DEC Hunting Season News
The 2018 regular deer and bear hunting seasons in New York’s Southern Zone begin at sunrise on Saturday, Nov. 17, and continue through Sunday, Dec. 9. The Southern Zone regular season is New York’s most popular hunting season, with an estimated 85 percent of New York’s nearly 600,000 licensed hunters participating. This season accounts for nearly 60 percent of the total statewide deer harvest and 30 to 60 percent of the statewide bear harvest.
Following the regular deer and bear seasons in the Southern Zone, late bowhunting and muzzleloading seasons run from Dec. 10 through Dec. 18. Hunters taking part in these special seasons must possess a hunting license and either bowhunting or muzzleloading privileges.
In the Northern Zone, the regular deer and bear hunting season opened Oct. 20 and will close at sunset on Dec. 2. The Northern Zone includes the Adirondacks, Tug Hill Plateau, Eastern Lake Ontario Plain, and the Champlain and St. Lawrence valleys. A late bowhunting and muzzleloading season for deer will be open in portions of the Northern Zone from Dec. 3 to Dec. 9.
Already this year, hunters are reporting solid success. Hunters have reported more deer and bear taken in the Northern Zone and similar numbers of deer and bear taken in the Southern Zone compared to this time in 2017.
Posted: November 14th, 2018 under Law Enforcement News, State Government News.