Deer and Bear Hunting Regulations

This page provides a summary of laws and regulations pertaining to deer and bear hunting in New York. For more information, please review DEC’s Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide.  For complete information, please review the New York State Environmental Conservation Law and Volume 6 of the Codes, Rules, and Regulations of the State of New York.

Regulations to Keep New York's Wild Deer CWD-Free

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) poses a serious threat to New York’s white-tailed deer and moose populations and is spreading across the United States and Canada. In response, New York has established regulations to prevent the introduction of CWD by out of state hunters. These regulations restrict the importation of carcasses and high-risk carcass parts from CWD-susceptible deer species harvested from anywhere outside of New York. DEC will confiscate and destroy any carcasses, intact heads, or other unallowed carcass parts from CWD-susceptible deer species that are imported illegally into New York. Out-of-state hunters are permitted to travel through New York with carcasses and parts from CWD-susceptible deer species as long as none of the carcass and parts are disposed of or remain in New York. However, hunters should be aware of carcass import restrictions in their destination state or province to ensure compliance. 

Under these regulations out of state deer hunters are:

1. Prohibited from returning to New York with whole carcasses or intact heads of CWD-susceptible deer species that they harvest anywhere outside of New York. CWD-susceptible deer species include:
   • White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
   • Black-tailed deer and Mule deer (O. hemionus)
   • Red deer (Cervus elaphus) and Elk (C. e. canadensis)
   • Moose (Alces alces)
   • Sika deer (Cervus nippon)
   • Caribou and Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)
2. Only allowed to bring certain allowed carcass parts from CWD-susceptible deer species back into New York. Allowed carcass parts include:
   • Deboned venison
   • Cleaned skull cap
   • Antlers with no flesh adhering
   • Raw or processed cape or hide
   • Cleaned teeth or lower jaw
   • Finished taxidermy products
3. Required to label the allowed carcass parts and packages of deboned venison from CWD-susceptible deer species brought into New York. The label must include:
   • The species of deer
   • State, province, or country where the deer was harvested
   • Name and address of the person who harvested the deer
4. Required to notify DEC within 24 hours if the CWD-susceptible deer species, that they harvested out of state and imported into New York, tests positive for CWD. DEC will make arrangements to collect and destroy the CWD-contaminated meat and carcass parts.

Learn more about CWD and the regulations you must follow to help keep New York CWD-free by watching the short video below.

Regulations to Keep Hunters Safe

New York is one of the safest states in the nation for deer and bear hunting. Regulations have been established to help ensure that strong safety record continues, and to reduce the likelihood for hunting-related shooting incidents. 

Under these regulations deer and bear hunters are:

1. Required to wear fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink clothing while hunting with a firearm. Any person who is accompanying someone hunting deer or bear with a firearm must also wear fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink clothing. The clothing must be:
   • a minimum of two hundred fifty square inches of solid fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink material worn above the waist and visible from all directions; or
   • a minimum of two hundred fifty square inches of patterned fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink consisting of no less than fifty percent fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink worn above the waist and visible from all directions; or
   • a hat or cap with no less than fifty percent of the exterior consisting of solid fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink material and visible from all directions.
2. Only allowed to hunt deer and bear from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset. These hunting hours help ensure there is enough natural light for hunters to effectively identify their target and what’s beyond it before taking a shot, while maximizing opportunities for hunters to harvest deer and bear during the timees of day when these species are most active. Refer to the sunrise-sunset table on the last page of the annual Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide to determine the exact legal hunting hours for where you hunt.

Learn more about the basics of hunting safety by visiting DEC’s Hunter Education Program webpage.

Regulations for Tagging, Transporting, and Reporting Harvested Deer and Bear

Harvested deer and bear are in a hunter’s legal possession only when they are tagged, transported, and reported appropriately.

To maintain legal possession of a harvested deer or bear, hunters must:

1. Tag the harvested deer or bear with an appropriate, completed, and legible carcass tag. Follow the below steps to ensure your harvested deer or bear is legally tagged.
   • Step 1. Get your paper tags from a license-issuing agent or print them from the PDF sent to your email upon purchase of your hunting license.
   • Step 2. Cut the appropriate tag from the sheet of paper. Ensure you select the proper tag for the species and season you are hunting in.
   • Step 3. Fill in the tag with the required harvest information and sign it using ink that won’t erase. The month and date of harvest must be marked in ink on the carcass tag.
   • Step 4. Place the tag in a weatherproof case or bag.
   • Step 5. Attach the weatherproof case or bag to the animal, keeping the tag visible. You do not need to attach the tag to the carcass while it is being dragged or physically carried from the place of kill to a camp, home, or point where transportation is available. Attach the carcass tag immediately upon arriving at one of these locations.
   • Step 6. Keep the tag attached to the carcass until it is cut up and prepared for consumption.
   • Step 7. Report your harvest within seven days. DEC considers unreported deer and bear to be illegally taken. Hunters in possession of illegally taken deer and bear are subject to penalty.
2. Transport the harvested deer or bear appropriately. Harvested and tagged deer and bear may be transported either inside or outside a vehicle by the hunter who harvested the animal, or in their attendance. Follow the below requirements to ensure your harvested deer or bear is legally transported.
   • If someone other than the hunter who harvested the deer or bear is transporting the animal, create and attach an additional tag to the carcass that includes the names, addresses, and signatures of the hunter and person(s) transporting the carcass. The tag may be handwritten in ink or typed on any paper.
   • All portions of deer or bear meat being transported must be individually tagged with the name, address, hunting license number, date that the portions were cut, and the signature of the hunter who harvested the deer or bear. Packaged or boxed portions of venison only require one tag and must be labeled "venison" on the outside of the box. If someone other than the hunter is transporting the portions, create and attach an additional tag to each portion that includes the names, addresses, and signatures of the hunter and person(s) transporting the portions.
   • A deer carcass with head removed can be transported as described above, but evidence of the sex of the deer must be intact. Additionally, create and attach a tag to the carcass that includes the name and address of the taxidermist where the head was sent.
   • Heads of male deer may be transported to a taxidermist. Create and attach a tag to the head that includes the hunter’s address, signature, hunting license number, number of points on each antler and the name and address of the taxidermist where the head is being sent. The head of a doe with antlers that are at least 3 inches in length can also be removed for mounting and transported following these same procedures.
   • Hunters who take a deer or bear in remote areas may wish to bone it out and pack out the meat. This is lawful, but you must retain the carcass tag with the boned-out meat.

