Hunting and Trapping Newsletter

September is Tree Stand Safety Awareness Month

September is the month many hunters, especially bowhunters, start heading back to the woods to put up stands and get ready for upcoming hunting seasons.

Every year, hunters are seriously injured, paralyzed, or killed falling out of tree stands. Falls from tree stands have become a major cause of hunting related injuries and fatalities in New York.

Fortunately, there is something hunters can do to prevent severe injuries if they fall from a tree stand or elevated platform – wear and properly use a fall-arrest system (FAS). A FAS will keep you attached to the tree from the time you leave the ground until you get back down. A harness alone does not protect you if it isn’t attached to the tree the entire time you are off the ground.

A FAS includes a vest style full-body harness (FBH) with shoulder, chest, and leg straps, a strap that attaches to the tree when in the stand, a tether strap that attaches the harness to the tree strap, a “lifeline” to keep a hunter safe while climbing and descending, and a suspension relief strap to be used in the event of a fall.  

Wear a FAS and be safe this season!

DEC Announces Start of Small Game Hunting Seasons 

Waterfowl Hunting and Special Youth and Military Days

New York offers vast waterfowl hunting opportunities as hunters may harvest more than 30 species of waterfowl. New York has five waterfowl zones and nine Canada goose zones that help to maximize hunting opportunity across diverse habitats. Most waterfowl zones also have special hunting days for youth and members of the military (both active duty and veterans) that often begin prior to the regular hunting season, giving these hunters the opportunity to hunt with less hunting pressure.

Youth Waterfowl Days:

• Northeast, Southeast and Lake Champlain Zones: Sept. 23 and 24
• Western Zone: Sept. 30 and Oct. 1
• Long Island Zone: Nov.4 and 5

Military and Veteran Hunting Days:

• Northeast and Southeast Zones: Sept. 23 and 24
• Western Zone: Oct. 7 and Jan. 20
• Long Island Zone: Nov. 11 and 12

There are no special Military/Veteran days for the Lake Champlain Zone.

Opening dates for the Regular Duck Seasons:

• Northeast & Lake Champlain Zones: Oct. 7
• Western and Southeast Zones: Oct. 21
• Long Island Zone: Nov. 18

For more on waterfowl hunting season dates and bag limits, visit the Waterfowl Seasons page on DEC's website.

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 on Sept. 20, and runs through the last day of February. In New York City and 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.

Pheasant Season and Pheasant Propagation Update
During the spring of 2023, the Reynold's Game Farm suffered a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak in the breeder flock. After enacting precautionary measures to ensure the facility was properly decontaminated, DEC secured a contract to acquire 30,000 pheasants from a commercial hatchery to supplement fall upland bird hunting opportunities around the state.

Prior to hunting seasons, DEC will release adult pheasants on lands open to public hunting for the upcoming fall pheasant hunting season. The pheasant hunting season begins:

• Oct. 1, in northern and eastern portions of New York
• Oct. 21, in central and western portions of the state
• Nov. 1, on Long Island

Since 2007, DEC has offered a special youth-only season to provide junior hunters the opportunity to hunt pheasants during the weekend prior to the regular pheasant hunting season. In Western New York, the youth pheasant hunt weekend is Oct. 14 and 15. In northern and eastern New York, the youth pheasant hunt weekend is Sept. 23 and 24, and on Long Island, it is Oct. 28 and 29. Both the junior hunter and their adult mentor must have a hunting license. Only the junior hunter can carry a firearm and harvest birds on these dates.

An interactive map of statewide pheasant release sites, approximate timing of stocking, and number of birds stocked, can be found 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 begin Nov. 1 on Long Island. Rabbit hunting begins on 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 the DEC website.

Wild Turkey Hunting
Wild turkeys can be found throughout the state but reach their highest densities in landscapes that have a mix of forests, old fields, and farmlands. Wild turkeys are less vulnerable to harvest in areas with abundant food (e.g., hard and soft mast), because they don't have to roam far and wide foraging, so scouting before the season is important. The statewide fall season bag limit is one bird of either sex. Hunting hours are sunrise to sunset.

