Bear Hunters Head To The Woods In New York State

There is officially a week of summer left and across New York State, we are getting ready for the best part of the year; the fall!

As we get to the cooler and shorter days, the leaves are starting to change and the crisp air has arrived in the mornings. New York State has so much to offer and the fall is the best time to enjoy most of it.

One of the more popular events of the fall, is the hunting season! Many may wonder, "when is bear hunting season in New York State"?

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This coming weekend, there is an early, antlerless, deer season that will start in portions of New York State. Hunters who have the proper permit and are in the designated locations can hunt for antlerless deer.

There is a similar season for bear hunters as well. The New York State DEC says that the early season is for areas noted - "WMUs for the early bear season include 3A, 3C, 3H, 3J, 3K, 3M, 3P, 3R, 4P, 4R, and 4W". In THESE ZONES only, the early season starts September 14th.

However, in other portions of New York State bear seasons begins in October.

As far as how many bears were taken in New York State in 2023, the DEC reports that "During New York’s 2023 big game hunting seasons, hunters harvested an estimated 1,356 black bears with 485 bears harvested in the Northern Zone and 871 bears harvested in the Southern Zone".

According to the post from the DEC, the antlerless season is for this Saturday,Sept. 14 - 22 and will be in the following locations. WMUs 3M, 3R, 8A, 8F, 8G, 8J, 8N, 9A, 9F - firearms, bows, crossbow. In WMUs 4J, 8C you can take a deer in this season with bow only.

The New York State DEC shared an explanation about the early season as: "“By participating in these early big game seasons, hunters not only help manage wildlife populations, they also get an early start on filling their freezers with sustainably sourced meat while enjoying additional time outdoors with family and friends.”