New York Hunting

New York is more than just the fascinating state that people think it is. There are a lot of sides to the state, and hunting is one of them. The game has various games and wildlife opportunities for residents and non-resident hunters such as black bears, deer, turkeys, and other small games.

New York Hunting Regulations

Hunting in New York is well regulated with laws and requirements for all hunters. Violation of hunting regulations in New York could lead to severe repercussions. This is why hunters in the state are advised to keep to all laws at all times.

Lawful Hunting Hours in New York

The New York Department of Natural Resources defines hunting hours for various games and wildlife in the state. They include the following:

Turkeys Hunting Hours

Hunting hour for turkeys is one hour and thirty minutes before sunrise till sunset. Hunters should know that turkey hunting hours can vary in different hunting lands in the state.

Deer Hunting Hours

Hunting hours for deer are one hour and thirty minutes before sunrise, to one hour and thirty minutes after sunset.

Waterfowls Hunting Hours

These are the hunting hours for games like ducks and geese. It is one hour and thirty minutes before sunrise, until sunset. This may be different in various public hunting lands in New York.

For small game in New York, there are no defined hunting hours, However, there is an exception for rabbits on some New York DNR hunting properties.

There are no hunting or trapping hours for furbearers in the state.

New York Regulations for Wildlife Found Dead

For game animals or wildlife found dead in New York after being hit by a motor, a conservation officer, law enforcement officer, or any official of the New York DNR can give any individual permission to possess the dead animal.

For game animals that die from another cause, a conservation officer or anybody that he or she designates can issue a possession permit.

However, wildlife and game animals that are found dead from unknown causes must be duly reported to the New York DNR.

Disturbance of Wildlife Homes

It is prohibited for any hunter in New York to disturb wildlife and game animals in their homes, and this includes dens, holes, burrow nests, etc. Disturbance, as defined by these regulations, can be, but is not limited to activities like shooting, using smoke, using fire, chipping, using chemicals, using ferrets or any small game to drive out big games, pursuing, digging, cutting,

Although the use of mechanical devices to disturb games in their homes is also prohibited, there is an exception to traps that are legally set. It is prohibited to introduce other mechanical devices into game homes or anywhere they are sheltered.

It is also a prohibition to wear any type of device that aids in the climbing of trees and poles. You also may not make use of equipment like axes and saws to remove game animals from their hidden places due to protection reasons.

Trespassing Regulation

It is a prohibition to trespass on private properties while hunting, trapping, or pursuing a game, taking into consideration local gun laws. Exceptions are made for landowners and hunters who seek permission from landowners before hunting on a property.

For private properties, hunters must always request permission, and New York provides private land permission-seeking forms on their website.

Using Drones to Hunt

New York prohibits the use of any aerial vehicle that is not manned, to locate, search, detect, and scout game animals in a bid to take the animals for hunting, for at least 2 weeks before the hunting season of that specific game animal.

However, the use of drones can be allowed in New York for reasons such as wildlife control, research purposes, and agricultural production.

For this regulation, an aerial vehicle that is unmanned means the following:

The vehicle is without a physical human operator
The vehicle can fly with the aid of remote control or other automated programming methods.

Spotlighting While Hunting

It is a prohibition for hunters in New York to use a spotlight or any form of artificial light from vehicles when they own hunting weapons such as firearms and archery equipment.

Furthermore, it is prohibited to make use of a spotlight, artificial light, or any other type of searchlight to hunt, attempt to hunt, or aid in the hunting of game animals. An exception to this regulation is made for fur-bearing games, and other aquatic lives like frogs and crayfish while fishing in New York water bodies.

However, the use of red dot sights is allowed for hunting in the state.

Hunting with a Vehicle

It is prohibited to pursue or hunt mammals and bird games in New York with any motor-driven vehicle, and this includes motorboats.

Exceptions are made to this regulation for the following reasons:

Hunters with disabled hunting permits are allowed to take game animals from an immobile vehicle.
Use of vehicles to assess traps that are lawfully set in hunting lands.
The use of motorboats that are beached to take games like waterfowl. This means that the motorboat must be immobile, motionless, or resting at anchor.
It is also prohibited to drive an off-road vehicle that contains loaded firearms. Exceptions are allowed if:
- The firearms are possessed legally
- The owner of the vehicle is on a property owned personally
- The owner of the vehicle has permission from a landowner to possess firearms on private property.