Season dates for fall 2023:

• Oct. 1 - 14, in the Northern Zone
• Oct. 21 - Nov. 3, in the Southern Zone (corrected dates**)
• Nov. 18 - Dec. 1 in Suffolk County, Long Island

**Note: there is an error in the hard-copy 2023-2024 hunting regulations guide. As always, DEC recommends hunters visit the DEC website before going afield to confirm season dates and regulations.

Turkey Season Dates

Corrected Hunting Guide (PDF)

Furbearer Hunting Seasons
With 16 species of furbearers living 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 on Oct. 25. Season dates and zone boundaries for all furbearers and other hunting information including tips for identifying coyotes can be found on DEC's website and in the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide.

Citizen Science
Citizen science efforts such as the Grouse and Woodcock Hunting Log, Ruffed Grouse Parts Collection, and the Bowhunter Sighting Log provide hunters the opportunity to partner with DEC to monitor game species. To learn more about how to participate in these efforts, visit the DEC website.

DEC Encourages Hunter Safety
While statistics show hunting in New York is safer than ever, mistakes are made every year. DEC believes every hunting-related shooting incident is preventable, and Commissioner Seggos encourages hunters to use common sense this season and to remember what they learned in their DEC Hunter Education Course.

Firearms Safety:

• 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 prevents other hunters from mistaking a person for an animal or shooting in a hunter's direction. Hunters wearing blaze orange are seven times less likely to be shot.

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.

Free Fishing Day on September 23

The fifth Free Fishing Day of the year is on Saturday, September 23, when New York State waives the requirement for a freshwater fishing license or recreational marine fishing registration.

The final Free Fishing Day of 2023 will be held on Veterans Day on Nov. 11. During designated Free Fishing Days, residents and non-residents are permitted to fish in freshwater for free without a fishing license.

Free Fishing Day participants are reminded that although the requirement for a fishing license is waived during Free Fishing Days, all other fishing regulations remain in effect. For beginner anglers interested in getting started, the I FISH NY Beginners' Guide to Freshwater Fishing provides information on everything from rigging up a fishing rod to identifying a catch and understanding fishing regulations.

DEC's Places to Fish webpages are a reliable source of information for those planning their next fishing trip.

Salmon River Fish Hatchery Open House and Family Day
DEC is also hosting the 24th annual Salmon River Fish Hatchery Open House and Family Day on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day. The Salmon River Fish Hatchery is located at 2133 County Route 22, Altmar, Oswego County. All are encouraged to attend, rain or shine, and admission is free.   

Free Fishing Clinics
DEC and its partners also hold free fishing clinics throughout the year. In addition to learning about local fishing opportunities, participants are taught about the fish they can catch, how to cast a fishing rod, fishing safety, aquatic resource stewardship, and fishing regulations.

Upcoming events include September 24 in Jones Beach, October 9 in Far Rockaway, and most Saturdays until Oct. 28 in Long Island City. A full list of clinics can be found on DEC’s website. Check the list regularly as additional events are added throughout the year.

HuntFishNY app and "The Tackle Box"
Last year DEC added a new feature to the official HuntFishNY app called "The Tackle Box." Fishing regulations, fishing access, and stocking information are all available in the app within a map-based interface from the convenience of a smart phone. Other features include driving directions to State-operated fishing access sites and an offline feature that allows users to access information when cell coverage isn't available. The HuntFishNY app is available for download through Google Play or the App store. For more information visit the DEC website. 

Angler Achievement Awards Program
DEC's Bureau of Fisheries recognizes catches of big sportfish, including state records, through the Angler Achievement Awards Program. Anglers who catch a big fish this year are encouraged to advise DEC. Visit the DEC website for program rules, including minimum qualifying lengths and weights.

Read the full press release for more information of Free Fishing Day.