New York hunting seasons 2026-27
7 hunting seasons are open in New York today, including deer, black bear. Dates come from the NYSDEC and were read yesterday.
Dates only. Bag limits, legal methods, licences and zone boundaries: NYSDEC. Read yesterday.
Big game
- Deer Open open now, last season closes Jan 31, 2027
- Black bear Open open now, last season closes Dec 6, 2026
7 hunting seasons are open in New York on November 14: deer and black bear.
Opening in the next six weeks: black bear regular on Nov 21, 2026 (Southern Zone) and deer regular on Nov 21, 2026 (Southern Zone).
New York sets different dates by zone or unit for black bear and deer; the tables list each zone's dates.
Dates come from the NYSDEC's NYSDEC Future Big Game Hunting Seasons (rule, resolved), read yesterday. Bag limits, legal methods, licences and zone boundaries are not reproduced here; the agency's regulations govern.
All New York season dates
Deer Open
| Season | Zone | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Bowhunting | Northern Zone | Sep 27, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Early Bowhunting | Northern Zone | Sep 27, 2027 to Oct 22, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 317 days |
| Early Bowhunting | Southern Zone | Oct 1, 2026 to Nov 20, 2026 | Open open, closes in 6 days |
| Early Bowhunting | Southern Zone | Oct 1, 2027 to Nov 19, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 321 days |
| Late Bowhunting and Muzzleloading | Southern Zone | Dec 14, 2026 to Dec 22, 2026 | Upcoming opens in 30 days |
| Late Bowhunting and Muzzleloading | Southern Zone | Dec 13, 2027 to Dec 21, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 394 days |
| Late Bowhunting and Muzzleloading segment 2 | Southern Zone | Dec 26, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 42 days |
| Late Bowhunting and Muzzleloading (some WMUs) | Northern Zone | Dec 7, 2026 to Dec 13, 2026 | Upcoming opens in 23 days |
| Late Bowhunting and Muzzleloading (some WMUs) | Northern Zone | Dec 6, 2027 to Dec 12, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 387 days |
| Regular (bow-only) | Suffolk County | Oct 1, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027 | Open open, closes in 78 days |
| Regular (bow-only) | Suffolk County | Oct 1, 2027 to Jan 31, 2028 | Upcoming opens in 321 days |
| Regular (bow-only) | Westchester County | Oct 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026 | Open open, closes in 47 days |
| Regular (bow-only) | Westchester County | Oct 1, 2027 to Dec 31, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 321 days |
| Early Muzzleloading | Northern Zone | Oct 17, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Early Muzzleloading | Northern Zone | Oct 16, 2027 to Oct 22, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 336 days |
| Early Antlerless (some WMUs) | Southern Zone | Sep 11, 2027 to Sep 19, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 301 days |
| Regular | Northern Zone | Oct 24, 2026 to Dec 6, 2026 | Open open, closes in 22 days |
| Regular | Northern Zone | Oct 23, 2027 to Dec 5, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 343 days |
| Regular | Southern Zone | Nov 21, 2026 to Dec 13, 2026 | Opens soon opens in 7 days |
| Regular | Southern Zone | Nov 20, 2027 to Dec 12, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 371 days |
| Special Firearms | Suffolk County | Jan 3, 2027 to Jan 31, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 50 days |
| Youth Firearms (ages 12-15) | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 to Oct 12, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Youth Firearms (ages 12-15) | Statewide | Oct 9, 2027 to Oct 11, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 329 days |
Black bear Open
| Season | Zone | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Bowhunting | Northern Zone: Western Periphery (WMUs 6A, 6G, 6K, 6N) | Sep 19, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Early Bowhunting | Northern Zone: Western Periphery (WMUs 6A, 6G, 6K, 6N) | Sep 18, 2027 to Oct 22, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 308 days |
| Early Bowhunting | Southern Zone | Oct 1, 2026 to Nov 20, 2026 | Open open, closes in 6 days |
| Early Bowhunting | Southern Zone | Oct 1, 2027 to Nov 19, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 321 days |
| Late Bowhunting and Muzzleloading | Southern Zone | Dec 14, 2026 to Dec 22, 2026 | Upcoming opens in 30 days |
| Late Bowhunting and Muzzleloading | Southern Zone | Dec 13, 2027 to Dec 21, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 394 days |
| Early Muzzleloading | Northern Zone: Western Periphery (WMUs 6A, 6G, 6K, 6N) | Oct 17, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026 | Closed closed |
| Early Muzzleloading | Northern Zone: Western Periphery (WMUs 6A, 6G, 6K, 6N) | Oct 16, 2027 to Oct 22, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 336 days |
| Early Firearms (some WMUs) | Southern Zone | Sep 11, 2027 to Sep 26, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 301 days |
| Regular | Northern Zone: Adirondacks (WMUs 5A, 5C, 5F, 5G, 5H, 5J, 6C, 6F, 6H, and 6J) | Sep 19, 2026 to Dec 6, 2026 | Open open, closes in 22 days |
| Regular | Northern Zone: Adirondacks (WMUs 5A, 5C, 5F, 5G, 5H, 5J, 6C, 6F, 6H, and 6J) | Sep 18, 2027 to Dec 5, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 308 days |
| Regular | Northern Zone: Western Periphery (WMUs 6A, 6G, 6K, 6N) | Oct 24, 2026 to Dec 6, 2026 | Open open, closes in 22 days |
| Regular | Northern Zone: Western Periphery (WMUs 6A, 6G, 6K, 6N) | Oct 23, 2027 to Dec 5, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 343 days |
| Regular | Southern Zone | Nov 21, 2026 to Dec 13, 2026 | Opens soon opens in 7 days |
| Regular | Southern Zone | Nov 20, 2027 to Dec 12, 2027 | Upcoming opens in 371 days |
Questions
Is deer season open in New York right now?
Yes. 4 deer seasons are open in New York on November 14, and the last of them closes Jan 31, 2027.
Is black bear season open in New York right now?
Yes. 3 black bear seasons are open in New York on November 14, and the last of them closes Dec 6, 2026.
When does the NYSDEC publish next year's season dates?
The NYSDEC has posted the coming year's dates between January and April in recent years. This page updates the day the agency's page changes.
Source: NYSDEC, NYSDEC Future Big Game Hunting Seasons (rule, resolved). Read yesterday.