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DEC Accepting Public Comments Through August 18 on
Proposed Changes to Deer Hunting Regulations
Published: June 20, 2025 at
05:00 p.m.
By: Press Release
from NYS DEC
DEC Proposes Changes to Deer Hunting Regulations
Proposed Regulation Changes to Modernize Reporting
and Expand Youth Hunting Opportunities
Public Comments Accepted until Aug. 18, 2025
The New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced
several proposed regulation changes to streamline use and reporting of
hunting tags and provide new deer hunting opportunities. Hunting is
important in New York State for wildlife population management and
contributes an estimated $2.6 billion in economic benefits annually to the
state's recreational economy through license sales, equipment purchases,
and related travel and lodging expenses.
“DEC is proposing
to update regulations to improve deer management and hunters’ experience by
offering a streamlined digital option for tagging and reporting,” Director
of DEC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife Jacqueline Lendrum said. “The
proposals released today reflect public desires for hunting opportunity and
improvements to deer management to benefit hunters, wildlife managers, and
landowners.”
The proposed
regulation, available on DEC’s website, consists of three components: using
electronic hunting tags and revising the harvest reporting time period;
providing enhancements for youth deer hunters; and making improvements to
the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP).
First, DEC
proposes a process for using electronic carcass tags for deer, bear, and
turkey. Hunters can choose to obtain a paper license and tags, as is
currently available, or use the HuntFishNY mobile app as electronic proof
of licensure and possession and use of tags for deer, bear, or turkey. An
electronic harvest report, submitted immediately upon taking a deer, bear,
or turkey through the HuntFishNY app, will serve
as “e-tagging” the carcass.
The HuntFishNY app provides a confirmation number for the
report and works even without immediate cell service, as it stores the
harvest report and transmits it to DEC upon reconnection to cell service.
Hunters using e-tags will not need to attach a physical tag to their
harvested deer, bear, or turkey while they remain in possession of the
carcass, including in their vehicle and home. If e-tag users otherwise
leave the carcass unattended or deliver the carcass to a taxidermist or
processor, they would need to affix a tag that includes their name and
reporting confirmation number to the carcass.
For hunters using
paper tags, this proposal reduces the timeframe required to report a deer,
bear, or turkey harvest from seven days to 48 hours, encouraging prompt
reporting and providing greater opportunity for quick law enforcement
oversight. As in the past, hunters can report their harvest online, via the
HuntFishNY app, or by phone.
Second, DEC
proposes to provide a replacement regular season
deer tag to youth hunters who successfully use that tag during the Youth
Big Game Hunt weekend. Some successful young hunters may not have another
tag available to use during the subsequent regular firearms season. This
rulemaking will enable youth hunters who successfully fill their regular
season tag during the Youth Deer Hunt and who do not have a Deer Management
Permit to receive a replacement tag for the regular firearms season.
Replacement tags would be for the opposite sex deer as was harvested during
the youth hunt (e.g., harvest of an antlered deer during the Youth Deer
Hunt would yield an antlerless-only replacement tag for the regular
season).
Finally, DEC also
proposes to enhance the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) by
extending the permit renewal cycle from three years to five years and
rescinding the limit on number of DMAP tags that may be used per hunter.
Extending the DMAP permit renewal cycle will further enable enrollees to
implement steady and consistent deer management on private properties while
also reducing paperwork for permittees. Currently, hunters are limited to
using no more than four DMAP tags per permit. This proposal removes that
restriction, benefiting landowners by allowing them to maximize use of the
tags issued. The total number of DMAP tags issued to a landowner will still
be set by DEC staff based on property size and management need.
DEC is accepting
comments on the proposed regulations through Aug. 18, 2025. Submit comments
to wildliferegs@dec.ny.gov (subject: “e-tags and
DMAP”) or to: NYSDEC, Attn: Deer Hunting Regs, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY
12233-4754.
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