DEC Announces Start of Small Game Hunting Seasons

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar announced the opening of small game hunting seasons across New York State. Depending on species and location, New York offers small game hunting opportunities from Sept. 1 through March 30.

"New York offers abundant opportunities for hunters seeking small game, from a variety of game birds to a diverse cross section of furbearing mammals," Interim Commissioner Mahar said. "New for this year, DEC has expanded pheasant stocking programs in an effort to bolster small game hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation and to provide greater opportunity for current pheasant hunters."

Season dates, bag limits, and other hunting regulations for New York's small game species are available in the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide (PDF), which can be obtained from any license-issuing agent or on DEC's website.

Squirrel, Rabbit, and Hare Hunting

Opportunities to pursue squirrels and rabbits can be found throughout the state, including on many public lands. Squirrel seasons started Sept. 1 in upstate New York and begins Nov. 1 on Long Island. Rabbit hunting begins Oct. 1 in Upstate New York and on Nov. 1 on Long Island. With ample opportunities and mild weather, squirrel and rabbit hunting are great ways to introduce novices to hunting.

Snowshoe hare (or varying hare) season starts Oct. 1 in the Northern Zone. Hare hunters in the Southern Zone, where the season starts in late fall or early winter, are encouraged to report their observations to DEC through DEC's website.

Youth Waterfowl and September Canada Goose Seasons

Waterfowl seasons in New York begin with a September Canada goose season designed to help manage resident or less migratory local Canada goose populations. The season in upstate New York and eastern Long Island is open from Sept. 1 through 25. The season closes when migratory Canada geese return to New York at the end of the month.

In addition to September Canada goose seasons, New York also offers youth waterfowl hunting days and Military waterfowl hunting days. Military season dates vary by zone, but the youth waterfowl dates in all upstate zones are the weekend of Saturday, Sept. 28 and 29. On Long Island, the youth dates are Nov. 9 and 10.

Pheasant Season and Pheasant Program Update

DEC has made significant efforts to modify the pheasant propagation program to more effectively recruitment new hunters and to retain or reactivate existing hunters. Changes include:

• DEC's Reynolds Game Farm hatched roughly 13,000 pheasants for cooperators across the state to raise to adulthood and release on public hunting areas;

• Improved hunting experiences by increasing the number of stocking locations, targeting areas closer to populated areas, increasing the number of days pheasants are stocked and the number of birds released per day, and releasing birds into December in some upstate regions (avoiding southern zone firearms deer season);

• DEC reserved up to 6,000 birds for the Sponsored Hunt Program. Sponsored hunts are free, non-competitive events coordinated by a group, club, individual, or organization to benefit youth, women, first-time hunters, veterans, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups. Sponsored hunts can occur any time during the hunting season, not just during special seasons. DEC is still accepting applications from people interested in hosting an event; and

• DEC developed a new HuntFishNY registration page for mentored hunting and fishing opportunities. Hunters interested in attending a mentored hunt can find opportunities in their area and register directly through the website for sponsored hunts.

An interactive map of statewide pheasant release sites, approximate timing of stocking, and number of birds stocked can be found on DEC's website. If hunters prefer to search based on the property name, region, county, or township, they can use the table view. Please note that stocking in some regions extends later into the hunting season. Late season stockings are snow depth-dependent and stocking locations and the number of birds released are subject to change.

Ruffed Grouse Hunting

Ruffed grouse hunting season runs from Oct. 1 through the last day of February in most parts of the state. In Northern New York, the season opens Sept. 20 and runs through the last day of February. In New York City and on Long Island, the season is closed.

Ruffed grouse hunters in the Northern Zone are reminded to positively identify quarry before shooting. The Northern Zone, specifically Wildlife Management Units 5C, 5F, 6F, and 6J, is also home to the spruce grouse, a State-endangered species that is illegal to hunt. Loss of a single spruce grouse, particularly a female, could be a significant setback for a small local population. For tips on how to discern the two species, view the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide or the Ruffed Grouse Hunting Information page on DEC's website.

DEC encourages ruffed grouse hunters to take part in the grouse hunting log program and submit feathers from harvested birds to assess recruitment (number of young produced per adult female grouse) for different parts of the state. Interested hunters should visit the DEC website to learn more.

Furbearer Hunting Seasons

With 16 species of furbearers in New York, furbearer hunting and trapping opportunities are abundant. Coyote hunting season begins Oct. 1 across much of the state and hunting seasons for other furbearers such as bobcat, raccoon, and fox begin Oct. 25.

As a reminder, hunters that harvest a bobcat in New York must complete a furbearer possession tag (PDF) and get the pelt or unskinned animal sealed. DEC is also interested in examining coyotes that exceed 50 pounds as part of an effort to better understand the genetic makeup of these uncommon specimens. Hunters can contact a regional wildlife office or DEC law enforcement (1-844-332-3267) to arrange for DEC to collect a biological sample.

Season dates and zone boundaries for all furbearers can be found on DEC's website and in the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide.

DEC Encourages Hunter Safety

While statistics show hunting in New York is safer than ever, mistakes are made every year. Every hunting-related shooting incident is preventable, and DEC Interim Commissioner Mahar encourages hunters to use common sense this season and remember what they learned in DEC's Hunter Education Course:

• Point your gun in a safe direction.
• Treat every gun as if it were loaded.
• Be sure of your target and beyond.
• Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.

In addition to blaze orange or pink being required for hunting big game with firearms, DEC encourages small game hunters to wear blaze orange or blaze pink. Wearing orange or pink makes hunters more visible to other hunters.

For more information and other important safety tips, please visit DEC's website and watch videos about hunter safety. For more information about getting outdoors safely and responsibly, visit DEC's website.

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