The hunting season in New York typically spans from the first week of October to the last Sunday in January, varying based on waterfowl zones. Hunters can explore the state's vast public lands, home to white-tailed deer, wild turkey, waterfowl, and black bears.

[table id=1910 /] NY Bear Season Map

[table id=1915 /] Woodcock Regulations: HIP Registration Not Required Shooting Hours Sunrise to Sunset Non-Toxic Shot not required Fed Migratory Bird Stamp NOT Required

[table id=1916 /] Crow Regulations: HIP Registration Not Required Shooting Hours Sunrise to Sunset Non-Toxic Shot not required Fed Migratory Bird Stamp NOT Required Hunting on Fri., Sat., Sun. & Mon. ONLY; Rifles and amplified calls permitted

[table id=1917 /] Snipe Regulations HIP Registration Required Shooting Hours: 1/2-Hr Before Sunrise to Sunset Non-Toxic Shot required Fed Migratory Bird Stamp NOT Required

[table id=1919 /] Gallinules Regulations HIP Registration Required Shooting Hours: 1/2-Hr Before Sunrise to Sunset Non-Toxic Shot required Fed Migratory Bird Stamp NOT Required

December 22, 2023

John Lewis

New York

New York State Deer Hunting & DEC Games New Dates Summary

new york, New York Hunting Seasons 2023, New York Hunting Seasons 2023-2024, NY Hunting Seasons

Its diversified outdoor opportunities attract approximately 700,000 residents and over 50,000 nonresidents. The NYDEC hunting schedule is outlined below:

Diverse Opportunities:

With extensive opportunities for big and small game, game birds, and furbearers, the state offers a diverse and attractive landscape for hunters.

Wildlife Highlights:

The hunting season in New York typically spans from the first week of October to the last Sunday in January, varying based on waterfowl zones.
Hunters can explore the state’s vast public lands, home to white-tailed deer, wild turkey, waterfowl, and black bears.

Resources and Junior Hunter Initiatives:

New York recently enacted limitations on semi-automatic rifles, guns, and ammunition possession.
The state promotes safe and youth hunts, including services such as DECinfo Locator for trip planning, license buying, and classes.

New York Hunting Season

The regular period for deer and bear in Southern Tier, as announced by the DEC, spans from November 18 to December 10, with robust participation from 85% of licensed hunters. Beyond the regular season, bowhunting and muzzle-loading in the Southern Tier are available from December 11 to 19 and December 26 to January 1. Late-season hunters must possess a valid bowhunting or muzzle-loading license, and the permitted hours are from 30 minutes before dawn to 30 minutes after dusk. Find the complete schedule below, and save the provided QR code for convenience.

Big Game Important dates

Hunting Seasons Summary	Dates
Northern Zone Bowhunting	27-Sep
Southern Zone Bowhunting	1-Oct
Northern Zone Muzzleloader	Oct 14 - Oct 20
Northern Zone Firearms	Begins on Oct 21
Crossbow Use	Last 10 days of Northern Zone bow season (Oct 11 - Oct 20)
	Last 14 days of Southern Zone bow season (Nov 4 - Nov 17)
Youth Big Game Hunt	Columbus/Indigenous Peoples' Day weekend, Oct 7-9

Significant Regulation Resources

General Hunting
Big Game
Small Game
Migratory Birds
Crossbow Laws
Dog Hunting Laws
Furbearer & Trapping

Deer Season in NY

New York’s deer hunting lineup includes an antlerless-only segment in mid-September, a conventional period for firearms, crossbows, and vertical bows, a concluding bow season, a muzzleloading session, and a specialized weapons timeframe in Suffolk County.

