safety courses offered by New York State in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Conservation. These courses are the minimum requirement for obtaining a bowhunting license.
About Conserving Tradition: Conserving Tradition, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) New York not-for-profit corporation. Its objective is to encourage and preserve know-how in traditional agricultural and homesteading activities, such as growing crops, raising poultry and livestock, butchering, cheesemaking, hunting, and beekeeping. The organization was formed in response to a concern that in many suburban and semi-rural areas, the continued practice of these activities is threatened.
Press inquiries can be sent to [email protected].
HUNTINGTON, N.Y. – March 18, 2017 – USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, the federal agency hired by numerous Suffolk County municipalities and large landowners to kill deer, on Thursday injured a boy and killed his pet dog with a cyanide bomb. It is not the first time that a cyanide bomb, billed by the USDA as a "safe" method of killing predators, has injured humans or killed pets.
In addition to its appalling record with respect to humans and pets, from 1990 to 2011 the USDA unintentionally killed 174,404 wildlife in various categories of protection, including endangered species.
An Accident Waiting to Happen in Suffolk County?
The USDA, which claims that its mass shootings of deer in the middle of the night in Suffolk County - using firearms defined in New York state as "assault" rifles - also is "safe," openly violates New York State law by shooting their rifles within 500 feet of homes, from trucks and using silencers. USDA frequently conducts these activities in public parks and other areas where there is no way to prevent human access.
"Sharpshooters"
USDA claims that its staff killing deer at night near homes with AR-15s are "sharpshooters." However, to get this designation a USDA shooter must merely hit a target on four out of five shots from 100 yards with a scoped rifle resting on a support. One shot can be a complete miss which could equate, in real life, to a fatal injury to a bystander. An inability to hit the target 20% of the time in these ideal conditions calls into question the accuracy of firearms discharges from trucks in total darkness within 500 feet of Suffolk County residences.
Funded by Taxpayers
Local taxpayers foot the bill for USDA's dangerous killings, the costs of which can exceed $1,000 a deer. This is especially notable considering the nearly perfect safety record of bowhunting in New York State, an activity which, through license fees, benefits taxpayers. To learn more about bowhunting, consider the free hunting and bowhunting safety courses offered by New York State in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Conservation. These courses are the minimum requirement for obtaining a bowhunting license.
About Conserving Tradition: Conserving Tradition, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) New York not-for-profit corporation. Its objective is to encourage and preserve know-how in traditional agricultural and homesteading activities, such as growing crops, raising poultry and livestock, butchering, cheesemaking, hunting, and beekeeping. The organization was formed in response to a concern that in many suburban and semi-rural areas, the continued practice of these activities is threatened.
Press inquiries can be sent to [email protected].