Message from the Governor
Photo by Charles Moulder
The 2025 fall hunting and trapping seasons are just around the corner. As the long summer days wane and nights become cool, excitement starts to build for the many New Yorkers who enjoy precious time afield hunting or trapping with family and friends or the peace of uncrowded woods. It’s a time to connect with nature, enjoy the outdoors, and leave modern distractions behind to ‘Get Offline and Get Outside.’
New York State offers an incredible range of opportunity to those who engage in hunting and trapping. New York's robust environmental programs, policies, and investments not only help to safeguard and preserve our natural resources, but also protects them for generations of New Yorkers to come. This ensures that cherished traditions like hunting and trapping remain affordable and accessible for all New Yorkers, far into the future.
This 2025-26 hunting and trapping syllabus contains all the relevant laws and regulations you need to know for a safe, legal, and enjoyable season. It also includes valuable information about the work of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and our state’s many partners working to offer mentoring, hunter safety, citizen science, and other conservation opportunities to help manage and protect our wildlife resources.
By whatever measure you define success, enjoy your time afield this year. Stay safe and enjoy the time offline and out of doors!
Governor Kathy Hochul
