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DEC Reminds New Yorkers to Hunt Safely This Season
Published: October 31, 2025
at 08:30 a.m.
By: Press Release
from NYS DEC
DEC Reminds New Yorkers to Hunt Safely This Season
Hunters, Hikers, and all Outdoor Enthusiasts Reminded
to Share the Woods Safely During Hunting Season
New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton
reminds New Yorkers to hunt safely this season and encouraged all outdoor
enthusiasts to respectfully share the woods and follow safety
precautions. Regular deer hunting season in the Northern Zone began
Oct. 25 and closes Dec. 7. Bowhunting season for deer and bear is ongoing
in the Southern Zone and ends on Nov. 14. The regular big game season
in the Southern Zone begins Nov. 15.
“With nearly
600,000 New Yorkers participating annually, hunting is among the most
popular forms of wildlife-related recreation in the state,” said
Commissioner Lefton. “Hunting remains a safe, ecologically
important wildlife population management tool, and fosters an understanding
and respect for the environment. I encourage everyone enjoying the woods to
be aware of their surroundings and follow all outlined safety measures
while afield.”
Hunting is very
safe and is getting safer thanks to the efforts of DEC’s Hunter Education
Program, volunteer instructors, and the vigilance of New York’s hunting
community. Due to ongoing efforts to teach hunting safety, responsibility,
and ethics, incident rates over the last five years are at the lowest
levels recorded in New York. Many, if not all hunting-related incidents can
be prevented by following the primary rules of hunter safety:
- Treat every firearm as if it were loaded;
- Control the muzzle, always keep it pointed in
a safe direction;
- Identify your target and what lies beyond it;
- Keep your finger off the trigger until ready
to fire; and
- Wear hunter orange or pink.
Tips for all
hunters venturing afield this fall include:
- Tell someone your
hunting location and anticipated return time.
If plans change, notify them;
- Dress for the weather and plan for both
location and elevation changes;
- Become familiar with planned hunting
areas in advance; and
- Pack the 10 Essentials, especially a light source, knife,
map, and first aid kit.
Additionally, DEC
encourages all New York hunters to Strap Up Before You Go Up to improve tree
stand safety. Like shooting incidents, elevated stand incidents can easily
be avoided by following simple safety measures.
Hunters can
protect against falls from a tree stand or elevated platform by using a
fall-arrest system (FAS). A FAS keeps a hunter attached to the tree from
the time they leave the ground until they get back down. A harness alone is
not sufficient if it isn’t attached to the tree the entire time the hunter
is off the ground.
An effective Fall
Arrest System includes:
- A full-body harness with shoulder, chest, and
leg straps;
- A strap that attaches to the tree when in the
stand;
- A tether strap that attaches the harness to
the tree strap;
- A “lifeline” to keep a hunter safe while
climbing and descending; and
- A suspension relief strap to be used in the
event of a fall.
Other important
safety tips for hunting from an elevated platform:
- Select a healthy, straight tree.
- Always maintain three points of contact (one
hand and two feet or two hands and one foot) when climbing up or down
from the stand.
- Inspect all equipment before using it.
Replace stands, parts, harness, straps, and lifeline as necessary.
- Harnesses have an expiration date. Replace a
harness if it is expired.
- Once secured in your stand, use a haul line
to raise and lower your UNLOADED gun, bow, and cocked but unloaded
crossbow, pointed down, into the stand. Do not tie the haul line
around the trigger or trigger guard.
For more
information on hunter education courses and hunting safety statistics,
visit Hunter Education Program.
Remember to Share
the Woods
Hikers should be
aware that they may encounter hunters bearing firearms or archery equipment
on trails. Hunters should likewise recognize that they may encounter hikers
and others enjoying the outdoors. Hunting-related shooting incidents
involving non-hunters are extremely rare and hunting seasons the past few years were among the safest
ever.
Hunters can
minimize the potential for disturbance by and to other forms of recreation
by following a few tips. When hunters are scouting for the perfect spot or
stand location, take the time to check if the planned location is popular.
Avoiding locations that crowd other hunters or are near a sought-out hiking
spot can improve both the hunting and recreational experience. If a
preferred hunting spot is too crowded, identify an alternative location
ahead of time.
DEC maintains
hiking, biking, skiing, and snowmobile trails in many areas of Forest
Preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill parks, as well as in State
Forests, Wildlife Management Areas, and Unique Areas open to hunting. DEC
launched the 'Love Our New York Lands' campaign to encourage visitors to
State-owned and managed lands to practice responsible recreation. Love Our New York Lands bolsters ongoing
State-and partner-led efforts to educate the public about how to
responsibly enjoy outdoor recreation on public lands without negatively
impacting natural resources.
Find recreation
options by visiting DEC's Trails Less Traveled or
checking out DECinfo Locator. Many trails
are accessible to people with disabilities. Check out DEC's YouTube
playlist, with tips for how to plan and prepare for a hike with Hiking Essentials, and DEC's Hunter Education playlist
for more information about the Basic Rules of Hunter Safety.
Venison Donations
With nearly 3
million New Yorkers potentially losing their federal Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) assistance in November, DEC is encouraging
hunters to help fight hunger in our communities at this critical
time.
Each year, DEC
partners with Feeding New York State to facilitate the donation of
50-70,000 pounds of venison from deer harvested by hunters to those in
need.
To help join the
fight against hunger by donating your deer harvest:
1. Drop off any
legally harvested, tagged, and reported deer at one of Feeding New York State’s participating deer processors.
2. Call the
processor ahead of time to ensure they can accept your deer.
3. Complete the
processor’s log sheet indicating your desire to donate the deer. Hunters
can also donate whole deer or venison directly to anyone they choose.
DEC and Feeding
New York State will cover the processing costs for donated deer so that the
venison can be distributed to food pantries and food banks throughout the
state; however, funding is limited. If you don’t have a deer to donate but
still want to help, consider making a financial donation to the venison
donation program through Feeding New York State, by clicking the
“Donations” link at the top of the DEC Automated Licensing System page, or when you
purchase your next hunting license.
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