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DEC Announces Start of Small Game Hunting Seasons
Published: September 14, 2024
at 04:30 p.m.
By: Press Release from NYS DEC
DEC Announces Start of Small Game Hunting Seasons
New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean
Mahar announced the opening of small game hunting seasons across New York
State. Depending on species and location, New York
offers small game hunting opportunities from Sept. 1 through March
30.
“New York offers
abundant opportunities for hunters seeking small game, from a variety of
game birds to a diverse cross section of furbearing mammals,” Interim
Commissioner Mahar said. "New for this year, DEC has expanded
pheasant stocking programs in an effort to bolster small game hunter
recruitment, retention, and reactivation and to provide greater opportunity
for current pheasant hunters.”
Season dates, bag
limits, and other hunting regulations for New York's small game species are
available in the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide (PDF),
which can be obtained from any license-issuing agent or 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 begins Nov. 1 on Long Island.
Rabbit hunting begins 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 DEC’s website.
Youth Waterfowl
and September Canada Goose Seasons
Waterfowl seasons in New York begin with a
September Canada goose season designed to help manage resident or less
migratory local Canada goose populations. The season in upstate
New York and eastern Long Island is open from Sept. 1 through 25. The
season closes when migratory Canada geese return to New York at the end of
the month.
In addition to
September Canada goose seasons, New York also offers youth waterfowl
hunting days and Military waterfowl hunting days. Military season
dates vary by zone, but the youth waterfowl dates in all upstate zones are
the weekend of Saturday, Sept. 28 and 29. On Long Island, the youth
dates are Nov. 9 and 10.
Pheasant Season
and Pheasant Program Update
DEC has made
significant efforts to modify the pheasant propagation program to more
effectively recruitment new hunters and to retain
or reactivate existing hunters. Changes include:
- DEC’s Reynolds Game Farm hatched roughly
13,000 pheasants for cooperators across the state to raise to
adulthood and release on public hunting areas;
- Improved hunting experiences by increasing
the number of stocking locations, targeting areas closer to populated
areas, increasing the number of days pheasants are stocked and the
number of birds released per day, and releasing birds into December in
some upstate regions (avoiding southern zone firearms deer season);
- DEC reserved up to 6,000 birds for the Sponsored Hunt Program. Sponsored hunts are
free, non-competitive events coordinated by a group, club, individual,
or organization to benefit youth, women, first-time hunters, veterans,
people with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups. Sponsored
hunts can occur any time during the hunting season, not just during
special seasons. DEC is still accepting applications from people interested
in hosting an event; and
- DEC developed a new HuntFishNY registration page for
mentored hunting and fishing opportunities. Hunters interested in
attending a mentored hunt can find opportunities in their area and
register directly through the website for sponsored hunts.
An interactive map of statewide pheasant release sites,
approximate timing of stocking, and number of birds stocked can be
found on DEC's website. If hunters prefer to search based on the
property name, region, county, or township, they can use the table view. Please note that stocking in some
regions extends later into the hunting season. Late season stockings
are snow depth-dependent and stocking locations
and the number of birds released are subject to change.
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 Sept. 20 and
runs through the last day of February. In New York City and on 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 to
learn more.
Furbearer Hunting
Seasons
With 16 species
of furbearers 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
Oct. 25.
As a reminder,
hunters that harvest a bobcat in New York must complete a furbearer possession tag (PDF) and get the pelt or
unskinned animal sealed. DEC is also interested in examining coyotes
that exceed 50 pounds as part of an effort to better understand the genetic
makeup of these uncommon specimens. Hunters can contact a regional wildlife office or DEC law enforcement
(1-844-332-3267) to arrange for DEC to collect a biological sample.
Season dates and zone boundaries for all furbearers can
be found on DEC's website and in the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide.
DEC Encourages
Hunter Safety
While statistics show hunting in New York is safer than
ever, mistakes are made every year. Every hunting-related shooting incident
is preventable, and DEC Interim Commissioner Mahar encourages hunters to
use common sense this season and remember what they learned in DEC’s Hunter
Education Course:
- 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 makes hunters more visible to other hunters.
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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