deer hunting

Last year, a new deer hunting period was added to the Southern Zone, which includes most of Central New York, the Mohawk Valley, the Southern Tier, the Finger Lakes, and Western New York. It was introduced by lawmakers as the "Holiday Hunt," running December 26th of each year and running through New Years Day, January 1st. Hunters received the gift of an additional seven days of late season hunting with bows and muzzleloaders.

Hunting and fishing are outdoor sports that are often passed down from generation to generation. As gun legislation and safety laws are argued about in the media, some parents wonder if it is safe to hand the hunting tradition down to their children. Well, at least in New York State, hunting has never been safer.

This should be the #1 thing on your mind.

As the snow begins to fall on an almost daily basis in the Adirondacks, hunters still on the search for that perfect prize big game of the season are beginning to count their sunsets. 30 minutes after the big bright ball falls this Sunday, December 5th, a large section of New York's premier white tail deer and bear terrain will be shut down for regular hunting for another season.

As millions across New York stuff their turkeys and their faces, while preparing to shop until they drop, others will set out this weekend on very different trips. Thanksgiving has always been a marked holiday weekend for hunters, as for many, it is the only long weekend they have during 'Big Game Season' in the Empire State. As many as 700,000 residents hunt in New York State and nearly 50,000 non-residents come here to do the same.

As New Yorkers ease into the thick of deer hunting season, the questions on their minds are usually ones that have to do with location and weather. Certainly few have had to ponder, 'does this deer that I am aiming at have COVID-19?' Well, one study done by researchers at Penn State University says hunters may want to think again.

New York State deer hunting season in the Northern Zone, of which we belong in the Capital Region, began the second week of September and will run through the end of January. According to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the 2020 deer harvest was more than 253,000 white tail deer, a 13% increase over 2019. Those are exciting numbers for the field sports community. Hunters and guides have been scouting the woods since the summer months, planning for their big game opportunities and maybe a shot at that deer of a lifetime.