Early Antlerless

Early Antlerless Deer Area	Dates	Eligible Methods
Northern Zone	NA
Southern Zone	Sept. 9 - 17	Firearms, bows, crossbow
	WMUs 3M, 3R, 8A,
	8F, 8G, 8J, 8N,
	9A, 9F
	WMUs 4J, 8C	Bowhunting only
Westchester County	Sept. 9 - 17	Bowhunting only
	(WMU 3S)
Suffolk County	Sept. 9 - 17	Bowhunting only
	(WMU 1C)

Regular Deer

Regular Deer Season Area	Dates	Eligible WMUs
Northern Zone	Oct. 21 - Dec. 3
Southern Zone	Nov. 18 - Dec. 10
Westchester County	Oct. 1 - Dec. 31	WMU 3S (bowhunting only)
Suffolk County	Oct. 1, 2023 - Jan. 31, 2024	WMU 1C (bowhunting only)

Bow hunting

Bowhunting Deer Area	Dates	Eligible WMUs
Northern Zone	Sept. 27 - Oct. 20
	Dec. 4 - Dec. 10	WMUs 5A, 5G, 5J, 6A, 6C, 6G, 6H only
Southern Zone	Oct. 1 - Nov. 17
	Dec. 11 - Dec. 19
	Dec. 26 - Jan. 1
Westchester County	Oct. 1 - Dec. 31	WMU 3S (bowhunting only)
Suffolk County	Oct. 1, 2023 - Jan. 31, 2024	WMU 1C (bowhunting only)

Crossbow

Crossbow Deer Area	Dates	Eligible WMUs
Northern Zone	Oct. 11 - Oct. 20
Southern Zone	Nov. 4 - Nov. 17	Not in WMUs 4J or 8C
Westchester County	NA	WMU 3S
Suffolk County	NA	WMU 1C

Muzzleloader Season NY

Muzzleloading Deer Area	Dates	Eligible WMUs
Northern Zone	Oct. 14 - Oct. 20
	Dec. 4 - Dec. 10	WMUs 5A, 5G, 5J, 6A, 6C, 6G, 6H only
Southern Zone	Dec. 12 - Dec. 20	Except bowhunting only WMUs 4J and 8C
	Dec. 26 - Jan. 1	Except bowhunting only WMUs 4J and 8C
Westchester County		WMU 3S
Suffolk County		WMU 1C

Bear

Area	Dates	Shaded Portions
Early Bear Season
Northern Zone	Yellow and Brown
Southern Zone	Orange
	Green	Sept. 9 - Sept. 24
Westchester County		Light Blue

Bear Bowhunting Season
Area	Dates	Shaded Portions
Northern Zone	Yellow and Brown	Sept. 16 - Oct. 20
Southern Zone	Orange	Oct. 1 - Nov. 17
		Dec. 11 - Dec. 19
	Green	Oct. 1 - Nov. 17
		Dec. 11 - Dec. 19
Westchester County		Same as Regular Season

Bear Crossbow Season
Area	Dates	Shaded Portions
Northern Zone	Yellow and Brown	Oct. 12 - Oct. 21
Southern Zone	Orange	Nov. 4 - Nov. 17
		(Not in WMUs 3S, 4J or 8C)
	Green	Nov. 4 - Nov. 17
Westchester County		Light Blue

Regular Bear Season
Area	Dates	Shaded Portions
Northern Zone	Yellow and Brown	Sept. 17 - Dec. 4
Southern Zone	Orange	Nov. 18 - Dec. 10
	Green	Nov. 18 - Dec. 10
Westchester County		Oct. 1 - Dec. 31
		(Bowhunting only, Light Blue)

Bear Muzzleloading Season
Area	Dates	Shaded Portions
Northern Zone	Yellow and Brown	Oct. 15 - Oct. 21
Southern Zone	Orange	Dec. 11 - Dec. 19
	Green	Dec. 11 - Dec. 19
Westchester County		Light Blue

Turkey

Spring Turkey Hunt
Hunt Type	Start Date	End Date
Spring Turkey Hunt	1-May	31-May

Youth Turkey Hunt
Hunt Type	Start Date	End Date
Youth Turkey Hunt	22-Apr	23-Apr

Fall Turkey Hunt
Hunt Type	Start Date	End Date
Fall Turkey Hunt	1-Oct	14-Oct
	15-Oct	28-Oct
	19-Nov	2-Dec

Area 1A & 2A
Area	Status
1A	Closed
2A	Closed

Ruffed Grouse

NY Ruffed Grouse Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date	Note
Ruffed Grouse (North Zone)	20-Sep-23	29-Feb-24	A bag limit of 4 per day.
Ruffed Grouse (South Zone)	1-Oct-23	29-Feb-24	A bag limit of 4 per day.

