Special Youth and Military Hunting Opportunities Available
New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos
today announced that most small game hunting seasons open on Saturday,
Oct. 1, across New York State.
"From waterfowl and
upland gamebirds to squirrels, rabbits, and more, there are abundant
opportunities for hunters across New York State," Commissioner Seggos
said. "This year, hunters can enjoy even more
waterfowl hunting opportunities, with an increase in mallard and Canada
goose bag limits and an extended goose season."
Season dates, bag limits, and
other hunting regulations for New York's small game species are available
in the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide,
which can be obtained from a license-issuing agent or on DEC's website.
Waterfowl Hunting and Special
Youth and Military Days
New York offers vast waterfowl hunting opportunities as hunters may
harvest more than 30 species of waterfowl. New York has five waterfowl
zones and nine Canada goose zones that help to maximize hunting
opportunity across diverse habitats. Most waterfowl zones also have
special hunting days for youth and members of the military (both active duty and veterans) that often begin prior
to the regular hunting season, giving these hunters the opportunity to
hunt with less hunting pressure.
Youth Waterfowl Days:
·
Northeast, Southeast and Lake Champlain
Zones: Sept. 23 and 24
·
Western Zone: Sept. 30 and Oct. 1
·
Long Island Zone: Nov.4 and 5
Military and Veteran Hunting
Days:
·
Northeast and Southeast Zones: Sept. 23
and 24
·
Western Zone: Oct. 7 and Jan. 20
·
Long Island Zone: Nov. 11 and 12
There are no special
Military/Veteran days for the Lake Champlain Zone.
Opening dates for the Regular
Duck Seasons:
·
Northeast & Lake Champlain Zones:
Oct. 7
·
Western and Southeast Zones: Oct. 21
·
Long Island Zone: Nov. 18
For more on waterfowl hunting
season dates and bag limits, visit the Waterfowl
Seasons page on DEC's website.
Ruffed Grouse Hunting
Ruffed grouse hunting season runs from Oct. 1 through the last day of
February in most parts of the state. In Northern New York, the season
opens on Sept. 20, and runs through the last day of February. In New York
City and Long Island, the season is closed.
Ruffed grouse hunters in the
Northern Zone are reminded to positively identify quarry before shooting.
The Northern Zone, specifically Wildlife Management Units 5C, 5F, 6F, and
6J, is also home to the spruce
grouse, a State-endangered species that is illegal to hunt.
Loss of a single spruce grouse, particularly a female, could be a
significant setback for a small local population. For tips on how to
discern the two species, view the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide
or the Ruffed Grouse Hunting Information page
on DEC's website.
DEC encourages ruffed grouse
hunters to take part in the grouse hunting log program and submit
feathers from harvested birds to assess recruitment (number of young
produced per adult female grouse) for different parts of the state. Interested
hunters should visit the DEC website.
Pheasant Season and Pheasant
Propagation Update
During the spring of 2023, the Reynold's Game Farm suffered a Highly
Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak in the breeder flock. After enacting
precautionary measures to ensure the facility was properly
decontaminated, DEC secured a contract to acquire 30,000 pheasants from a
commercial hatchery to supplement fall upland bird hunting opportunities
around the state.
Prior to hunting seasons, DEC will release adult pheasants on lands open
to public hunting for the upcoming fall pheasant hunting season. The
pheasant hunting season begins:
·
Oct. 1, in northern and eastern portions
of New York
·
Oct. 21, in central and western portions
of the state
·
Nov. 1, on Long Island
Since 2007, DEC has offered a
special youth-only season to provide junior hunters the opportunity to
hunt pheasants during the weekend prior to the regular pheasant hunting
season. In Western New York, the youth pheasant hunt weekend is Oct. 14
and 15. In northern and eastern New York, the youth pheasant hunt weekend
is Sept. 23 and 24, and on Long Island, it is Oct. 28 and 29. Both the
junior hunter and their adult mentor must have a hunting license. Only
the junior hunter can carry a firearm and harvest birds on these dates.
An interactive map of statewide pheasant release
sites, approximate timing of stocking, and number of birds stocked,
can be found on DEC's website.
Squirrel, Rabbit, and Hare
Hunting
Opportunities to pursue squirrels and rabbits can be found throughout the
state, including on many public
lands. Squirrel seasons started Sept. 1 in Upstate New York
and begin Nov. 1 on Long Island. Rabbit hunting begins on Oct. 1 in
Upstate New York and on Nov. 1 on Long Island. With ample opportunities
and mild weather, squirrel and rabbit hunting are great ways to introduce
novices to hunting.
Snowshoe hare (or varying
hare) season starts Oct. 1 in the Northern Zone. Hare hunters in the
Southern Zone, where the season starts in late fall or early winter, are
encouraged to report their observations to DEC through the DEC
website.
Wild Turkey Hunting
Wild turkeys can be found throughout the state but reach their highest
densities in landscapes that have a mix of forests, old fields, and
farmlands. Wild turkeys are less vulnerable to harvest in areas with
abundant food (e.g., hard and soft mast),
because they don't have to roam far and wide foraging, so scouting before
the season is important. The statewide fall season bag limit is one bird
of either sex. Hunting hours are sunrise to sunset.
Season dates for fall 2023:
·
Oct. 1 - 14, in the Northern Zone
·
Oct. 21 - Nov. 3, in the Southern Zone
(corrected dates**)
·
Nov. 18 - Dec. 1 in Suffolk County, Long
Island
**Note: there is an error in
the hard-copy 2023-2024 hunting regulations guide. As always, DEC
recommends hunters visit the DEC website before going afield to confirm
season dates and regulations.
Turkey
Season Dates
Corrected Hunting Guide
Furbearer Hunting Seasons
With 16 species of furbearers living in New York, furbearer hunting and
trapping opportunities are abundant. Coyote hunting season begins Oct. 1
across much of the state and hunting seasons for other furbearers such as
bobcat, raccoon, and fox begin on Oct. 25. Season dates and zone
boundaries for all furbearers and other hunting information
including tips for identifying coyotes can be found on DEC's
website and in the Hunting and Trapping Regulations
Guide.
Citizen Science
Citizen science efforts such as the Grouse and Woodcock Hunting Log,
Ruffed Grouse Parts Collection, and the Bowhunter Sighting Log provide
hunters the opportunity to partner with DEC to monitor game species.
To learn more about how to participate in these
efforts, visit the DEC website.
DEC Encourages Hunter Safety
While statistics show hunting in New York
is safer than ever, mistakes are made every year. DEC believes every
hunting-related shooting incident is preventable, and Commissioner Seggos encourages hunters to use common sense this
season and to remember what they learned in their DEC Hunter Education
Course.
Firearms Safety:
·
Point your gun in a safe direction.
·
Treat every gun as if it were loaded.
·
Be sure of your target and beyond.
·
Keep your finger off the trigger until
ready to shoot.
In addition to blaze orange
or pink being required for hunting big game with firearms, DEC encourages
small game hunters to wear blaze orange or blaze pink. Wearing orange or
pink prevents other hunters from mistaking a person for an animal or
shooting in a hunter's direction. Hunters wearing blaze orange are seven
times less likely to be shot.
For more information and other important safety tips,
please visit DEC's website and watch videos about hunter safety. For more information about getting outdoors safely and
responsibly, visit DEC's website.
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