NYS Fish & Wildlife employee handles a male pheasant
The opening of small game hunting seasons in New York State has begun.
State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said depending on species and location, New York offers small game hunting opportunities from September 1 through March 30.
Mahar said that new this year, the DEC has, “…expanded pheasant stocking programs in an effort to bolster small game hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation and to provide greater opportunity for current pheasant hunters.”
Season dates, bag limits, and other hunting regulations for New York’s small game species are available in the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide (PDF), which can be obtained from any license-issuing agent or on the DEC’s website at https://dec.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2024-07/huntingtrappingregsguide.pdf
Squirrel seasons is underway now with rabbit hunting beginning October 1 in upstate New York.
Waterfowl seasons in New York begin with a September Canada goose season designed to help manage resident or less migratory local Canada goose populations. The season in upstate New York and eastern Long Island is open from Sept. 1 through 25. The season closes when migratory Canada geese return to New York at the end of the month.
In addition to September Canada goose seasons, New York also offers youth waterfowl hunting days and Military waterfowl hunting days. Military season dates vary by zone, but the youth waterfowl dates in all upstate zones are the weekend of Saturday, Sept. 28 and 29.
The DEC’s changes to the pheasant propagation program include improved hunting experiences by increasing the number of stocking locations, targeting areas closer to populated areas, increasing the number of days pheasants are stocked and the number of birds released per day, and releasing birds into December in some upstate regions (avoiding southern zone firearms deer season).
The DEC has reserved up to 6,000 birds for the Sponsored Hunt Program. Sponsored hunts are free, non-competitive events coordinated by a group, club, individual, or organization to benefit youth, women, first-time hunters, veterans, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups. Sponsored hunts can occur any time during the hunting season, not just during special seasons. DEC is still accepting applications from people interested in hosting an event.
An interactive map of statewide pheasant release sites, approximate timing of stocking, and number of birds stocked can be found on DEC’s website.
Ruffed grouse hunting season runs from October 1 through the last day of February in most parts of the state. In Northern New York, the season opens September 20 and runs through the last day of February.
Coyote hunting season begins October 1 across much of the state and hunting seasons for other furbearers such as bobcat, raccoon, and fox begin October 25.
As a reminder, hunters that harvest a bobcat in New York must complete a furbearer possession tag (PDF) and get the pelt or unskinned animal sealed. The DEC is also interested in examining coyotes that exceed 50 pounds as part of an effort to better understand the genetic makeup of these uncommon specimens. Hunters can contact a regional wildlife office or DEC law enforcement (1-844-332-3267) to arrange for DEC to collect a biological sample.
For more information and other important safety tips, visit the DEC’s website and watch videos about hunter safety.
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