Hunter’s Dressing Requirements

Hunters are required to meet the fluorescent orange dressing requirement when hunting certain games in New York. The orange requirement should be one or more outer garment clothing like caps, overalls, coats, hats, jackets, etc. The state also allows minimal patches of the color requirement.

However, wearing camouflage-decorated garments does not meet these requirements. Some of the game seasons where hunters need the orange dressing requirement include:

Turkey
Pheasant
Deer
Quail
Rabbit
Squirrel

New York Hunting Laws

You can possess firearms and open carry while hunting in the state, except for bow hunting, where you can only use your archery equipment.

New York has hunter harassment laws to protect hunting activities in the state. They include the following:

You must not interfere with or disturb any lawful hunting activity in the state, and this includes trapping and fishing, especially in a hunting season.
The state defines interfering with hunting as the following:
- Harassing, physically assaulting, or threatening to do so, to a person licensed to take part in a lawful activity.
- Disturbing the licensed hunter in wildlife by following him or her around while taking part in the hunting activity, or making noise without any reason, to disturb the hunter.
Wildlife, as defined by this law, refers to all animals and games in the wild, including fishes in the water where the licensed hunter has the right to take animals.

New York Hunting License, Permits, and Tags

New York issues different types of licenses, stamps, permits, and tags for residents and non-residents in the state. The license categories are usually based on age grade and type of games.

Youth Licenses

Youth licenses issued in the state are:

Residents Youth Consolidated License for Hunting and Trapping
- This license is available to youth residents of New York for hunting and trapping in the state. The license has an apprentice option. It costs $7.
Non-Residents Annual Youth Hunting License
- This license is available for non-resident youths who want to hunt in New York. It is valid for one year and has an apprentice option. It costs $17.
Non-Residents Youth Deer Hunting License
- This license is available for non-residents for deer hunting only in New York. It has an apprentice option and costs $25.
Non-Residents Deer License Bundle
- This license is available for non-residents for deer hunting only in New York. It has an apprentice option and costs $65.
Non-Residents Youth Spring Turkey Hunting
- This license is available for non-resident youths for only spring season turkey hunting in New York. It has an apprentice option and costs $25.
Non-Residents Youth Fall Turkey Hunting
- This license is available for non-resident youths for only fall season turkey hunting in New York. It has an apprentice option and costs $25.
Non-Residents Annual Youth Trapping
- This license is available for non-resident youths to set traps for game animals in New York. It is valid for one year and has an apprentice option. It costs $17.

Turkey Hunting Licenses

The types of turkey hunting licenses available in New York include the following:

Spring Turkey Hunting License
- This license allows holders to hunt turkeys in the spring season. It is available for both residents and non-resident hunters at costs of $25 and $120 respectively. Options are available for apprentice hunters at the same cost.
Fall Turkey Hunting Licenses.
- This license allows holders to hunt turkeys in the spring season. It is available for both residents and non-resident hunters at costs of $25 and $120 respectively. Options are available for apprentice hunters at the same costs.

Hunting Stamps

Hunting stamps in New York include the following:

Game Bird Habitat Stamp
- This stamp will allow holders to take game birds in New York. It is available for residents and non-residents at the cost of $6.75. There are no options available for apprentice hunters.
Waterfowl Stamp
- This stamp will allow holders to take waterfowl in New York. It is available for residents and non-residents at the cost of $6.75. There are no options available for apprentice hunters.

New York Hunting and Fishing Licenses

The licenses under the category allow holders to partake in New York hunting and fishing.

Annual Hunting and Fishing License
- Holders of this license can hunt and fish in New York. It is available for only residents of the state, has an apprentice option, and costs $25.
Hunting and Fishing License for Disabled American Veterans
- This license is available for only residents of New York who are disabled veterans. There is no apprentice option for this type of license, and based on the validity period, it comes in 2 types, The annual license and the one valid for 10 years. The annual license costs $2.75, while the one valid for 10 years costs $27.5.
Small Games Hunting License
- The licenses under this category allow hunters to take small game in the state. They include the following:
  - Annual Hunting Licenses
    - This license is valid for one year and comes with an apprentice option. It is available for residents and non-residents and costs $17 and $80 respectively.
  - Five Days Hunting License
    - This license is only available for non-residents in New York. It has an apprentice option, is valid for 5 days, and costs $31.
  - Annual Trapping Licenses
    - To trap wildlife and games in New York, you need to obtain a state-valid trapping license that is valid for one year. There are no apprentice options for this license. It is available for residents and non-residents, and it costs $17 and $140 respectively.

