DEC Reminds Hunters to Report All Their Deer, Turkey and Bear

LIVINGSTON COUNTY – The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reminds hunters to report all deer, turkey and bear kills to help wildlife professionals track wildlife population growth.

One of a series of press releases leading up to the opening of gun season for deer and bear reiterates that hunters and trappers’ harvest reports are the DEC’s way of monitoring wildlife populations to ensure that they will be preserved for future generations.

“Hunters and trappers play a crucial role in the management of game across the state,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “Information collected from harvest reports helps DEC track game species populations and ensures that hunting and trapping opportunities are sustainable for generations to come. Reporting your harvest is not just the law, it’s an important tool in wildlife management.”

Besides helping track game populations, hunters who fail to report their harvest within seven days can be subject to fines of up to $250.

Reporting your deer, bear, or turkey harvest can be done via phone at 1-866-426-3778, online here, or on DEC’s official mobile app, ‘NY Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife’ by Pocket Ranger here.

The app is available free of charge and provides users with the latest fish and wildlife news, detailed hunting and fishing season information, species information, weather alerts, social media connections, GPS mapping capabilities, and more.

With the integration of the e-License and Game Harvest features, hunters can quickly and easily: report the harvest of deer, bear, and turkey on a smartphone immediately while afield, even when out of cellular range; gain instant, mobile access to an electronic version of sporting licenses and privileges and other DEC resources; use smart-filtering technology for easy access to county, town and WMU information; view current and past harvest reports; and share harvest reports with friends and followers on Facebook and send feedback to DEC.