Pheasant

NY Pheasant Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date	Note
Regular Season	21-Oct-23	31-Dec-23	Bag limit of 2
Regular Season	21-Oct-23	1-Feb-24	Bag limit of 2
Regular Season	1-Oct-23	1-Feb-24	Bag limit of 2
Regular Season	1-Nov-23	31-Dec-23	Bag limit of 4
Regular Season	1-Nov-23	31-Dec-23	Bag limit of 4
Youth Hunt Season	14-Oct-23	15-Oct-23	Bag limit of 2
Youth Hunt Season	14-Oct-23	15-Oct-23	Bag limit of 2
Youth Hunt Season	23-Sep-23	24-Sep-23	Bag limit of 2
Youth Hunt Season	28-Oct-23	29-Oct-23	Bag limit of 4 and Possession Limit of 30
Youth Hunt Season	28-Oct-23	29-Oct-23	Bag limit of 4 and Possession Limit of 30

Quail

New York Quail Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date	Note
Bobwhite Quail (Early)	1-Oct-23	29-Feb-24	A bag limit of 4 per day. Orange and Putnam Counties.
Bobwhite Quail (Late)	1-Nov-23	31-Dec-23	A bag limit of 6 per day. Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Migratory Bird

The following are the dates of the seasons and the bag restrictions for each species:

Woodcock

Woodcock Area	Dates	Bag Limit
Upstate NY (1,3)	Oct. 1 - Nov. 14	3 per day
Long Island (2,3)	Oct. 1 - Nov. 14	3 per day

Woodcock Regulations:

HIP Registration Not Required
Shooting Hours Sunrise to Sunset
Non-Toxic Shot not required
Fed Migratory Bird Stamp NOT Required

Crow

NY Crow Area	Dates	Bag Limit
Upstate NY (1,3)	Sept. 1 - Mar. 31	None
Long Island (2,3)	Sept. 1 - Mar. 31	None

Crow Regulations:

HIP Registration Not Required
Shooting Hours Sunrise to Sunset
Non-Toxic Shot not required
Fed Migratory Bird Stamp NOT Required
Hunting on Fri., Sat., Sun. & Mon. ONLY;
Rifles and amplified calls permitted

Snipe

NY Snipe Area	Dates	Bag Limit
Upstate NY (1,3)	Sept. 1 - Nov. 9	8 per day
Long Island (2,3)	Closed	N/A

Snipe Regulations

HIP Registration Required
Shooting Hours: 1/2-Hr Before Sunrise to Sunset
Non-Toxic Shot required
Fed Migratory Bird Stamp NOT Required

Virginia & Sora Rails

NY Virginia & Sora Rails Area	Dates	Bag Limit
Upstate NY (1,3)	Sept. 1 - Nov. 9	8 per day
Long Island (2,3)	Closed	N/A

Virginia & Sora Rails Regulations

HIP Registration Required
Shooting Hours: 1/2-Hr Before Sunrise to Sunset
Non-Toxic Shot required
Fed Migratory Bird Stamp NOT Required

Gallinules

NY Gallinules Area	Dates	Bag Limit
Upstate NY (1,3)	Sept. 1 - Nov. 9	8 per day
Long Island (2,3)	Closed	N/A

Gallinules Regulations

HIP Registration Required
Shooting Hours: 1/2-Hr Before Sunrise to Sunset
Non-Toxic Shot required
Fed Migratory Bird Stamp NOT Required

Clapper & King Rails

NY Clapper & King Rails Area	Dates	Bag Limit
Upstate NY (1,3)	Closed	N/A
Long Island (2,3)	Closed	N/A

