Why do hunters love owning hunting property in the Adirondack Mountains? The proximity to the vast array of wildlife is certainly one of them! As avid hunters ourselves, we know the thrill of the hunt–but you must make sure you’re following New York State law to help conserve Adirondack wildlife for future generations to enjoy.
As fall quickly approaches, locals know it’s time to make sure their hunting and fishing licenses are ready to go. We’re avid sportsmen ourselves and our clients who own hunting properties here in the mountains enjoy a wilderness experience every outdoorsman dreams about.
Key Changes in Tag Procedures and Requirements
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has made changes in the past year to sporting license and tag procedures that all hunters and fishermen should know.
Buy and Print Your Own Licenses: Currently in place is the change from valeron to plain paper for all hunting, trapping, and fishing licenses, including carcass tags. This means licenses purchased online or by telephone can be emailed for home printing or accessed and printed from a DECALS account.
No More Backtags: Longtime hunters have all lost a backtag in the woods at some point (remember the year DEC used a camouflage color for tags?) A change to New York State law removed the requirement for hunters to wear a physical backtag so hunters no longer need to worry about losing or replacing.
Electronic Carcass Tags are Coming: DEC plans to enable hunters to use the HuntFishNY mobile app to report harvests and get an electronic tag for deer, bear, and turkey. This eliminates the need for a physical paper tag while hunters are in possession of the carcass. Electronic tags aren’t available for the upcoming seasons, but are in the works for the near future.
Polular Hunting Seasons in the Adirondack Mountains
Below is an overview of the primary 2025-2026 hunting season dates for the NYSDEC’s Northern Zone, which covers the Adirondack region. For specific questions, refer to NYSDEC’s 2025-2026 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide. Hunting seasons and restrictions in New York State are governed by region. The following are hunting seasons by species for the Adirondack region only.
Deer
Early Bowhunting (All WMUs): September 27, 2025 – October 24, 2025
Crossbow: October 15, 2025 – October 24, 2025
Regular: October 25, 2024 – December 7, 2025
Late Bowhunting (Only WMUs 5A, 5G, 5J, 6A, 6C, 6G, and 6H): December 8, 2025 – December 14, 2025
Hunting hours: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset
Black Bear
Bowhunting: September 13, 2025 – October 24, 2025
Crossbow: October 15, 2025 – October 24, 2025
Muzzleloading: October 18, 2025 – October 24, 2025
Regular: September 13, 2025 – December 7, 2025
Hunting hours: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset
2025 Fall Turkey
October 1-14, 2025
Statewide Bag Limit: 1 bird of either sex
Hunting hours: From sunrise to sunset
2026 Spring Turkey
May 1-31, 2026
Statewide Bag Limit: 2 bearded birds
Hunting hours: 30 minutes before sunrise to noon
Bobcat
October 25, 2025 – February 15, 2026
Daily Bag Limit: None
Hunting hours: After sunrise on opening day; and at any hour, day or night, for the rest of the hunting season.
Cottontail Rabbit
October 1, 2025 – March 15, 2026
Daily Bag Limit: 6
Hunting hours: From sunrise to sunset
Pheasant
October 1, 2025 – February 28, 2026
Cocks and hens allowed
Daily Bag Limit: 2
Hunting hours: From sunrise to sunset
Adirondack Anglers Enjoy the Best Fishing in New York State
With all the lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams throughout the Adirondack region, keeping track of fishing regulations can be challenging.
The New York State Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide provides a useful overview that covers specific regions throughout the State (Regions 5 and 6 are Adirondacks).
The guide includes:
- Statewide species regulations.
- General regulations (definitions, taking and possessing of fish, methods of taking fish, regulations for harvested fish, push and sale of fish).
- Baitfish regulations.
- Special regulations.
- Fish health advisories.
For bodies of water with specific regulations, the guide includes information on species and uses easy-to-follow symbols to denote season, minimum length, and daily limit as well as whether ice fishing is permitted.
Hunt from Your Backyard in Your Own NY Hunting Property!
At Adirondack Mountain Land we’ve been telling hunting and fishing tales for decades. Call Mike Black today to learn more about how you can find an Adirondack property that any sportsman would be proud to call home. As hunters ourselves, we know just what features make Adirondack land great for a cabin. We have a handful of properties that would make great hunting land in sought-after locations throughout the Adirondacks. Browse our available Adirondack hunting properties today!