New York State Makes Massive Hunting Law Change

The archery season for whitetail deer is underway in New York State. As the leaves start to drop, and the cold air moved in, the woods are buzzing with hunters in tree stands and hunting blinds.

The fall in The Empire State mean vibrant colors, apple picking, pumpkin farms and deer hunting! There are thousands of hunters in New York State and it seems there is a good herd of deer as well.

But as we get deeper in to October and the whitetail activity heats up, there is a change to a law that has been on the books in New York State for years!

READ MORE: New York Says You Need To Follow The "150 Feet" Law

As of 2024, when hunters get in the woods to take big or small game, there is a change to the age old "back tag" law.

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and a post on their website: "As a result of a law change, backtags are no longer required while hunting anywhere in New York State".

This is a big switch and a relief for some who found it hard to remember to put their tag in the middle of their back or forgot to move the back tag from garment to garment.

There are now paper tags that are being used by New York State that hunters can print from home.

The weather has changed over the last few days. The cooler air that we are used to in the fall has arrived and the moon phase has entered the "new moon". This is a great time to be in the woods. I am not an expert on hunting deer. However, I have found that this week (October 3-7) and the week after Halloween are the ideal times to be in the woods to get the deer you are after!