New York hunting seasons 2026–27
Fishing rows are copied from the NYSDEC statewide freshwater fishing table (effective April 1, 2026). Deer dates come from the DEC 2026–27 Hunting & Trapping Guide (Big Game section); the opening dates DEC announced on Oct 7, 2026 match. Every table links to the official source. If anything here disagrees with NYSDEC, NYSDEC is right.
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Deer season dates 2026–27
By species: New York deer season · New York duck season
Deer11 seasons+
| Season | Zone / area | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Early bowhunting (all WMUs) | Northern Zone | Sept. 27 - Oct. 23 |
| Regular season | Northern Zone | Oct. 24 - Dec. 6 |
| Late bowhunting | Northern Zone (WMUs 5A, 5G, 5J, 6A, 6C, 6G, 6H only) | Dec. 7 - Dec. 13 |
| Early bowhunting | Southern Zone | Oct. 1 - Nov. 20 |
| Regular season | Southern Zone | Nov. 21 - Dec. 13 |
| Late bowhunting | Southern Zone | Dec. 14 - Dec. 22, Dec. 26 - Jan. 1 |
| Regular - bowhunting only | Westchester County (WMU 3S) | Oct. 1 - Dec. 31 |
| Regular - bowhunting only | Suffolk County (WMU 1C) | Oct. 1 - Jan. 31 |
| Special Firearms (Permit Req.) | Suffolk County (WMU 1C) | Jan. 3 - Jan. 31 |
| Early Antlerless Season | Open WMUs (see source) | Sept. 12 - Sept. 20 |
| Youth Firearms | Statewide (see source) | Oct. 10 - 12 |
WMU, tag and antler point rules apply. Muzzleloading and bear seasons are not listed yet — check the DEC guide.
Ducks5 seasons+
| Season | Zone / area | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Regular duck & merganser season (incl. coots) | Long Island Zone | Nov. 21 - Nov. 29, Dec. 12 - Jan. 31 |
| Regular duck & merganser season (incl. coots) | Lake Champlain Zone | Oct. 10 - Nov. 1, Nov. 21 - Dec. 27 |
| Regular duck & merganser season (incl. coots) | Northeastern Zone | Oct. 10 - Nov. 29, Dec. 12 - Dec. 20 |
| Regular duck & merganser season (incl. coots) | Southeastern Zone | Oct. 10 - Oct. 18, Nov. 7 - Dec. 27 |
| Regular duck & merganser season (incl. coots) | Western Zone | Oct. 10 - Nov. 1, Dec. 5 - Jan. 10 |
WMU, tag and antler point rules apply. Muzzleloading and bear seasons are not listed yet — check the DEC guide.
NYSDEC 2026–27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, Big Game (PDF) 2026–27 · official source ↗ · checked Oct 17, 2026
NYSDEC 2026–27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, Big Game (PDF) 2026–27 · official source ↗ · checked Oct 17, 2026
Fishing? See New York fishing limits.