Modernizing hunting: New York transitions to electronic licenses

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced new hunting rules on Wednesday, letting hunters use smartphones for licenses and tags. The agency now has electronic options for deer, bears, and turkeys through the HuntFishNY mobile app on Android or from the App Store.

Instead of paper copies, users of e-tags can report their harvest immediately in the app, even without cell service. It will record and automatically send the report once service returns, explained DEC Game Management Section Head Jeremy Hurst.

He added that e-tag users don’t need a physical tag to harvest deer, bear, or turkey carcass because the app works as a carcass tag, provided the hunter maintains possession of the animal, including in their home or vehicle. But leaving the carcass somewhere else, like at a taxidermist or processor, still requires an attached physical tag with their name, identification number, and the reporting confirmation number, according to the DEC.

Hunters can still use paper licenses and tags, but DEC shortened the reporting timeframe for using them. Paper tag users now have to report their harvest within 48 hours rather than the previous seven days. According to DEC, that’s supposed to aid in law enforcement oversight.

All New York sporting licenses, tags, and other printable items—whether purchased online, by phone, or at a license-issuing agent—were reformatted to fit 8.5 by 11 inch paper for the 2024/2025 license year, per the DEC website. Licensees can avoid a $1 printing and $2 mailing fee by getting them emailed and printed at home.

Anyone over 11 needs a license to hunt or take wild game with a firearm or bow in New York, and all first-timers have to pass a basic safety education course, which costs $24.95 online. Hunting licenses and privileges are valid from September 1 through August 31 each year. Those under 12 can’t hunt, per the DEC.

An annual hunting license for New Yorkers aged 16 to 69 costs $22, a prerequisite for purchasing bowhunting or muzzleloading, according to the DEC website. A resident bowhunting privilege costs $15 for hunters aged 16 to 69. Nonresidents pay $100 for a license and $30 to bowhunt.

For 12- to 15-year-olds, the hunting license is $5 and bowhunting is $4. For hunters aged 70 and up, the license is $5, but bowhunting is free.

Also new this fall, hunters are allowed to use a crossbow like a traditional vertical bow for hunting deer and bears. Previously, they were only legal for a limited time during bow season. Hurst pointed out that crossbow hunters now need a bowhunter education course—$30 online—and bowhunter privilege to use the crossbow.

This follows the passage of a new law promoting crossbow use, which is supposed to improve deer harvesting. Hurst explained that this expands access, particularly for experienced senior hunters who can’t draw a regular bow.

He added that effective hunting is a critical tool for controlling wildlife populations. “We need to have an ample cadre of hunters in order to do that,” Hurst said.

That’s why DEC also changed the Deer Management Assistance Program letting landowners manage deer populations on their property, extending the permit renewal from three years to five years. The DMP application period closed on October 1.

But DEC also rescinded the cap on how many DMAP tags a hunter can use. The department will still determine the number of tags available with each permit based on need and property size.

Hunters who take more deer than their families need can donate venison through programs like Feeding New York State or the Venison Donation Coalition, which work with processors and food pantries statewide. But Hurst encouraged using non-lead or lead-free ammunition to make sure it’s safe to eat.