New York is one of the safest states in the nation for deer and bear hunting. Regulations have been established to help ensure that strong safety record continues, and to reduce the likelihood for hunting-related shooting incidents.
Under these regulations deer and bear hunters are:
1. Required to wear fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink clothing while hunting with a firearm. Any person who is accompanying someone hunting deer or bear with a firearm must also wear fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink clothing. The clothing must be:
• a minimum of 250 square inches of solid fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink material worn above the waist and visible from all directions; or
• a minimum of 250 square inches of patterned fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink consisting of no less than 50% fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink worn above the waist and visible from all directions; or
• a hat or cap with no less than 50% of the exterior consisting of solid fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink material and visible from all directions.
2. Only allowed to hunt deer and bear from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset. These hunting hours help ensure there is enough natural light for hunters to effectively identify their target and what’s beyond it before taking a shot, while maximizing opportunities for hunters to harvest deer and bear during the times of day when these species are most active.
Refer to the sunrise-sunset table on the last page of the annual Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide to determine the exact legal hunting hours for where you hunt.
Learn more about the basics of hunting safety by visiting DEC’s Hunter Education Program webpage.
