The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced several proposed regulation changes to increase harvest of antlerless deer by hunters. These proposed actions will improve DEC’s ability to manage deer populations to help ensure a healthy herd while also preventing potential increases in deer-vehicle collisions, reduced forest regeneration, and other negative impacts of deer overabundance.
“Deer populations are growing throughout much of New York State,” DEC Commissioner Lefton said. “Increased harvest of antlerless deer by hunters is necessary to keep deer populations healthy, in balance with available habitat, and at levels that are acceptable to all members of the public.”
During recent hunting seasons, less than 15% of licensed hunters harvested one antlerless (primarily female) deer and only about 3% of hunters harvested two or more antlerless deer. The proposed regulations are intended to encourage and incentivize hunters to harvest more antlerless deer to help better manage deer populations.
Over the past few years, DEC evaluated a variety of regulatory and non-regulatory options to increase harvest of antlerless deer. The process incorporated results from a series of focus groups, a statewide survey of deer hunters, and input from professional deer biologists and managers across the Northeast. Based on that evaluation, DEC proposes several actions.
Modifying the Deer Management Permit (DMP) issuance process to increase DMP availability
Some Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) have no DMP quota, resulting in unlimited DMP availability. DEC’s proposed regulations would create a second pathway for DMP issuance in units without a quota, allowing hunters to simultaneously apply for two DMPs in WMUs without a quota and two DMPs in WMUs with a quota through the typical lottery process. This would enable hunters to potentially obtain up to four DMPs when buying a license and all hunters who apply for DMPs in units without a quota would receive them.
Additionally, hunters who harvest and report antlerless deer using DMPs in any of the WMUs without a quota would automatically receive bonus DMPs, allowing them to continue harvesting antlerless deer.
Currently, Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) 1C, 3S, 4J, and 8C have no DMP quota. The proposed regulation would enable DEC to add and remove WMUs to the list of units without a DMP quota as population management needs change. For 2026, DEC would add 19 WMUs (3M, 3P, 3R, 6P, 7F, 7H, 7J, 7R, 8A, 8F, 8G, 8H, 8J, 8N, 8R, 8S, 9A, 9F, and 9G) to the list of those with no DMP quota.
Allow an unlimited number of DMPs to be transferred between hunters
Under current State regulations, hunters can only have two DMPs transferred to them from other hunters. The proposed regulations would allow hunters to have an unlimited number of DMPs transferred to them from other hunters.
Expand the nine-day season for antlerless deer in mid-September
Currently, WMUs 1C, 3S, 3M, 3R, 4J, 8A, 8C, 8F, 8G, 8J, 8N, 9A, and 9F have a nine-day season for antlerless deer in mid-September. The proposed regulations would add 10 WMUs (3P, 6P, 7F, 7H, 7J, 7R, 8H, 8R, 8S, and 9G) to the list of those enrolled in this September season.
Establish an “Earn-a-2nd-Buck" System
Currently, deer hunters can harvest two antlered deer per year – one using their Bow/Muzzleloader Either-Sex Tag and a second using their Regular Season Deer Tag. The proposed regulations would require hunters to harvest and report an antlerless deer before receiving a tag to harvest a second antlered deer. To accommodate this, DEC is proposing to reclassify the current Regular Season Deer Tag as an “Antlered Deer Tag” that could be used during all deer seasons with appropriate license privileges. All hunters would receive this first Antlered Deer Tag upon hunting license purchase.
In addition, as part of a “earn-a-2nd-buck” system, DEC would reclassify the Bow/Muzzleloader Either-Sex Deer Tag as a Bow/Muzzleloader Antlerless Deer Tag. Hunters who purchase the bowhunting and muzzleloader privileges would receive a Bow/Muzzleloader Antlerless Deer Tag for each privilege.
Hunters who harvest and report an antlerless deer on any eligible antlerless deer tag (i.e., Bow/Muzzleloader Antlerless Deer Tag, DMP, or Deer Management Assistance Program Tag) receive a second Antlered Deer Tag which could be used during all deer seasons with appropriate license privileges.
Additional Proposal
A minor change to clarify how mechanical broadheads with moving blades may be deemed non-barbed to comply with the statutory prohibition on use of barbed broadheads for big game hunting. Broadheads with blades that appear barbed, but freely swing forward to a non-barbed position upon withdrawal of the arrow, are not considered barbed. This regulation would clarify that “freely swing” infers no external force beyond gravity.
DEC strives to manage deer populations at levels that are in balance with available habitat and in alignment with public desires by encouraging and empowering hunters to harvest antlerless deer, the primary component of the deer population that drives population growth. DEC assesses public desires for deer population size and deer impacts to forests to determine deer population objectives for each area of the state. Refer to DEC’s Management Plan for White-Tailed Deer in New York State (PDF) for more information.
Details of the proposed regulations are available at Proposed, Emergency, and Recently Adopted Regulations webpage. Additional answers to commonly asked questions are available on DEC’s website.
DEC is accepting comments on the proposed regulations through May 17. Comments can be to [email protected] (subject: “Antlerless Deer Hunting”) or to: NYSDEC, Attn: Jeremy Hurst, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754.