New York Waterfowl Hunting

The Waterfowl Hunt contains ducks, coots, mergansers, Canada geese, brant, snow geese, and others. Find the details below

Regular Waterfowl Season

NY Waterfowl Hunting	Season Dates	Daily Limit	Possession Limit
Ducks
Species	Ducks	6	18
Western	Oct. 21 - Nov. 12	6	18
Northeast	Oct. 7 - Oct. 29	6	18
Lake Champlain	Oct. 7 - Oct. 11	6	18
Southeast	Oct. 21 - Dec. 3	6	18
Long Island	Nov. 18 - Nov. 26	6	18

Coots
Species	Coots	15	45
Western	Oct. 21 - Nov. 12	15	45
Northeast	Oct. 7 - Oct. 29	15	45
Lake Champlain	Oct. 7 - Oct. 11	15	45
Southeast	Oct. 21 - Dec. 3	15	45
Long Island	Nov. 18 - Nov. 26	15	45

Mergansers
Species	Mergansers	6	18
Western	Nov. 25 - Dec. 31	6	18
Northeast	Nov. 4 - Dec. 10	6	18
Lake Champlain	Nov. 4 - Dec. 28	6	18
Southeast	Dec. 9 - Dec. 24	6	18
Long Island	Dec. 9 - Jan. 28	6	18

Scaup (2 bird daily bag limit)
Species	Scaup
Western	Dec. 12 - Dec. 31
Northeast	Nov. 15 - Dec. 4
Lake Champlain	Dec. 9 - Dec. 28
Southeast	Nov. 30 - Dec. 3, Dec. 9-24
Long Island	Jan. 9 - Jan. 28

Snow Geese
Species	Snow Geese	25	no limit
Western	Oct. 1 - Apr. 15	25	no limit
Northeast	Oct. 1 - Apr. 15	25	no limit
Lake Champlain	Oct. 1 - Dec. 31	25	no limit
Southeast	Oct. 1 - Apr. 15	25	no limit
Long Island	Nov. 25 - Mar. 10	25	no limit

Brant
Species	Brant	1	3
Western	Oct. 14 - Nov. 12	1	3
Northeast	Oct. 14 - Nov. 12	1	3
Lake Champlain	Oct. 14 - Nov. 12	1	3
Southeast	Oct. 14 - Nov. 12	1	3
Long Island	Dec. 30 - Jan. 28	1	3

Youth Days
Species	Ducks
Western	Sept 30 & Oct. 1
Northeast	Sept. 23 & 24
Lake Champlain	Sept. 23 & 24
Southeast	Sept. 23 & 24
Long Island	Nov. 4 & Nov. 5

Veteran and Active Military Days
Species	Ducks
Western	Oct. 7 & Jan. 20
Northeast	Sept. 23 & 24
Lake Champlain	No special season
Southeast	Sept. 23 & 24
Long Island	Nov. 11 & Nov. 12

Note:

Youth Days provide enhanced chances for youth hunters 12–15 with a junior hunting license. Young hunters may hunt ducks, coots, mergansers, Canada geese, and brant in each zone. Youth Days have the same daily bag restrictions for these species as the regular season. However, the September Canada goose bag limitations do not apply. A licensed adult hunter with a HIP registration and duck stamp for safety and instruction must accompany young hunters. The mentor cannot carry a rifle, longbow, or crossbow. However, hunters who are not mentoring the young are not restricted.

New York allows six ducks daily, including mergansers and sea ducks like scoters, eiders, and long-tailed ducks. Certain species are restricted. Hunters cannot take harlequin ducks, and within the daily limit of 6, they can take no more than 4 mallards (2 of which can be hens), 3 wood ducks, 2 black ducks, 1 pintail, 1 scaup (except during the specified 20-day period mentioned in the season’s table where 2 may be taken), 2 redheads, 2 canvasback, or 4 sea ducks (with no more than 3 scoters, 3 eiders, or 3 long-tailed ducks). The 3 eiders can only have one hen. The daily limit for other New York duck species is 6.

