About Hunting in New York

Looking to plan a hunt in NY? We’ve put together all the information about the NY hunting season.

2020 New York Active Hunting Seasons in

In 2020 in NY is offering the following seasons:

New York Hunting Seasons Dates

Early bowhunting in NY state starts on September 27 in a few zones and October 24 is the first day of the regular hunting season.

That said, hunting seasons depend on the following:

• The sporting arm (ie weapon)
• Animal
• Zone (location)

Once you know what you want to hunt, with what and where you can reference the tables below to know when the seasons begin and end and what the bag limits are (what sex and how many you can harvest).

NY Regular & Bowhunting Deer Hunting Seasons 2020

Northern Zone

Northern Zone	Dates	Bag Limit
Early Bowhunting	Sept 27 – Oct 23	1 deer (antlered or antlerless)
Crossbow	Oct 14 – Oct 23
Regular	Oct 24 – Dec 6
Late Bowhunting	Dec 7 – Dec 13

*Antlered bucks must have at least one antler with 3 or more points that are at least 1 inch long.

Southern Zone

Southern Zone	Dates	Bag Limit
Early Bowhunting	Oct 1 – Nov 20	1 deer (antlered or antlerless)
Crossbow	Nov 7 – Nov 30
Regular	Nov 21 – Dec 13
Late Bowhunting	Dec 14 – Dec 22

2020 NY Muzzleloader Deer Seasons

Northern

Northern	Dates	Zones	Bag Limit
Muzzleloader	Oct 17 – Oct 23, Dec 7 – Dec 13	5a, 5g, 5j, 6c, 6h, 6g	Deer of either sex
	Oct 17 – Oct 23	6a	Antlered Deer Only
	Dec 7 – Dec 13		Deer of either sex
	Oct 17 – Oct 23	5c, 5f, 5h, 6k	Deer of either sex
	Oct 17 – Oct 23	6f, 6j, 6n	Antlered Deer Only

Southern

Southern	Dates	Zones	Bag Limit
Muzzleloader	Dec 14 – Dec 22		Deer of either sex

NY Black Bear Hunting Seasons 2020

	Dates	Bag Limit
Early Bear	Sept 19 – Oct 16
Bowhunting	Sept 19 – Oct 23
Crossbow	Oct 14 – Oct 23
Muzzleloader	Oct 17 – Oct 23
Regular	Oct 24 – Dec 6

	Dates	Bag Limit
Early Bear	Sept 12 – Sept 27
Early Bowhunting	Oct 1 – Nov 20
Crossbow	Nov 7 – Nov 20
Regular	Nov 21 – Dec 13
Late Bowhunting	Dec 14 – Dec 22
Late Muzzleloader	Dec 14 – Dec 22

Understanding New York’s hunting season

Before you can hunt in NJ, you will need to do the following:

1. First buy an annual NY hunting license
2. Buy applicable permits

NY Annual Hunting License Costs

Resident/Non-resident	Age	Cost
Resident	16-60	$22
Resident	70+	$5
Non-resident	16+	$100
Non-resident	12-15	$5

(Note: It is not necessary to purchase a separate bear tag when buying a hunting license. Small game and big game hunting is now included in the annual hunting license for both residents and nonresidents.)

Additional NY Hunting Privileges/Permits

Permit	Resident Cost	Nonresident Fee
Bowhunting Privilege	$15 (ages 16-69) No fee (ages 70+) $4 (ages 12-15)	$30 (ages 16+) $4 (ages 12-15)
Muzzleloading Privilege	$15 (ages 14-69) No fee (ages 70+)	$30 (ages 14+)
Turkey Permit	$10 (ages 12+)	$20 (ages 12+)
Deer Management Permit	$10 (ages 16+) No fee (ages 12-15) No fee (holders of lifetime sportsman licenses purchased prior to October 1, 2009)	$10 (ages 16+) No fee (ages 12-15) No fee (holders of lifetime sportsman licenses purchased prior to October 1, 2009)

Annual hunting licenses and privileges are valid from September 1 through August 31 each year.

Where to buy: https://decals.licensing.east.kalkomey.com/

NY Hunting Lottery Application Dates

Permit	Application Date
Fall Turkey	10am Sept 14,2020
Spring Turkey	Jan 25-Feb 22, 2021
Bear Segment A	10am Sept 9 – Oct 19, 2020
Bear Segment B	10am Nov 1, 2020 until end of season or sold out

Find a hunting guide in New York

• Guided Deer Hunts
• Guided Bear Hunts
• Guided Pheasant Hunts
• Guided Turkey Hunts

New York Hunting News

We’re currently researching news articles.

Tips for Hunting in NY

No hunting on sunday, must wear orange, must have license, hours vary, earn a buck

FAQs

Do I need a license to hunt in NY?

How long is a NY hunting licenses valid for? Licenses are for the calendar year and expire on December 31. Deer permits are valid into the following year if a season extends into it.

Links & Resources