When you are planning to go on a hunting adventure, few locations offer the challenges and exciting hunting environment like the Catskill Mountains. Catskills is blessed with dense wild forests, steep landscapes and abundant wildlife. This makes it a hotspot for upstate NY hunting. The region already has a good hunting heritage and you can enjoy a wonderful hunting experience here. With that in mind, let me give you a guide on how you can embark on a thrilling adventure by hunting in the Catskills.
Catskills Hunting: Types of Game Hunting
While hunting, we primarily hunt for two types of game — big game and small game. In this section, I will explore the hunting of both big game as well as small game in the Catskills.
Big Game Hunting
Big game includes large species of game animals that weigh more than 40 lbs like the white-tailed deer, wild turkey and black bear. Catskills deer hunting is a popular game hunting adventure that both locals and visitors look forward to.
Small Game Hunting
Small game are those game animal species that weigh below 40 lbs. These include the upland birds such as pheasant and grouse, and also waterfowls like geese and ducks.
Various Hunting Seasons
Hunting seasons are in place in order to protect the population of wildlife species and to prevent reckless hunting all year long. Two of the most popular Catskills hunting seasons are deer hunting season and turkey hunting season. Below let me discuss these two seasons of Catskills hunting.
Deer Hunting Season
During the deer season in upstate NY, hunters are permitted to only hunt the white-tailed deers in the Catskills. Different hunting equipment are allotted specific dates for use so hunters can practice hunting with various equipment.
Turkey Hunting Season
In the turkey hunting season, only wild turkey can be hunted. Turkey hunting in Catskills is a great game hunting experience for hunters keen on capturing some turkey. Even for turkey hunting in upstate NY, different dates are allotted for use of various hunting equipment.
Below I have provided the most popular hunting seasons which people look forward to in Catskills along with the expected schedule.
| Seasons | Months Scheduled |
| Deer Hunting | October to January |
| Turkey Hunting | October to December (fall season)
May (spring season) |
Note: The data provided in the table is just an approximate schedule taken from previous years. For exact dates and trends, please visit the Department of Environmental Conservation website before your hunting adventure.
A Prime Catskills Hunting Location
In Catskills, there are a number of locations that are great for hunting game. One of the prime locations is Catskill Park. Here, I will briefly explore Catskill Park so you can visit the spot and have a good hunting experience.
Catskill Park
Covering an area of 700,000 acres, the Catskill Park is spread across to cover a part each of the four counties of Delaware, Sullivan, Greene, and Ulster. It is a great location for deer hunting in upstate NY.
I visited the Catskills Park last year during early winter to go hunting with my friends. It was during the deer hunting season. The Catskills Park has lush forests and vast fields that made our hunting adventure a remarkable one. If you want to experience a thrilling Catskill Mountain deer hunting adventure, then Catskill Park is the best place for that.
Precautions and Additional Guidelines to Keep in Mind
By sticking to a few precautions and guidelines, you can keep yourself safe while also enjoying a good hunting experience. Let me give you some precautions and additional guidelines that can help you in your game hunting adventure in the Catskills.
- You are required to hold a valid hunting license to be permitted to hunt in the Catskills. Get one by applying to agent locations that are spread throughout New York State.
- Always wear blaze orange when entering the hunting zones to help hunters identify each other and to prevent casualties.
- You are allowed to hunt using muzzleloaders, crossbows, rifles, firearms and so on, depending on the days scheduled for them.
- Stick to using modern non-lead ammunition during hunting for a more humane kill and less contaminated meat.
- Rifles are not to be used for hunting wild turkeys, pheasants and other birds.
- The hunting hours allocated for hunters is between 30 minutes before the sunrise time and 30 minutes after the sunset time. Ensure to plan your hunting day accordingly.
- Youths aged 14-15 are also permitted to hunt on specially allocated dates of the seasons. If you have kids, make sure to plan your hunts so they can also accompany you.
Gear and Equipment
The right hunting equipment and gears will help you capture your game without much challenges while also keeping yourself hidden from your game. Below let me discuss some of those equipment and gears that will be useful for your hunt.
Know your Hunting Equipment
The main part of hunting is using the right firearms according to the game being hunted. You can use a wide range of firearms for hunting in the Catskills. Hunters are allowed to use crossbows, bows, shotguns, rifles and muzzleloaders for their hunt. For deer hunting, rifles and crossbows are usually used. And, for turkey hunting, shotguns, bows and crossbows can be used.
I highly recommend using non-lead ammunition for your hunt. It usually uses hard copper or copper alloys as ammo. These copper ammos remain intact during impact instead of fragmenting into tiny particles like lead ammos. This also preserves the quality of the game meat from becoming lead contaminated.
Hunting Gear
A proper hunting gear will aid you in your hunt and also protect you from injuries. Make sure to wear protective camouflage clothing that also helps in scent control, along with a blaze orange jacket.
Use binoculars that have eye shields to prevent glares and other disturbances. It is also important to carry the essential field dressing gear such as gloves, knives, paper towels and so on, to avoid spoilage of game meat.
Conclusion
Catskills is a wonderful spot to go on a hunting adventure in New York State. With this guide as a reference, experience the adventure and thrill of hunting in the Catskills. And when you are at it, make sure to respect the wildlife, follow the hunting regulations of the region and admire the natural charm of this amazing place.
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FAQs
Q: Am I permitted to go hunting in the Catskills region?
A: Yes, you are permitted to go hunting in the Catskills region if you possess a valid hunting license.
Q: Can youngsters go hunting in the Catskills Mountains?
A: Yes, youngsters above the age of 12 are allowed to go hunting in the Catskills Mountains.
Q: When does the hunting season usually start in the Catskills?
A: The hunting season in the Catskills usually starts from the fall and continues through winter.