Canada Geese

NY Canada Geese Season	Season Dates	Daily Limit
Northeast	Sept 1 - Sept 25	15
	Oct 28 - Dec 11	3

West Central	Sept 1 - Sept 25	15
	Oct 28 - Nov 26	3
	Dec 26 - Jan 9	3

Lake Champlain	Sept 1 - Sept 25	8
	Oct 14 - Nov 27	3
	Dec 1 - Jan 6	5

East Central	Sept 1- Sept 25	15
	Oct 28 - Nov 17	3
	Nov 25 - Dec 18	3

Hudson Valley	Sept 1 - Sept 25	15
	Oct 28 - Nov 11	3
	Dec 9 - Jan 7	3

South	Sept 1 - Sept 25	15
	Oct 28 - Nov 17	5
	Nov 25-Jan 21	5

Long Island Canada Geese

Long Island Canada Geese Season	Season Dates	Daily Limit

Western	Oct 7 - Oct 22	8
	Nov 18 - Nov 26	8
	Dec 6 - Feb 21	8

Central	Sept 5 Sept 30	15
	Nov 18 - Nov 26	3
	Dec 9 - Feb 7	3

Eastern	Sept 5 - Sept 30	15
	Nov 18-Nov 26	2
	Dec 9-Jan 28	2

Squirrel

NY Squirrel Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date	Limits
Gray, Black & Fox Squirrel	1-Sep-23	29-Feb-24	6
Gray, Black & Fox Squirrel	1-Nov-23	29-Feb-24	6

Rabbit

New York Rabbit Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date	Note
Rabbit (Cottontail)	1-Oct-23	17-Mar-24	6 bag limit
Rabbit (Cottontail)	1-Oct-23	29-Feb-24	6 bag limit
Rabbit (Cottontail)	1-Nov-23	29-Feb-24	6 bag limit
Varying Hare Rabbit Hunting	1-Oct-23	17-Mar-24	6 bag limit
Varying Hare Rabbit Hunting	1-Jan-24	31-Jan-24	2 bag limit
Varying Hare Rabbit Hunting	11-Dec-23	29-Feb-24	2 bag limit

Furbearer

The 2023-2024 New York Furbearer Hunting Season runs from October 25 until February 15. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) laws allow hunters to shoot different furbearing animals during this season.

Fox

NY Fox Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date	Limit
Red & Gray	1-Nov-23	25-Feb-24	No Bag Limit
Red & Gray	25-Oct-23	15-Feb-24	No Bag Limit

Bobcat

New York Bobcat Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date	Note
Bobcat-2	25-Oct	18-Nov	There is no limit. (Select units)
Bobcat-1	25-Oct	15-Feb	There is no limit. (Select units)

Coyote

New York Coyote Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date	Note
Coyote	1-Oct	26-Mar	(Statewide) There is no limit.

Raccoon

Species	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date	Limit
Raccoon	1-Nov-23	25-Feb-24	No Bag Limit
Raccoon	25-Oct-23	15-Feb-24	No Bag Limit

Skunk

Species	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date	Limit
Skunk	1-Nov-23	25-Feb-24	No Bag Limit
	25-Oct-23	15-Feb-24	No Bag Limit

Opossum & Weasel

Species	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date	Limit
Opossum & Weasel	1-Nov-23	25-Feb-24	No Bag Limit
	25-Oct-23	15-Feb-24	No Bag Limit

