Hunting and Trapping Newsletter

Youth Turkey Season – Get Involved This Year!

New York State offers several youth hunting opportunities to allow young hunters time afield with experienced adult hunters outside of the regular hunting seasons. As a result, they gain the necessary knowledge and skills to become safe and responsible members of the hunting community. This spring, the youth turkey hunt is April 22nd and 23rd.

If you’re an experienced, licensed hunter, please consider taking a youth out! The youth season is open throughout upstate New York and even in Suffolk County. Several non-profit groups sponsor specific events, and we encourage experienced hunters to reach out and take a kid hunting.

Other details of the youth turkey hunting weekend are as follows:

• Eligible hunters are youth 12, 13, 14, or 15 years of age, holding a hunting license and a turkey permit.
• All youth hunters must be accompanied by an adult, as required by law for a junior hunter.
  • Youth 12 or 13 years of age must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or person over 21 years of age, with written permission from their parent or legal guardian.
  • Youth 14 or 15 years of age must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or person over 18 years of age, with written permission from their parent or legal guardian.
• The accompanying adult must have a current hunting license and turkey permit. S/he may assist the youth hunter (including calling), but may not carry a firearm, bow or crossbow, or kill or attempt to kill a wild turkey during the youth hunt. Crossbows may not be used by licensees who are under 14 years of age.
• The youth turkey hunt is open in all of upstate New York (north of the Bronx-Westchester County boundary) and Suffolk County. Shooting hours are from 1/2-hour before sunrise to noon.
• The bag limit for the youth hunt is one bearded bird. This bird becomes part of the youth's regular season bag limit of two bearded birds. A second bird may be taken in upstate New York (north of the Bronx-Westchester County boundary) beginning May 1st.
• All other wild turkey hunting regulations remain in effect.

DEC Reminds the Public to Prevent Conflicts with Bears by Removing Bird Feeders, Storing Garbage Indoors, and Feeding Pets Indoors

Bears are emerging from their dens, and now is the time to take steps to reduce potential conflicts through the spring and summer. Bird feeders, unsecured garbage, and outdoor pet and livestock feed can attract bears and lead to potential conflicts for homeowners. Repeated access to bird feeders and garbage can make bears bolder, seeking additional sources of human-related foods inside vehicles or buildings, particularly when natural foods are scarce.

Feeding bears intentionally is illegal. Unintentional feeding through bird feeders and unsecured garbage also has consequences for communities and may ultimately be deadly for the bear if the bear becomes a greater threat to people and property after exposure to these sources of food. It is important to properly manage attractants to avoid human-bear conflicts.

DEC advises everyone residing in or visiting bear country (most of upstate New York) to remove any attractants. People should take down bird feeders and clean up any remaining bird seed now, begin storing garbage inside secure buildings until the morning of collection, and feed pets indoors. By taking these simple steps, New Yorkers can help ensure bears will find food naturally, which protects people, property, and bears.

For more information, please visit DEC's webpage on reducing human-bear conflicts.

Proposed Changes to Wild Turkey Hunting Regulations

DEC recently proposed changes to the turkey hunting regulations that would take effect starting in the fall 2022 and spring 2023 hunting seasons (next year). The first proposal would make #9 shot legal for turkey hunting statewide and would be implemented for the fall 2022 season, if adopted. The second proposal would establish a spring turkey season on Long Island in wildlife management unit 1C (Suffolk County). The proposed season would run from May 1 through May 31 with a 1 bird seasonal bag limit. If adopted, the spring season would be implemented for the spring 2023 season.

The changes to shot sizes are being proposed to account for advances in shotshell technology. Previously, shot sizes smaller than #8 were prohibited because they lacked the kinetic energy downrange to humanely harvest a turkey. Recent advances in shotshell technology use heavier metals such as tungsten alloy, tungsten-iron, or bismuth. These heavier shot types, sometimes referred to as “Tungsten Super Shot” or “TSS,” maintain enough energy to humanely harvest a turkey. In terms of kinetic energy, #9 tungsten can have the same weight as #5 lead shot and achieve a higher pellet count.

DEC welcomes public comment on these regulatory proposals through June 5, 2022. Please send comments by email to wildliferegs@dec.ny.gov with “Proposed Turkey Regulations” in the subject line or by mail to Joshua Stiller, NYSDEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754.

In-Person Hunter Education Program Courses Now Available

All first-time hunters planning to go afield this year must first complete a mandatory hunter education course before they can purchase a hunting license. In-person, instructor-led certification courses for hunter education, bowhunter education, and trapper education are being offered throughout NYS. Courses fill quickly, so do not delay in registering for a course. All courses are free of charge. To locate a course near you, visit DEC's website.