New York's Most Popular Hunting Season Starts With New Rules

The "most popular" hunting season in the Hudson Valley and Upstate New York starts in a few days with new rules and tips.

On Wednesday, the New York State DEC announced that the deer and bear hunting season with regular firearms would start soon.

Deer Bear Hunting Season Starting Soon

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The DEC says the "state's most popular big game hunting season begins on Saturday, Nov. 16, and continues through Dec. 8 in the DEC's Southern Zone. The Hudson Valley and many parts of Upstate New York are in the southern zone.

DEC

The DEC estimates that 470,000 licensed hunters are patriciate. During this season, about 60 percent of the total statewide deer harvest and 30 to 60 percent of the statewide bear harvest occur.

Note: The ongoing Sterling Forest Fire is impacting the hunting season in that area.

One eatery in Upstate New York is offering special hours for hunters.

DEC Looking Into Chronic Wasting Disease

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"(The) DEC is simultaneously responding to an isolated detection of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a captive deer facility in southern Herkimer County. While there is no evidence that CWD is present in wild deer at this time, DEC is enhancing CWD surveillance in the area and requesting successful deer hunters in the area submit the deer’s head to DEC for CWD testing," the DEC stated in a press release.

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When introduced into wild deer, CWD can spread rapidly, is nearly impossible to eliminate, and threatens future deer hunting opportunities.

CWD Also Called Zombie Deer Disease

The DEC is worried about Chronic Wasting Disease after a deer in Upstate New York tested positive for the fatal virus.

Warning: 'Aggressive" Bear Destroys Home In Upstate New York, Returns

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is an always fatal deer disease that threatens New York's wild white-tailed deer and moose populations, officials say.

How To Prevent CWD

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Hunters can help prevent the introduction of CWD into New York’s wild deer populations by taking the following precautions:

Hunting Outside of New York

Hunting in New York

Rules To Know If Hunting in Columbia, German Flatts, Litchfield, Warren, town of Richfield ,or Winfield

All successful deer hunters in the towns of Columbia, German Flatts, Litchfield, Warren, or Winfield in Herkimer County, and the town of Richfield in Otsego County are told to submit the deer’s head for CWD testing at one of seven drop-off locations. Taxidermists can sample deer intended to be mounted.

Deer head drop-off instructions:

Cut the deer head off with some neck remaining.
Keep the head chilled or frozen until submission to DEC.
Remove the skull plate and antlers on bucks before submission.
Place the head in a plastic garbage bag.
Label the bag with your name, address, and phone number and complete the DEC tag at the drop-off location.
Deposit the bagged head in the white metal container at one of the drop-off locations below.

Drop Off Locations

Deer head drop-off locations:

Town of Warren

131 Hyde-Bell Lane, Jordanville NY 13361 (highway department)
Town of Columbia
936 Jordanville Road, Ilion NY 13367 (sand building)
147 County Route 259, Ilion NY 13357 (town hall)

Town of Litchfield