"One of the largest states in the Northeast, New York easily slides in at number one on our list. The Empire State ranks third in hunter density nationwide (15.1 hunters per square mile), and while harvest numbers are competitive nationally, 54% of all bucks harvested were yearling deer.
In fact, only 18% of all bucks harvest in New York were three and a half years old or older (fourth lowest nationally). This, combined with the highest average snowfall in the nation, means that New York has a large number of hunters enduring miserable conditions and a hostile political climate (in New York, you pay extra for your bowhunting “privilege”) to hunt a deer herd that is imbalanced at best.
That, friends, is enough to earn New York the number one spot on our list of 10 Worst Deer Hunting States in the country."
I highly disagree with this. Our licensing system is one of the most hunter friendly in the nation, resident and non-resident. In only 15 minutes someone can easily understand our deer regs. As someone who has researched pretty much every state for possible DIY trips (and hunted NJ for years) that is not the case anywhere else except maybe PA. And if you want to consider bear, we are way up there too. Very little besides DMP numbers per zone changes year to year here. That is not the case in most states.
Although our gun laws suck, our hunting laws regarding firearms are again simple. There are pro-gun states that don’t allow semi-auto hunting. We do. We can hunt deer with any centerfire cartridge. Some states have more complicated rules on calibers, etc.
Furthermore (and possibly our biggest strength) we have an amazing selection of public land acreage to hunt. Hunters in most states complain constantly about a lack of easily accessible hunting land. Even me here in NYC... I only have to drive an hour and a half to get to an awesome public land hunting location. In Colorado Springs, CO, where I lived for 4 years, not only would I have to wade through their lotteries just to get a license, but I’d be driving far further to hunt if I didn’t have my own land or permission on someone else’s.
Snow? Man up bitch. That’s a pathetic reason to downgrade our state. I am surprised we are number 1 though lol.
Now that I read the article, I feel comfortable saying that it is a Northeast hit piece. It basically says that every one of the high density whitetail states sucks. Does that make sense to anyone?
For Non-Resident Hunting New York and Pennsylvania are really reasonable on price. I can buy hunting licenses in both states and an airline ticket to come back there to go hunting for what it would cost you to just buy the non-resident license out here.
And the deer hunting SUCKS out here, Once you buy a license you need to apply for tags. The State of Washington RAPES Non-Residents.
I bought a hunting license when I first moved out here then just a small game license, State waterfowl tag and Federal Duck Stamp last winter when my oldest son came out to help built my reloading set up. It cost me around $80 for the small game license, State waterfowl tag and Federal Duck Stamp.
I like the deer hunting back there, the hunting there is soooooo much better then out west here. And a good value for the dollar.
You can go deer hunting here for weeks at a time and never see one deer and that counts looking for deer on the way to go hunting and the trip back home.