Game Harvest Reporting Period Extended from 48 Hours to 7 Days ( From DEC Mail)

[HuntingNY]

NY Big Game,

Next Wednesday, November 17, a new regulation will be in effect that extends the game harvest reporting deadline from 48 hours to 7 days.  Successful hunters of deer, bear, and turkey are required to report their harvest through the DEC’s online reporting system (www.dec.ny.gov) or by calling 1-866-GAME-RPT (1-866-426-3778).  In the past, hunters were required to report within 48 hours of their harvest.  As a measure to increase flexibility for hunters to comply with the reporting requirement, particularly for hunters who hunt in remote areas that lack cell phone coverage or internet access or both, DEC has extended the reporting deadline to within 7 days of taking the animal.

This regulation amendment also removes the reporting requirement for beaver, since DEC will be using surveys of trappers to estimate beaver harvest.

Game harvest reporting is essential for proper management of deer, bear and turkeys.  When hunters report their harvest, they perform a crucial step in the management process by providing data on when and where an animal was taken. These data are used, together with reporting rates, to estimate the number of animals harvested each year throughout the State.

Jeremy Hurst

Big Game Biologist