It’s Deer Season: Friday’s archery opener found this hunter in a tree stand, but not for long. Once the sun topped over the trees and hit the small clearing I was perched in, I was soon within the company of mosquitos. I’ve never been a warm-weather hunter and that’s the weather pattern we’ll be dealing with at least through the middle of this first week. Tuesday, Oct. 1 marks the Southern Zone opener as well the Northern Zone fall turkey season. It’s also the start of several small game seasons, including pheasant and other small game. Waterfowl seasons are coming soon. You can keep track of the seasons here. 

Meanwhile, we’re curious of any sign your finding, especially food sources like acorns and beechnuts. There area some nuts out there, but it seems like the supply varies by elevation. Good luck in the bow stand! 

Printed Licenses: Sporting licenses go on sale officially Aug. 5, and with it comes another change. DEC is no longer printing hunting licenses on the waterproof, tear-poof paper. Hunters will now have to print their own licenses and tags. While you can carry electronic proof via the HuntFishNY app, you still need to have a physical, printed copy of your deer, bear and turkey tags and apply them (and protect them) as you normally would in the field and during transport. You can either print them at home or have a license issuing agent do it for you. Those of us with lifetime licenses will be receiving them in the mail this year, but will be asked to accept them via email in 2025. 

For now, here are some resources:

• Hunting Regs Guide PDF (Details of the change are on Page 4)

• New Sporting License FAQ

• YouTube video explaining the change

Also, DEC announced a regulatory proposal that would enable License Issuing Agents and Officers (LIAs) to charge a nominal printing fee to recover costs associated with printing and mailing paper sporting licenses and other items sold through DEC’s Automated Licensing System (DECALS). The proposal does not include any additional fees if the license buyer prints a license themselves. Public comment on this is welcome through Aug. 12. Click here to read the Press Release. 

–Dan’l