New York has hit the pause button on hunting. Violators face fines.
If you’re a hunter and notice the woods get quiet, you’re not going crazy.
New York State Quietly Hits Pause On Deer Hunting
This year, New York State built in a deer hunting pause. The hunting halt is between the end of the regular Southern Zone seasons and the start of the annual Holiday Deer Hunt.
The pause is currently in effect and runs past Christmas. This pause is real and is enforced by state regulators. New Yorkers caught violating the hunting pause face tickets and fines.
Exact Dates Of The 2025 Deer Hunting Pause
Getty Images/iStockphoto
Getty Images/iStockphoto
All deer hunting in the Southern Zone is suspended from December 17 through December 25, 2025.
Pause begins: December 17, 2025Pause ends: December 25, 2025Hunting resumes: December 26, 2025, with the Holiday Deer Hunt.
During this nine-day gap, deer hunting is not allowed in the Southern Zone, regardless of weapon or tag status.
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If you want to hunt, December 26 is the first legal day, and only under Holiday Hunt rules. Some call the Holiday Hunt the best hunting time of the year. CLICK HERE for more Holiday Hunt rules.
Why New York Created The Pause
The pause serves multiple purposes.
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From a wildlife management standpoint, it creates a clean break between seasons. It also helps reduce conflicts with other winter activities, especially snowmobiling, which can’t officially open until late deer seasons fully wrap up in January.
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Gallery Credit: Clay Moden
Fearless Hunting Photos
Fearless Hunting Photos
While Fearless only hunts a few times a year, there are other times when he will stop to take a dead animal off the road, like that deer on Buffalo Gap Road.
Gallery Credit: Rudy Fernandez