Public Comments Accepted until Aug. 18, 2025 

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced several proposed regulation changes to streamline use and reporting of hunting tags and provide new deer hunting opportunities. Hunting is important in New York State for wildlife population management and contributes an estimated $2.6 billion in economic benefits annually to the state's recreational economy through license sales, equipment purchases, and related travel and lodging expenses. 

“DEC is proposing to update regulations to improve deer management and hunters’ experience by offering a streamlined digital option for tagging and reporting,” Director of DEC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife Jacqueline Lendrum said. “The proposals released today reflect public desires for hunting opportunity and improvements to deer management to benefit hunters, wildlife managers, and landowners.” 

The proposed regulation, available on DEC’s website, consists of three components: using electronic hunting tags and revising the harvest reporting time period; providing enhancements for youth deer hunters; and making improvements to the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP). 

First, DEC proposes a process for using electronic carcass tags for deer, bear, and turkey. Hunters can choose to obtain a paper license and tags, as is currently available, or use the HuntFishNY mobile app as electronic proof of licensure and possession and use of tags for deer, bear, or turkey. An electronic harvest report, submitted immediately upon taking a deer, bear, or turkey through the HuntFishNY app, will serve as “e-tagging” the carcass.  

The HuntFishNY app provides a confirmation number for the report and works even without immediate cell service, as it stores the harvest report and transmits it to DEC upon reconnection to cell service. Hunters using e-tags will not need to attach a physical tag to their harvested deer, bear, or turkey while they remain in possession of the carcass, including in their vehicle and home. If e-tag users otherwise leave the carcass unattended or deliver the carcass to a taxidermist or processor, they would need to affix a tag that includes their name and reporting confirmation number to the carcass. 

For hunters using paper tags, this proposal reduces the timeframe required to report a deer, bear, or turkey harvest from seven days to 48 hours, encouraging prompt reporting and providing greater opportunity for quick law enforcement oversight. As in the past, hunters can report their harvest online, via the HuntFishNY app, or by phone.  

Second, DEC proposes to provide a replacement regular season deer tag to youth hunters who successfully use that tag during the Youth Big Game Hunt weekend. Some successful young hunters may not have another tag available to use during the subsequent regular firearms season. This rulemaking will enable youth hunters who successfully fill their regular season tag during the Youth Deer Hunt and who do not have a Deer Management Permit to receive a replacement tag for the regular firearms season. Replacement tags would be for the opposite sex deer as was harvested during the youth hunt (e.g., harvest of an antlered deer during the Youth Deer Hunt would yield an antlerless-only replacement tag for the regular season). 

Finally, DEC also proposes to enhance the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) by extending the permit renewal cycle from three years to five years and rescinding the limit on number of DMAP tags that may be used per hunter. Extending the DMAP permit renewal cycle will further enable enrollees to implement steady and consistent deer management on private properties while also reducing paperwork for permittees. Currently, hunters are limited to using no more than four DMAP tags per permit. This proposal removes that restriction, benefiting landowners by allowing them to maximize use of the tags issued. The total number of DMAP tags issued to a landowner will still be set by DEC staff based on property size and management need.  

DEC is accepting comments on the proposed regulations through Aug. 18, 2025. Submit comments to wildliferegs@dec.ny.gov (subject: “e-tags and DMAP”) or to: NYSDEC, Attn: Deer Hunting Regs, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754.