Stay Legal And Safe With New York’s Hunting Harvest Rules

If you are a hunter in New York, reporting your harvest is not just a good habit; it is the law. Whether you are taking deer, bear, or turkey, you are required to report it so biologists can track populations and maintain sustainable hunting seasons for the future.

How you report depends on whether you use E-tags or paper tags. If you are an E-tag user, remember the phrase: Take It, Report It, Tag It If You Leave It. That means you must report immediately after harvesting through the HuntFishNY mobile app.

For paper tags, the rules are a little different. Paper Tag users now have just 48 hours to report, down from the previous seven-day window. You can report online, by calling 1-866-GAME-RPT, or by using the HuntFishNY app.

When reporting, you will need some basic information like your license number, date of birth, location, date of the harvest, and the sex of the animal. Additional details depend on the species.

For deer and bear, you will need to share the hunting season, what implement you used, and, in the case of bear, the age, if you know it. Fall turkeys require you to save a leg for possible testing.

These reports are essential for game management across the state. If you do not have all the required information when you try to report, you will need to try again.

Click HERE for more information, regulations, and how to report.