This is how I think of New York`s current regulations on deer and bear hunting, which limit filming times from sunrise to sunset. I lived and hunted in New York for six years, and not once did I meet another hunter who could explain why this Reg was in the books. Many deer hunters in New York don`t follow this rule because it just doesn`t make sense. The regulation deprives law-abiding hunters of legal and ethical shooting during periods when deer – crepuscular animals – are most active. “I watch those 30 minutes go by,” Ross says. “I don`t usually get out of the stands, even though the shooting time ends legally because I want to see if the deer move. This will give me the opportunity to reposition myself. I`m going to take my arrow out of my bow or take my bullet out of the gun so I don`t hunt legally, but I`m sitting there because when I see deer, I can say, “You`re from over there, I`ll line up there next time.” But it would be nice if I could sit there and shoot the deer [that night]. It is illegal to sell deer or bear meat. In addition to meat, parts (e.g., skins, skulls, claws, antlers, taxidermy or carpets) may be sold by legally removed and reported deer and bears.
Gallbladder and bile cannot be owned or sold unless a valid bear tag (original or copy) is attached. According to critics, the current regulation does just that: it turns otherwise legal and law-abiding hunters into game offenders. The law is also unnecessarily restrictive for hunters who have little time to hunt, such as people cramming into a seat before work or children rushing to their stalls after school. Obstructing hunters during the two most productive periods of summer game activity can delay the season for those who are already late, which could prevent casual deer hunters – those who only hunt a few days a year – from having legal harvesting opportunities. Some critics have also argued that longer daily filming hours would interfere with other outdoor recreational activities. But smart big game hunters are already in the forest during those hours anyway. Ross always enters his trees long before dayfall in the morning, and he stays in place after dark. Arriving or departing during these twilight hours would not only eject the deer, but also make it an exploratory opportunity. Broad-headed spiny stems are illegal for big game hunting. A spiny wide head is an end in which the angle between the trailing or trailing edge of a blade and the shaft is less than 90 degrees. A notch at the base of the blade less than two millimeters from the shaft is not considered a barb.
Wideheads with mechanical blades are legal if the blades do NOT form a beard or hook when the arrow is pulled from the flesh of a deer or bear. (See big game hunting graph) “Personally, it was a frustration,” says Matt Ross, director of conservation for the National Deer Association and a lifelong New York hunter. “I`m a legal hunter, so I respect this law. Deer are creatures that are most active at dawn and dusk, so shooting opportunities often take place in the last 30 minutes to an hour, and at the beginning and end of the hunting day, there are always shooting opportunities you can`t use. “There are gunshots in those 30 minutes at the beginning of the day and 30 minutes at the end of the day, literally every day of deer season,” Ross says. And I`m sure they don`t poach deer. These are people sitting there patiently waiting for a deer to show up [who are also legal hunters]. At press time, a proposed order was pending that would introduce a spring hunting season for turkeys in Suffolk County. The proposed season would last from May 1 to May 31, filming hours would be 1/2 hour before sunrise until noon, and the seasonal catch limit would be a bearded bird. If adopted as proposed, the season will come into effect in May 2023. Check CED`s website before hitting the road. A legally consecrated deer must have at least one antler of 3 inches or more.
Antlerless deer are antlerless deer (fawns and fawns) and antlerless deer less than 3″ in length. Special regulations apply in restricted areas for timber. For more information, see About crossbow hunting. Deer and bears are only legally in possession if they bear the appropriate carcass tag valid for the season, equipment and sex of the animal. Check the deer hunting season dates for clear descriptions of labels. In addition, hunters around the world must make decisions about shooting that are completely legal, such as handing over a mule deer with a horizon line or waiting for a white sling to emerge from behind the undergrowth. Hunters in the other 49 states are already able to reliably identify big game at dusk. This also includes deciding not to shoot if it`s too dark, even if it`s still in the legal light. I am convinced that New York hunters are responsible enough to make the same decisions. Perhaps that`s why the New York Department of Environmental Conservation has proposed a change in regulations to extend big game hunting hours. New York has the most restrictive deer hunting seasons in the United States, according to the state`s 2021 whitetail management plan. All other states allow hunters to catch deer that start 30 minutes before sunrise or earlier, or their rules simply indicate daylight hours.
And 46 out of 50 states allow deer hunting up to one time after sunset, which is usually 30 minutes. In addition to the fact that hunters in all other states legally and safely kill deer before sunrise, New York currently allows hunters to catch many other species such as turkey and migratory birds within 30 minutes of the sun. Fur-bearing animals such as coyotes can be slaughtered at any time, day or night, as can non-wild species. These reasonable shooting times further weaken arguments that twilight hunting is obviously dangerous. Ross sets a timer on his watch to set legal shooting times, and has therefore surpassed many deer over the years. Last season, when a handsome 3.5-year-old male entered a well-lit bow distance outside of shooting hours, it was particularly painful to shoot an otherwise ethical shot. Although Ross is a proponent of the rule, he knows that many New York hunters are not. Crossbow occasions include parts of the bow season in addition to mouth chargers and regular seasons: Natalie Krebs is deputy editor of Outdoor Life, where she handles everything from digital reporting to producing podcast episodes. Originally from Missouri, she currently lives with her bird dog Hatchet in northwestern Arkansas.
Read more: Why do states have such different (and obscure) hunting regulations? That`s partly because we can`t agree on what is ethical. If you are hunting in New York and would like to quickly let the DEC know that you support these suggestions, you can do so here.