Big Game Hunting Season is officially underway in New York Stateto marking the start of a cherished tradition for thousands of hunters. The Southern Zone’s Regular Season for deer and bear is running from November 15 through 7 December 2025. This year is the excitement of the harvest is coupled with a vital conservation mission halting the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is urging all the field to practice exceptional safety and precautions. Your actions are essential for protecting the state’s wild deer and securing future for hunting opportunities.
CWD Threat: The Herkimer County Connection
The DEC is focus on disease prevention is heightened the following isolated detection of CWD in a captive deer facility in southern Herkimer County in October 2024.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is always fatal neurological disorder spread by infectious the prions. When introduced into wild deer populations it can spread rapidly and is extremely difficult to eliminate posing the direct threat to the health of the herd.
- Vigilance is Key. While initial testing of 196 wild deer samples near the captive deer facility is showed no CWD and the DEC emphasizes that sampling efforts will continue intensively through 2025 and beyond.
- Encouraging Data. The negative results are encouraging and demonstrating the effectiveness of the DEC’s swift to coordinated response involving local landowners, taxidermists and processors.
- The Goal: Prompt and intense response to any potential outbreak is critical to minimize disease impacts and protect the long-term integrity of the deer population in New York State.
The Hunter’s 5 Step CWD Prevention Protocol
The DEC views every hunter as a conservation partner. By following these five steps you have become the first line of defense against the disease spread.
1. Mandatory Carcass Import Law: Debone Everything
If you harvest a deer, elk, moose or caribou outside of New York you must debone the venison before bringing it back into the state. This is critical because the brain and spinal cord which carry the highest concentration of CWD prions and must not be transported.
- Allowed Parts: Only deboned venison cleaned skull caps antlers with no tissue, hides and finished taxidermy products are allowed.
- Enforcement: The DEC will confiscate and destroy illegally imported carcasses and high risk parts.
2. Ditch the Deer Lures
CWD prions can be shed through urine. Therefore:
- Avoid using deer urine based lures or attractant scents.
- Use synthetic products instead. These synthetic products are engineered to mimic natural scents without the biological risk making them compliant with New York’s strict CWD regulations.
3. Proper body Disposal
Improper disposal of carcass parts can contaminate the landscape.
- Dispose of deer carcass waste in a landfill not on the landscape where other deer can access it.
4. Know Before You Consume
- Testing is recommended: If you harvest a deer from an area outside of New York known to have CWD to submit samples to that state’s DNR for CWD testing before consuming the venison.
- Contact DEC: If the test is positive contact the DEC for proper disposal of the venison.
- Ethical Harvest: Support fair chase hunting principles and do not consume venison from a sick or diseased looking animal.
5. Participate in Local Surveillance
The DEC relies on hunters for early detection. If you are hunting in the intensive surveillance area near Herkimer County cooperating with sampling efforts is invaluable. If you see a sick or diseased animal, report it immediately.
The DEC’s aggressive surveillance which included the testing of 196 wild deer in a high risk area, demonstrates scientific rigor in managing this public health and wildlife crisis. The regulations on importing carcasses and using synthetic products are evidence based designed to prohibit the entry of high risk materials carrying infectious prions. By following these rules hunters are upholding the trust placed in them as responsible stewards of New York’s natural resources.
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Call to Action
The Big Game Hunting Season is a legacy we must protect. By emphasize safety following CWD prevention guidelines we ensure healthy deer populations and viable hunting opportunities for years to come.
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Disclaimer:
This article provides summary of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) guidance and regulations related to the Big Game Hunting Season and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).