General Big Game Hunting Regulations

• It is illegal to hunt big game using:
  • A fully automatic firearm
  • A firearm or bow aided by any artificial light or a laser that projects a beam toward the target
  • Any firearm equipped with a silencer
  • An autoloading firearm with a capacity of more than 6 shells (one which requires that the trigger be pulled separately for each shot), except an autoloading pistol with a barrel length of less than 8 inches
  • A firearm using rimfire ammunition
  • A shotgun of less than 20 gauge or any shotgun loaded with shells other than those carrying a single projectile
  • A bow with a draw weight less than 35 pounds
  • Dogs
  • Aircraft of any kind
  • Bait or salt licks
  • An air gun or air bow
  • Traps or snares

  • Arrows with barbed broadheads (see picture below); arrowheads less than 7/8 inches at the widest point or with less than 2 sharp cutting edges

    

• Big game hunters are permitted to carry a .22 caliber rim-fire handgun during regular deer season or early and regular bear seasons, if they possess a NYS pistol permit. The .22 caliber rim-fire handgun cannot be used as a primary or secondary weapon to take deer or bear. It is illegal to possesses a firearm of any kind when bowhunting or when accompanying a person bowhunting during bowhunting seasons.
• It is illegal to harvest deer or bear while the animal is in water.
• It is illegal to sell deer or bear meat. Other than meat, the parts from legally taken and reported deer and bear may be sold only if tagged prior to sale. The tag must be provided by the hunter or the buyer and include the hunter's license number, date of birth, signature, printed name and the town and county of kill.
• Bear gallbladders and bile cannot be possessed or sold unless the original copy of the bear carcass tag is attached. Taxidermists must also keep records of all bear gallbladders and bile received or sold.
• A legally antlered deer must have at least one antler that is at least three inches in length measured from the base of the burr to the tip of the antler. Special regulations apply in Wildlife Management Units that have mandatory Antler Point Restrictions.
• In the Southern Zone, you may not shoot a cub or a bear that should be known to be a cub, shoot any bear from a group of bears, or shoot or take a bear from its den.
• Resident and Nonresident hunters may take one bear by gun or bow each license year. The number of deer a hunter may take depends upon the licenses and privileges purchased. If a licensed hunter has the proper tags, they are permitted to shoot more than one deer in a day.

Legal Implements for Big Game Hunting

Legally Defined Areas for Big Game Hunting

Northern - Southern Zone Line:

A line separating the Northern and Southern Zone portions of New York State described as follows: a line commencing at a point at the north shore of the Salmon river and its junction with Lake Ontario and extending easterly along the north shore of that river to the village of Pulaski, thence southerly along Route 11 to its intersection with Route 49 in the village of Central Square, thence easterly along Route 49 to its junction with Route 365 in the city of Rome, thence easterly along Route 365 to its junction with Route 28 in the village of Trenton, thence easterly along Route 28 to its junction with Route 29 in the village of Middleville, thence easterly along Route 29 to its junction with Route 4, thence northerly along Route 4 to its junction with Route 22, thence northerly and westerly along Route 22 to the eastern shore of South Bay on Lake Champlain in the village of Whitehall, thence northerly along the eastern shore of South Bay to the New York-Vermont boundary.

Closed Areas:

The following closed areas are specific portions of the state where the taking of deer and bear is prohibited by the Environmental Conservation Law. This section does not include areas covered by town laws, local ordinances or posting by landowners.

City of Binghamton

Erie County-Area around Buffalo: bounded by Tonawanda Creek from East Branch Niagara River to Route 78 to Greiner Road to Route 268 to Route 5 to Ransom Road to Route 33 to Route 78 to Route 20 to Route 20A to Lake Erie.

Herkimer County-Area along Big Moose Lake: bounded by Judson Road from Herkimer-Hamilton County line to Higby Road to Big Moose Road. to Martin Road and along it to its eastern end and then to the lake shore and back (starting westerly) along the shore to Herkimer-Hamilton County line and along it to Judson Road.

Herkimer and Hamilton Counties-Area bounded by Route 28 from Old Forge to Inlet and by South Shore Road from Inlet to Old Forge.

Nassau County-All of Nassau County.

New York City-All of the city.