Furbearer Trapping

NY Furbearer Trapping Season	Hunting Start Date	Hunting End Date	Note
Raccoon, Red Fox, Gray Fox, Skunk, Coyote Opossum & Weasel	25-Oct-23	15-Feb-24	There is no bag limit
	25-Oct-23	15-Feb-24	There is no bag limit
	1-Nov-23	25-Feb-24	There is no bag limit
Mink & Muskrat Trapping Season	1-Nov-23	15-Apr-24	There is no bag limit
	10-Nov-23	15-Feb-24	There is no bag limit
	10-Nov-23	7-Apr-24	There is no bag limit
`	15-Dec-23	25-Feb-24
Fisher & Marten	1-Nov-23	30-Nov-23	A bag limit of 6 Marten and no bag limit for Fisher
	25-Oct-23	30-Oct-23	Fisher only and no bag limits
	25-Oct-23	10-Dec-23	Fisher only and no bag limits
Bobcat	25-Oct-23	15-Feb-24	There is no bag limit
	25-Oct-23	18-Nov-23	There is no bag limit
Beaver	1-Nov-23	7-Apr-24	There is no bag limit
	10-Nov-23	7-Apr-24	There is no bag limit
River Otter	10-Nov-23	7-Apr-24	There is no bag limit
	10-Nov-23	28-Feb-24	There is no bag limit

WMU MAP

Lottery Entries Open for Duck Opening Weekend at Oak Orchard and Tonawanda Wildlife Management Areas 2023

Event	Details
Event Type	Waterfowl Hunting Permit Lottery for Duck Hunting Opening Weekend
Hunting Areas	Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and Tonawanda WMA
Hunting Dates	October 21 and 22, 2023 (first Saturday and Sunday of Western Zone duck season)
Application Deadline	15-Sep-23
Permit Distribution	Random lottery
Permits Issued	• Oak Orchard WMA: 50 permits • Tonawanda WMA: 100 permits
Location of WMAs	Primarily in Genesee and Niagara counties, with small portions in Orleans and Erie counties
Permit Purpose	Promote hunter safety, reduce conflicts, and enhance hunting quality during high-use days
Contact	DEC Iroquois Wildlife Field Office: (585) 948-5182
Alternate Application	If unable to complete online survey, contact the office before Sept. 15 deadline
Form to Apply for the lottery	Apply Here

Big Game Youth Hunt:

From October 8-10, it hosts its annual Youth Big Game Hunt, welcoming young hunters aged 12-15 from around the state (except for Suffolk and Westchester counties and bowhunting-only areas). Depending on the county’s regulations, youth as young as 12 or 13 may use a rifle to shoot deer in the upstate New York area. Youth hunters of any age are permitted to kill one deer of either gender and one bear if they are 14 or 15. Three tags may be used on antlerless deer: regular, DMP, and Deer Management Assistance Program.

Youth Big Game Rules

Youth Big Game Hunt Rules	Details
Eligible Hunters	12 to 15-year-old hunters (statewide, with the exception of Suffolk and Westchester counties and regions where bowhunting is only permitted)
Hunt Accompaniment	When hunting large game with a rifle, licensed 12- to 15-year-olds must be accompanied by an experienced, licensed adult.
Bag Limits	All junior hunters who qualify may take one deer of either sex and one bear at the ages of 14 and 15.
Tagging	A normal season tag, a tag from the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP), or a tag from the Deer Management Permit (DMP) may be used to tag antlerless deer that were shot during the youth hunt. Only the normal season tag may be used to tag antlerless deer.
Additional Rules	On pages 36 and 37 of the Hunting and Trapping Guide, as well as via the Junior Hunter Mentoring Program, are rules for young hunters and the adults who will serve as their mentors.

My Perspective on Hunting Opportunities in New York

As an avid hunter who has tracked game across fields and forests for over 10 years, I’ve enjoyed the challenge of hunting in New York. The diversity of habitats and variety of game species offer exciting possibilities each season. Below I’ll share location-specific tips, challenges to be aware of, and reasons why I keep coming back.

