Section 1.11: Deer Hunting Seasons
Statutory authority: Environmental Conservation Law, §§ 11-0303, 11-0903, 11-0907, 11-0911, 11-0913, 11-0929 and 11-0931
[Effective date: July 11, 2012]
Contents:
Sec.
§1.11 Deer Hunting Seasons
(a) Seasons.
(1) Northern Zone
| Season | Season Dates |
|---|---|
| Youth Firearms | 3 consecutive days beginning on the Saturday of Columbus Day weekend |
| Regular | 44 consecutive days beginning on the 2nd Saturday after Columbus Day |
| Bowhunting | Early Season: September 27 through the Friday immediately preceding the regular season |
| Late Season: seven consecutive days immediately following the regular season in the areas open for late muzzleloader season as listed in paragraph (d)(6) of this section | |
| Muzzleloader | Early Season: seven consecutive days beginning on the 1st Saturday after Columbus Day |
| Late Season: seven consecutive days immediately following the regular season in the open areas listed in paragraph (d)(6) of this section |
(2) Southern Zone
| Season | Season Dates |
|---|---|
| Youth Firearms | 3 consecutive days beginning on the Saturday of Columbus Day weekend |
| Regular | 23 days beginning on the 3rd Saturday in November |
| Bowhunting | Early Season: October 1 through the Friday immediately preceding regular season |
| Late Season: nine days immediately following the regular season | |
| Muzzleloader | Early Season: closed |
| Late Season: nine consecutive days immediately following the regular season |
(3) Westchester County and Suffolk County
| Season | Season Dates |
|---|---|
| Regular | October 1 through December 31 |
(b) Valid Tags.
| Season | Area | Valid Tags (as described in Section 1.18) |
|---|---|---|
| Youth Firearms | Northern Zone and Southern Zone | Regular season deer tags, Deer Management Permits, and Deer Management Assistance Program tags. Junior hunters may take any deer on a regular season tag. |
| Regular | Northern Zone and Southern Zone | Regular season deer tags, Deer Management Permits, Deer Management Assistance Program tags. For junior bowhunters only, bow/mz either-sex tags may be used when hunting with a bow. |
| Westchester County and Suffolk County | Regular season deer tags, Deer Management Permits, Deer Management Assistance Program tags, bow/mz either-sex tags, and bow/mz antlerless-only tags. Any deer may be taken on a regular season tag. | |
| Early Bowhunting | Northern Zone and Southern Zone | Bow/mz either-sex tags, bow/mz antlerless-only tags, Deer Management Permits, Deer Management Assistance Program tags. |
| Late Bowhunting | Northern Zone and Southern Zone | Any unfilled tag for the current license year; any deer may be taken on a regular season tag. |
| Early Muzzleloader | Northern Zone | Bow/mz either-sex tags, bow/mz antlerless-only tags, Deer Management Permits, Deer Management Assistance Program tags. |
| Late Muzzleloader | Northern Zone and Southern Zone | Any unfilled tag for the current license year; any deer may be taken on a regular season tag. |
(c) License requirements.
(1) Any person who hunts or takes deer during a bowhunting, muzzleloading or regular season must possess, on his or her person, a license and carcass tag valid to hunt deer during that particular season.
(d) Other requirements.
(1) During the regular season in Westchester and Suffolk Counties, white-tailed deer may only be taken by longbow.
(2) During all seasons in Wildlife Management Units 4J and 8C, white-tailed deer may only be taken by longbow.
(3) During the youth firearms season, junior bowhunters, hunting pursuant to a junior bowhunting license, may only take deer by longbow. Junior hunters, hunting pursuant to a junior hunting license, may take deer with a firearm or crossbow.
(4) During the youth firearms season, junior hunters may take only one deer, of either sex, by use of a firearm.
(5) It is unlawful for any person to hunt or take a deer during the muzzleloading deer season except with a muzzleloading firearm capable of being loaded with only one charge.
(6) During the Northern Zone muzzleloading season, the types of deer that may be legally harvested, the open Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) as described in section 4.1 of this Part are as set forth below.
| Open WMUs for harvest of deer of either sex | Open WMUs for harvest only of antlerless deer or deer having both antlers less than three inches in length | Open WMUs for harvest of antlered deer only | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Muzzleloader | 5A, 5C, 5F, 5G, 5H, 5J, 6A, 6C, 6F, 6G, 6H, 6J, 6K | 6N | |
| Late Muzzleloader | 5A, 5G, 5J, 6A, 6C, 6G, 6H |