Did a quick search. Your town justice had it right. Here is the URL
for the applicable NY state reg, section 11-0523:
http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/d...ife/damage.htm

"Doug Kanter" pontificated wisely that:

"rot13 (Kevin Miller)" wrote in message
...

Also be sure to carefully check your local hunting regulations. Many
places, including MA, have an "exemption" to the hunting season rules
that give property owners the right to destroy wildlife in the act of
causing damage or threatening personal safety.

That's interesting. Our town justice used to be my son's baseball coach, so
we had lots of time to shoot the breeze. Once, I was having serious problems
with a couple of dogs destroying vegetable plants (digging within the
garden). The judge told me that as long as I did not violate firearms laws,
it was legal to "reeducate" (i.e.: kill) such dogs. A couple of people who
are not in a position to know these things argued with me about this, and
asked me to confirm it. I was unable to find this in our town's statutes.
Perhaps it's a NY state statute. I believe what the judge told me, but
still....it's interesting to know where these things are written, for both
practical AND historical reasons.



Kevin Miller
(rot13)
http://www.net1plus.com/users/miller9