Western New York Offers Prime Whitetail Deer

Western NY is a hunter’s paradise, especially for those pursuing whitetail deer. The mix of agricultural land and dense forests provides ideal habitat. I’ve had most success finding trophy bucks in the following areas:

Allegany State Park – The park has strict limits on the number of hunters allowed each season, making tags highly coveted. But with over 500 square miles almost entirely forested, the chances of an encounter with a giant make obtaining a permit worth the effort. I connected with a 170 class 12-pointer at dawn opening weekend a few years back.
Fort Drum Military Base – Many don’t realize the base contains some of the best preserved forests in the region thanks to minimal development. Hunters lucky enough to gain access strictly through proper lottery application face no competition once on base. I missed a shot on a 140 class 10-point buck two seasons ago that still has me thinking about going back.

See the table below for other notable WNY locations and my comments:

Location	Terrain	Game Variety	Additional Comments
Cattaraugus Territory	Mix of meadows & forest	Deer, turkey	Requires Seneca Nation permit
Allegheny National Forest	Hills & valleys	Deer, grouse	Higher elevation Makes tracking difficult
State Game Lands	Abandoned farmland	Deer, rabbit	Great for small game hunting

Southern Zone Waterfowl Opens Options

While known for deer, New York also offers tremendous migratory bird hunting for those willing to brave leaf-bare forests and brisk marshes. I spend most falls in the state’s Southern Zone targeting ducks and geese on waters of the Lower Hudson Valley and Lake Ontario.

The secret is scouting flooding agricultural fields ahead of days where snow melt and rainfall first starts pooling. Being the first set up as birds migrate through ensures daily limits. Just be prepared to contend with thick mud surrounding makeshift blinds. My best success has come in Niagara County near lake shore tributaries, with clusters of 200+ bird days common early season.

Pursuing Elusive Eastern Turkeys

Come spring, my attention turns to the challenge of turkey hunting across Central and Eastern NY. With their exceptional eyesight and hearing, scouting and setting up properly is critical for success.

I’ve had most luck locating responsive breeding toms in territories with a mix of mature forests and openings. Reliable spots include state game lands in Chautauqua, Schuyler, and Tioga counties, though patterning daily movements takes persistence.

Nothing quite matches the excitement of having a fully fanned out tom strut into shotgun range after an hour calling and waiting. It’s a feeling that keeps me returning each spring with renewed motivation despite the long hours.

With insight and advance preparation, New York truly offers tremendous hunting. Feel free to reach out for more specifics based on my years of experience. Just be ready for challenging conditions and willing to put in the work required for an ethical harvest. But the reward of full freezers and trophy mounts back home makes all the effort worth it in my opinion. Now get out there this season and create your own memories!

NY Hunting Guides 2023

Printable Schedule

Trapping Guide

Contacts

NYS Department	Contact Information
Sporting License Sales	1-866-933-2257
Sporting License Office	518-402-8843 or [email protected]
Hunter Education	1-888-HuntEd2 (1-888-486-8332) or [email protected]
Wildlife: Hunting on Long Island Information	631-444-0310 or wildlife.r1
Bureau of Wildlife	518-402-8883 or [email protected]
Special Licenses	518-402-8985 or [email protected]

Dates & Schedule Source:

dec.ny.gov

FAQ

When does hunting season start in New York?

It typically kicks off with early bow hunting at the end of September. This is followed by the crossbow season, and then the regular hunting season, which begins in mid-October.

What day does rifle season start in NY?

The Northern Zone begins deer rifle season on November 12, 2023, and the Southern Zone on November 18, 2023. Bear rifle season is from September 23 to October 14, 2023, in Northern Zone Deer Management Units 11K, 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D, 12E, 12F, 12G, 12H, 12I, 12J, 13. Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 begin deer and bear rifle seasons on November 18, 2023. Region 6 begins deer rifle season on November 25, 2023, while Regions 7 and 8 begin on November 20. Deer and bear rifle seasons begin in Region 9 on November 27 and 11, 2023.

When is bow season in New York?

Deer bow season begins on October 15, 2023, and ends on November 7, 2023. Region 1 in Northern Zone begins on October 15, 2023, and ends on November 11, 2023 and in Southern Zone from October 1, 2023 till November 7, 2023. In Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 his from October 1 to November 7, 2023, while the statewide bear bow season is September 1 to October 14, 2023.

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