The New York State DEC has announced several changes to deer hunting regulations to increase harvest of antlerless deer -- primarily female -- and improve its ability to manage abundant deer populations. DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton says the regulatory changes are the result of "robust" public engagement and reflect the agency's commitment to conservation.
The changes will increase opportunities for hunters to access and utilize deer management permits (DMPs) where most needed, including:
- Adding 10 Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) to the nine-day season for antlerless deer in mid-September. Among them are 9G, which includes parts of the towns of Hanover, Sheridan and Dunkirk and part of the City of Dunkirk in Chautauqua County; part of the Town of Perrysburg in Cattaraugus County; and the towns of Brant and Evans and parts of the towns of Collins, North Collins, Eden, Hamburg and Orchard Park in Erie County.
- Designating 23 WMUs as having no DMP quota. Hunters who harvest and report an antlerless deer using a DMP in a WMU with no DMP quota would be eligible to have the DMP automatically replaced. Among those WMUs for 2026 will be 9G.
- Modifying the DMP application process by allowing hunters to apply for up to four DMPs: two in WMUs with a quota and two DMPs in WMUs with no quota.
- Allowing unlimited transfer of DMPs between hunters.
The DEC is creating an incentive for hunters to harvest antlerless deer by establishing a statewide Earn-a-2nd-Buck System. Under the new system, all hunters will receive a first antlered deer tag, which can be used during any season (with appropriate privileges), except the September antlerless season. Hunters who harvest and report an antlerless deer using a DMP, bow/muzzleloader antlerless deer tag, or Deer Management Assistance Program tag will be eligible to receive a second antlered deer tag, which can also be used during those same seasons.
To facilitate the new Earn-a-2nd-Buck System, the DEC is reclassifying 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 would receive a bow/muzzleloader antlerless deer tag for each privilege.
The changes were first proposed by the DEC based on input from New York deer hunters and professional deer managers across the Northeast through focus groups and surveys administered by DEC. Additionally, the DEC reviewed more than 1,000 public comments on the regulatory proposal announced in March, many of which recognized the need to increase antlerless harvest to mitigate negative deer impacts to ecosystems and the public. The public also expressed concern over the potential for overharvest of deer in some areas and encouraged the DEC to implement methods to validate the antlerless deer harvested under the Earn-a-2nd-Buck System.
