The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced it identified a positive case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a wild deer harvested in the Town of Sparta, Livingston County. This is the first occurrence of CWD in a wild deer in New York State since 2005.  

The positive sample was from an adult female white-tailed deer tested as part of DEC’s statewide annual wild deer surveillance program. The sample tissue was tested and retested at the New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell University, with additional testing now underway by the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.  

This discovery will trigger implementation of New York’s CWD Response Plan(PDF) developed jointly by DEC and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM). The plan outlines the steps both agencies will take to determine prevalence of the disease on the landscape and additional sampling and containment actions DEC intends to implement.  

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Hunting and trapping licenses and Deer Management Permits (DMPs) for the 2026-27 season are now on sale. Licenses and permits can be purchased online, at any of DEC’s license-issuing agents, or by telephone at 1-866-933-2257. Hunting and trapping licenses are valid from September 1 through August 31 each year, while annual fishing licenses are valid for 365 days from date of purchase. Lifetime licensees who receive their licenses and tags electronically should check their email and those still receiving them via mail should receive them during the month of August.

Through November 30, the DEC Call Center is operating from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday; from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays; and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 22 and Sunday, November 29. Regular call center weekday hours resume on December 1.  

Hunters should have the following ready when buying a license: 

• Complete contact information (e.g., name, address, email address, telephone number). For those who want their license and/or tags emailed, a valid email address is required. 
• DEC customer ID number (if applicable). 
• Proof of residency (e.g., driver’s license or non-driver’s ID with a valid New York State address). 
• If purchasing by phone or internet, a valid credit card. 
• If not already entered in DEC’s automated licensing system, hunters must provide proof of hunter or trapper education certification or a copy of a previous license for all hunting and trapping license purchases. 

For additional information, visit the General Sporting License Information webpage on DEC’s website. Information for hunters with a disability can be found on the Permits for Hunters with Disabilities page on DEC’s website. 

The 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide, with pertinent rules and regulations, is available on the DEC Hunting webpage. Copies are also available at license issuing agents. Hunters are encouraged to stay up to date on changes to regulations as they prepare for the fall hunting seasons by visiting the Hunting page on DEC’s website. 

Hunting and Trapping Rule Changes for 2026 
In addition to changes in DMP availability (below), DEC adopted several changes to deer hunting regulations, including an expanded September antlerless season in several Wildlife Management Units and the “Earn-a-2nd-Buck” program. To facilitate the “Earn-a-2nd-Buck” program, DEC reclassified the former “Regular Season Deer Tag” as an “Antlered Deer Tag” and the former “Bow/Muzzleloader Either-Sex Deer Tag” as a “Bow/Muzzleloader Antlerless Deer Tag.” Hunters who purchase bowhunting and muzzleloading privileges will receive a “Bow/Muzzleloader Antlerless Deer Tag” for each privilege. Hunters will earn a tag for a second buck after taking and reporting one antlerless deer. For more information, review the “Q&A” on new hunting regulations to increase harvest of antlerless deer.  

Deer Management Permits (DMPs) 
Hunters can apply for DMPs (tags for antlerless deer) at all license-issuing outlets, by phone, or online. New in 2026, hunters can apply for up to four DMPs: two in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) with limited DMPs and two in WMUs with unlimited DMPs. For WMUs with limited DMPs, the DMP application and issuance process will be open from August 3 through October 1 and DMPs will be issued through the typical lottery process. The chances of obtaining a DMP in these units will remain the same throughout the application period; hunters do not need to rush to apply.  

Unlimited DMPs will be available in 23 WMUs (1C, 3M, 3P, 3R, 3S, 4J, 6P, 7F, 7H, 7J, 7R, 8A, 8C, 8F, 8G, 8H, 8J, 8N, 8R, 8S, 9A, 9F, and 9G). Hunters can apply for DMPs in these WMUs at any time throughout the hunting seasons and all hunters who apply will receive DMPs. Preference points are not used or received when applying for DMPs in WMUs with unlimited DMPs. DMPs that are used to harvest antlerless deer in these WMUs will be replaced with a bonus DMP in the same WMU upon harvest report, allowing hunters to continue harvesting antlerless deer. There is no fee to obtain bonus DMPs. 

The 2026 chances of selection for a DMP in each WMU are available online, through license issuing agents, or by calling the DMP Hotline at 1-866-472-4332. To learn more about the issuance of DMPs, visit DEC’s website.

DEC also adopted changes to season dates and zones for fisher trapping. Visit DEC’s website for up-to-date information on hunting and trapping regulations and seasons.