CHENANGO COUNTY – Policymakers in Chenango County will hold a public hearing on a proposal to allow 12 and 13-year-olds to hunt deer with a firearm or crossbow during hunting season.

The proposal is an extension of a law adopted by the county board of supervisors in 2021. It would apply only to youth hunters who are licensed and under the supervision of a licensed adult during the 2024-2025 hunting season.

A public hearing will be held at 10:40 a.m. Aug. 14 at the supervisors’ chambers of the Chenango County Office Building in Norwich.

The 2021 filing of the proposal notes that “hunting is a valued tradition for many families” in Chenango County, and that this local law allows adult hunters to teach “safe, responsible, and ethical hunting practices” that will “ensure a rewarding experience for the youth, while providing quality food to families and contributing to important deer management population control practices.”