DEC Shares 'Big' Changes for New York Bowhunting Season

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has announced new rules for bowhunters... but not everybody is happy with the change.

Hunters, trappers, and anglers all across New York State use a variety of tactics to secure their game. The new update, however, is a big change to current regulations.

Bowhunters will have some company this hunting season thanks to new regulations from New York State (Canva)

New Bowhunting Regulations in New York State

While rifles, bows, and fishing rods are the most well-known harvest methods, there are others that some New Yorkers may be surprised to learn are used in the state. That includes using traps for fur-bearing animals as well as using a high-powered device that is now legal for use during bow season.

Crossbows are being added to bowhunting season for deer and bear in New York State (Canva)

Changes to Crossbow Regulations in New York State

"BIG NEWS for NY Hunters!", began a recent post from the NYS DEC (below). The announcement was focused on the new inclusion of crossbows to New York State's bowhunting season.

Crossbows May Now Be Used During Bowhunting Season in New York

Starting this fall, the NYS DEC says, crossbows will be permitted for use alongside compound bows and longbows throughout the bowhunting season... with some specific requirements.

The new regulations allow crossbow use during deer and bear bowhunting seasons for all hunters with a Bowhunter Education Certificate, with all crossbows required to have a trigger safety and a minimum draw weight of 100 pounds. Not all fellow hunters are happy about the update.

New Yorkers React to Bowhunting Update

"Now the archery season will be filled with a bunch of gun hunters that never hunted archery season. It's a lazy man's crutch", observed one New Yorker. "Why don't we just allow rifles during archery too? Crossbow is basically a shotgun", shared another. "The death of archery", lamented a third.

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In the southern zone of New York State, including the Hudson Valley, deer and bear bowhunting season begins on October 1st. Learn more about hunting seasons and regulations from the NYS DEC here. Luckily for the animal, the bear below showed up at SUNY New Paltz before the season started.

Bear on Campus at SUNY New Paltz NY

On Thursday (June 23, 2022) this unassuming good-size black bear wandered onto campus and decided to climb a tree. The SUNY New Paltz Police along with the NYS DEC Police monitored the situation on-site. They were able to encourage the campus visitor to return home without incident.

Gallery Credit: Paty Quyn