Deer and Bear Hunting Seasons
See Future Big Game Season Dates to plan for future hunting seasons.
A summary of 2012-13 hunting seasons (PDF, 433 kB) is available to print or download.
Deer Hunting Seasons
See Rifle, Shotgun, and Bow Areas for where these implements are allowed during the regular deer seasons.
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| Area | Bowhunting | Regular Season | Muzzleloading | Special Firearms Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Zone |
Sept. 27 - Oct. 19 |
Oct. 20 - Dec. 2 | Oct. 13 - Oct. 19 Dec. 3 - Dec. 9 (WMUs 5A, 5G, 5J, 6A, 6C, 6H, 6G only) |
|
| Southern Zone | Oct. 1 - Nov. 16 Dec. 10 - Dec. 18 |
Nov. 17 - Dec. 9 | Dec. 10 - Dec. 18 (except WMUs 1C, 3S, 4J and 8C) | |
| Westchester County (WMU 3S) |
same as Regular Season | Oct. 1 - Dec. 31 (bowhunting only) |
||
| Suffolk County (WMU 1C) |
same as Regular Season | Oct. 1 - Dec. 31 (bowhunting only) |
Jan. 7 - Jan. 31, 2013 (Weekdays only; Special permit required) |
Antler Restriction Program
An antler restriction is in place to reduce harvest of young bucks in a portion of the Catskills in southeastern New York. The antler restriction REQUIRES that bucks taken in the antler restriction units have at least one antler with 3 points (or more) which are at least one inch long. This restriction applies to the archery, regular and muzzleloading seasons. Hunters aged 12-16 years are exempt from this restriction. For more information see Antler Restrictions in New York.
Black Bear Hunting Seasons
Early Season bear hunters in the Northern Bear Hunting Area (Adirondacks) may use a bow (with appropriate bowhunting eligibility), muzzleloader, handgun, shotgun, rifle or crossbow. For legal implements in other bear seasons, please see Rifle, Shotgun, and Bow Areas.
| Area | Early | Bowhunting | Regular | Muzzleloading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern (yellow shaded) |
Sept. 15 - Oct. 12 | Sept. 27 - Oct. 19 | Oct. 20 - Dec. 2 | Oct. 13 - Oct. 19 |
| Southern (orange shaded) |
Oct. 1 - Nov. 16 Dec. 10 - Dec. 18 |
Nov. 17 - Dec. 9 | Dec. 10 - Dec. 18 | |
| Westchester County (lt. blue shaded) |
Same as Regular Season | Oct. 1 - Dec. 31 (bowhunting only) |
Become a NYS Black Bear Management Cooperator
- First, report your bear harvest.
- Second, submit a premolar tooth from the bear for DEC to determine the bear's age. and then,
- You will receive a commemorative patch as a NYS Black Bear Management Cooperator.
See Black Bear Tooth Collection for instructions and more information about becoming a NYS Black Bear Management Cooperator.
Hunting Zone Boundaries and Wildlife Management Units (WMUs)
If you need to know the boundaries of the different hunting areas, go to Legally Defined Areas for Big Game Hunting for a description of the hunting zones or Wildlife Management Units for a description of unit boundaries.
Make Plans for Next Year
Would you like to know the big game season dates for next year so you may schedule your vacation time accordingly? Go to our Future Big Game Season Dates page to calculate the season dates for your hunting area.