New deer hunting rules spark debate
Photo courtesy of Joe Forma Two mature bucks spar with each other early in the season. The new hunting rules for 2026-27 are sparking conversations.
Photo courtesy of Joe Forma For this season, the Earn-a-Second-Buck program is part of New York's deer management strategy. Every hunter will need to decide for themselves on taking that doe ahead of the buck to get a second buck tag.
Photo courtesy of Joe Forma Two mature bucks spar with each other early in the season. The new hunting rules for 2026-27 are sparking conversations.
Photo courtesy of Joe Forma For this season, the Earn-a-Second-Buck program is part of New York's deer management strategy. Every hunter will need to decide for themselves on taking that doe ahead of the buck to get a second buck tag.
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If there is one thing deer hunters are passionate about, it’s deer management. Give a group of sportsmen a new regulation, and before long you’ll have a lively debate around the campfire, at the diner and online.
That has certainly been the case with New York’s new Earn-a-Second-Buck regulation and regulation-driven doe harvest rules for the 2026-27 deer season.
A week ago, I asked hunters to share their thoughts on the new requirement that a hunter must first harvest a doe before becoming eligible for a second buck permit. Hundreds of comments poured in. While opinions varied, one thing was clear -- the new rule has struck a nerve.
Local hunter, James Leonard, raised a concern shared by many.
"I think the new rule requiring a doe before getting another buck tag will result in a lot of false kill reports. You can report a kill online and there will be no way for the DEC to verify all these kills. The biologists will then be working with skewed information for future years' tag allotment."
Whether or not that proves true, the point serves as an important reminder that honest reporting is critical. Wildlife managers depend on accurate harvest information and every hunter has a responsibility to report deer truthfully. The future of our deer herd depends on good data.
Former New York State Conservation Council Big Game Committee Chairman Rich Davenport believes today's debate has much deeper roots.
According to Davenport, the shift of Southern Zone opening day from Monday to Saturday more than two decades ago significantly reduced overall deer harvest, particularly antlerless deer. He argues that fewer hunters were afield during the work week, resulting in thousands fewer does being harvested each season. In his view, that change allowed deer numbers to grow beyond management objectives and ultimately led to today’s Earn-a-Second-Buck requirement.
His solution?
"Make opening day Monday," Davenport says. "Harvest will increase, and the need to do all this disappears."
Not everyone agrees.
Several hunters pointed out that today's hunting landscape looks much different than it did 20 years ago. Hunter numbers have declined. The average hunter is older. Many sportsmen now voluntarily pass younger bucks in pursuit of mature deer, while others choose not to harvest does at all. Those changing traditions may be just as responsible for reduced doe harvest as any calendar change.
Other comments ventured into politics, insurance interests and frustration with government agencies. Those opinions reflect the emotions many hunters feel, but regardless of where anyone stands, one fact remains.
The regulations are set.
For this season, Earn-a-Second-Buck is part of New York’s deer management strategy and every hunter will have the opportunity to see how it works in the field.
Rather than allowing the debate to divide us, perhaps this season offers a chance to prove that New York hunters remain among the nation’s best conservationists. Hunters have always been the backbone of wildlife management. Ethical harvest, honest reporting, and respectful discussion help ensure healthy deer populations for generations to come.
Now it’s time to focus on what really matters. The excitement of another deer season is almost here.
The special nine-day September early firearms season in designated Wildlife Management Units is only weeks away. Early archery season -- including crossbow opportunities where permitted -- opens Oct. 1. Before long, anticipation will build toward the Southern Zone regular firearms opener on Nov. 21.
Soon enough, tree stands will be hung, trail cameras checked, rifles and shotguns sighted in, bows tuned, and hunting camps opened once again. Coffee will be poured before daylight, old friends will reunite, and new memories will be made.
Whether your goal is filling the freezer with venison, harvesting your first deer, introducing a youngster to hunting, or chasing the buck of a lifetime, every season offers something special.
The regulations may have changed. Opinions certainly haven't. There were so many other opinions not mentioned here.
Remember that the crisp autumn mornings, colorful hardwood ridges, fresh deer sign, and the thrill of watching the woods come alive remain exactly why we hunt.
Right now, it's elderberry season! Think positive.
Gotta love the outdoors.
CALENDAR
Aug. 8: Chautauqua Lake Association Dragon Boat Festival, Lucille Ball Memorial Park, Celoron; Visit www.chautauqualakeassociation.org/chq-dragon-boat, or call 716-763-8602 for info.
Aug. 9: Kids Fishing Derby, Elma Conservation Club, 600 Creek Road, Elma, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., sponsored by the Mary J. Tempski Foundation and WNY Walleye Association.
Aug. 9: Muzzleloader Shoot, West Falls Conservation, 55 Bridge St., West Falls, 10 a.m. start, $5 members/ $8 nonmembers, metal swinging targets.
Aug. 9: Ellington Rod & Gun, "Don't Know Partner Trap League," 1045 Hagerdon Hill Road, Ellington; Info: 716-287-3987.
Aug. 9: Introduction to Upland Hunting, Chautauqua County Bird Dog Association, 3974 Fluvanna Townline Road, 8 a.m. to noon; lunches and up to 125 rounds of ammo provided. Limited to 20 participants: must be at least 21 years of age; Contact Paul Steward at 716-397-2855. Will also include a mentored pheasant hunt in October.
Aug. 10: West Falls Conservation Society, monthly meeting, 8 p.m. start; 55 Bridge St., West Falls. Potential new members are invited to attend. Free dinner. Info: 716-652-4650.
Aug. 12-23: Erie County Fair, visit the Conservation Building, Erie County Fairgrounds, 5600 McKinley Pkwy., Hamburg. Info: 716-649-3900.
Aug. 13-16: Hawkeye Bowmen Archery, 33rd annual Traditional Shoot, events, camping, more; 13300 Clinton St., Alden; Nadine Fulle, 716-427-9076. Info: https://www.ecfsc.org/ecfscevent/hawkeye-bowmen-annual-traditional-shoot-the-big-one/.
Aug. 14-15: Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge, Dunkirk Harbor, Jim and Diane Steel, 716-481-5348.
Aug. 14-16: Sportsmen's Rendezvous; hunting, fishing, seminars, supplies/gear, more -- Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds, 501 Erie St., Little Valley, Info: 716-474-7251.