Hunter holding pheasant harvest

Hunting

Hunting is among the most popular forms of wildlife recreation in New York State. Nearly 700,000 New Yorkers and over 50,000 nonresidents hunt in the Empire State. New York offers many exciting opportunities to hunt a large variety of wildlife, including big game, small game, game birds and furbearers.

Find your next adventure using DECinfo Locator - an interactive map featuring wildlife management areas, WMU boundaries, parking areas, trail heads, and other information to help plan an excursion on state-managed lands.

Deer Hunting Changes to Increase Antlerless Harvest

DEC is finalizing several changes to increase harvest of antlerless deer by hunters and improve the Department’s ability to manage abundant deer populations. Changes will increase opportunity for hunters to access and utilize Deer Management Permits (antlerless deer tags) where most needed and incentive hunters to harvest more antlerless deer by establishing a statewide Earn-a-2nd-Buck system.

Details of the proposed regulations and instructions for submitting comment are available at Fish & Wildlife Regulation Proposals. Answers to commonly asked questions are available: 2026 Antlerless Deer Hunting Changes Q & A (PDF)

turkey hunter with a turkey

Report Your Deer, Bear or Turkey Harvest

Report your deer, bear, or turkey harvest via phone or internet. It's not just the law, it's good management!

Report Harvest

Hunting and Trapping Photo Gallery

View the photo galleries of junior hunters and trappers and adults who have harvested their first big or small game animal.

New York Hunting and Trapping Guide

View the 2025-26 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide (PDF). Season dates and regulations can also be found at the links above.

Find Places to Hunt

Find land open to public hunting in your area and view or download maps.
Always ask permission before hunting regardless of whether the land is posted.

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Watch a Clip About Turkey Hunting

Contact for this Page

DFW, Bureau of Wildlife
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233

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