New York Fishing Licenses, and Tags

The types of fishing licenses, permits, and tags in New York include the following:

Annual Fishing License
- This license allows holders to partake in New York fishing activities for one year. It is available for residents and non-residents at costs of $17 and $35 respectively. There are no options available for apprentices.
One-Day Fishing License
- This license is valid for just one day. Holders will be able to harvest fish species like salmon and trout within 24 hours. It is valid for residents and non-residents at $9. There are no options available for apprentices.
Seven Days Fishing License
- This license is only valid for 7 days and is available only to non-residents who want to fish in New York. It costs $20, and there are no options available for apprentices.
Annual Fishing License for Seniors
- This license is only available for senior residents of New York who are 65 years or older. The license makes it possible to harvest trout and salmon species, and it is valid for a year. It costs $3, and there are no options available for apprentices.
Lifetime Annual Fishing License for Seniors
- This license is only available for senior residents of New York who are 65 years or older. The license makes it possible to harvest trout and salmon species, and it will be valid throughout the holder’s lifetime. It costs $17, and there are no options available for apprentices.
Trout and Salmon Fishing Stamps
- Anybody who wants to harvest species like salmon and trout in New York will need a stamp issued for them. Exceptions are made for fishers who already own licenses that allow them to fish salmon and trout for a specific period. It is available for residents and non-residents and costs $11. There are no options available for apprentices.
Annual Hunting and Fishing License
- This license allows holders to take part in both hunting and fishing in New York. It is available for only residents of the state at $25. There is also a New York apprentice hunting license at the same cost.

New York Hunting Season

Hunting season in New York is defined by the type of games and the weapons used to take the games.

The 2020/21 hunting season for various wildlife in New York includes the following:

New York Deer Hunting Season

Reduction Zone Hunting Season (15th of September to 31st of January)
Youth Hunting Season (26th of September to 27th of September)
Archery Season (1st of October to 3rd of January)
Firearms Season (14th of November to 29th of November)
Muzzleloader Season (5th of December to 20th of December)
Antlerless Season (16th of December to 3rd of January)

Bag limits for deer hunting in New York are not the same for all hunting regions in the state. Therefore, hunters are required to learn about the deer limit for their own New York hunting zone.

New York Turkey Hunting Season

Fall Firearms Season (21st of October to 1st of November)
Fall Archery Season (1st of October to 1st of November and 5th of December to 3rd of January)
Spring General Hunting Season (21st of April to 9th of May)
Spring Youth Season (17th of April to 18th of April)

New York Black Bear Hunting Season

Youth Firearms Season (10th of October to 12th of October)
Early Bear Season (12th of September to 16th of October)
Archery Season (14th of October to 20th of November)
Muzzleloading Season (17th of October to 22nd of December)
Firearms Hunting Season (24th of October to 13th of December)

New York Small Games Hunting Season

Gray Squirrel and Fox Squirrel Hunting Season (15th of August to 31st of January)
Pheasant Hunting Season (1st of November to 15th of November)
Quail Hunting Season (1st of November to 10th of January)
Rabbit Hunting Season (1st of November to 28th of February)
Crow Hunting Season (1st of July to 15th of August and 13th of December to 1st of March)
Green Frog and Bullfrog Hunting Season (15th of June to 30th of April)

New York Wildlife, Games, and Fish

Games and wildlife available for hunting in New York include the following:

New York Deer Hunting

Deer hunting in New York is possible because of the various acres of land and forests in the state. New York has national and state land areas that allow hunters to hunt deer in abundance. Deer are widely distributed in the state and can be found in the forests of most counties. However, one area of the state that is notable for deer hunting is the Harrison Crawford forest.

New York Turkey Hunting

Turkey hunting in New York takes place in all counties. They are quite abundant in the state, and their numbers increase even more during the spring period. For every square mile, you can find as many as 4 turkeys. Wild turkey harvest is usually more common in the southern part of New York, but only a few counties like La Porte, St. Joseph, Starke, and Marshall have a great population of wild turkeys in the northern part of New York.

New York Fox Hunting

The most common fox species in New York is the red fox, and they inhabit scrubs and woodland regions of the state. They can be found on pastures, agricultural lands, forested areas, and brushlands. They are also comfortable in urban and suburban parts of the state. Fox hunting in New York takes place in all counties of the state.

New York Bobcat Hunting

Bobcats are the only species of wildcats that can be found in New York. Their population is higher in the southern and central parts of the state but increases in the northern region. They are smart and careful games because they blend well with their immediate environment and are quiet animals.

New York Coyote Hunting

Coyote hunting in New York takes place mostly in the winter period when they are in their element. They are evenly dispersed in all regions of the state and even in very urbanized areas like South Bend, New Yorkpolis, and Fort Wayne.

New York Quail Hunting

The quail species associated with New York is the Northern Bobwhite Quail that is common to all eastern states in the nation. They inhabit agricultural landscape areas of the state.

New York Ducks Hunting

Duck hunting in New York takes place in wetland areas of the state away from human habitation. They are available in the state’s wildlife refuges, and they inhabit shallow parts of water bodies like ponds and lakes.

New York Black Bear Hunting

Black bear hunting in New York takes place in mountainous regions of the state. The Catskill Mountain has the largest population of black bears in the state.

New York Hunting Shooting Ranges

Some of the shooting ranges available for the general public in New York include the following:

Addison Fish & Game
American Tactical Systems
Branchport Rod & Gun Club
Burlington Flats Fish & Game Club
Calverton Shooting Range
Chesterfield Fish & Game Club
Corning Fish & Game Club
Indian Lake F&G Club Range
Lock, Stock, and Barrel Muzzleloading Club
Long Island Shooting Range of Brookhaven
Nassau County Rifle & Pistol Range

New York Hunting Lands for Sale and Lease

Hunting lands for sale in New York include the following:

Roscoe, New York (Sullivan County) 7 acres.
Livingston Manor, New York (Sullivan County) 10 acres.
Fulton, New York (Oswego County) 10.66 acres.
New Berlin, New York (Chenango County) 43.99 acres.
Ashville, New York (Chautauqua County) 60.1 acres.

Hunting lands for lease in New York include the following:

706 Acres Deer Hunting Lease in Cattaraugus County, NY.
Hunting and fishing All year-round sportsman’s Paradise in Broome County, 200 acres.
ShineOn Valley in Cattaraugus County, 75 acres.
22-acre Private Hunting Lease yearly turkey, bear deer, coyote, and fox hunting in Steuben County.

Conclusion

New York offers a diverse and exciting hunting experience for residents and non-residents alike. From deer and turkey to black bears and waterfowl, the state boasts a wide range of game species for hunters to pursue.

However, hunters need to familiarize themselves with New York’s hunting regulations and abide by the laws to ensure a safe and enjoyable hunting experience. By respecting the environment, wildlife, and private property rights, hunters can continue to enjoy the thrill of the hunt in New York for generations to come.

FAQs;

Q1: Is a hunting license required in New York?

Yes, both residents and non-residents must obtain a hunting license before hunting in New York.

Q2: What are the hunting hours for turkeys in New York?

The hunting hours for turkeys in New York are one hour and thirty minutes before sunrise until sunset.

Q3: Can I use a drone to scout for game animals in New York?

No, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to locate, search, detect, and scout game animals for hunting purposes is prohibited in New York, except for specific purposes like wildlife control, research, and agricultural production.

Q4: What is the fluorescent orange dressing requirement for hunters in New York?

Hunters in New York are required to wear one or more outer garment clothing in fluorescent orange color like caps, overalls, coats, hats, jackets, etc. while hunting certain games like turkey, pheasant, deer, quail, rabbit, and squirrel.

Q5: Does New York have good hunting?

Yes, there are excellent hunting opportunities across upstate New York with abundant populations of deer, bear, turkey, waterfowl, and small game. The Adirondack and Catskill mountain regions offer beautiful forest and wilderness hunting terrains.

Q6: Can I own a hunting gun in NYC?

Owning a hunting rifle or shotgun is generally prohibited within New York City limits. However, exceptions allow possession with an NYC premises license if the owner has hunting authorizations outside the city and meets storage and transportation regulations.

Q7: Where can I find public shooting ranges in New York?

New York has various public shooting ranges that are open to the general public for shooting practice and training. Some of these ranges include Addison Fish & Game, American Tactical Systems, and Calverton Shooting Range, among others.