Soil and water conservation districts across the country are participating in a program to encourage plantings that support conservation efforts. The 2026 Seedling Order Form is available on our site to download, complete and place orders.
Orders must be submitted by February 27, 2026. Tree and shrub saplings are available on a first come basis, so order soon.
Did your child recently receive a NYS Lifetime Hunting License? Education and training is still required before license tags can be issued.
If a child who holds a lifetime license is about to turn 12 AND they have the qualifying education in their profile the NYS DECALS system will generate the license and tags for printing or mailing as early as 30 days prior to their 12th birthday IF the education is on file.
If the education was recently completed and added to their profile, you must allow 14 business days for tag fulfillment.
Children who do not hold a lifetime license and have completed their hunter education can purchase a license on or after their 12th birthday.
NOTE: All new licensees MUST have a valid hunting safety certification on file as well as a verified address.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in coordination with the New York State Department of Health (DOH), today lifted the recreational use advisory for Ischua Creek, Cattaraugus County. Water quality sampling and data collection along the creek show conditions have improved allowing for a return to normal fishing/fish consumption, boating, and swimming.
**NOTE from Joe McAdams**
Personally, I am in Ischua frequently as I hunt on Dutch Hill Rd. The impact to the wildlife is still very evident, having found several deceased mammals near the creek intact and without wounds, that even the coyotes wouldn’t touch. This is a lift on the recreational use of Ischua Creek and does not include using the water for cooking, etc. Unfortunately, our furry friends are unaware…
New Hunting Changes for 2025
Electronic Tagging
Hunters now have the choice to obtain a paper license and tags or use the HuntFishNY mobile app as electronic proof of licensure and possession of tags for deer, bear, or turkey.
Harvest Reporting
E-tag users must report immediately after harvesting a deer, bear, or turkey through the HuntFishNY mobile app. Paper tag users must report their harvest within 48 hours (no longer 7 days) through DEC’s website, the HuntFishNY mobile app, or calling 1-866-426-3778.
Crossbow
Crossbows may be used wherever and whenever bowhunting occurs. To hunt deer and bear with a crossbow during the bowhunting seasons, a hunter must have a hunting license and bowhunting privilege. To be eligible to purchase a bowhunting privilege, a hunter must have bowhunter education certification which is available through the online or in-person course.
Youth Hunt Bonus Tags
Youth hunters (ages 12-15) who successfully take and report a deer taken with their regular season tag during the Youth Big Game Hunt weekend and who do not possess other antlerless tags for the regular firearms season will be issued a bonus tag for the regular season. The bonus regular season tag will be valid for deer of the opposite sex as was harvested during the youth hunt. DEC will mail the bonus tag to the successful hunter, probably in early November.
Answers to commonly asked questions are available: 2025 Hunting Rule Changes Q & A (PDF)
Hunters can choose to use a paper license and tags or the HuntFishNY mobile app as electronic proof of licensure and possession of tags for deer, bear, or turkey. Users of electronic tags (e-tags) will be able to immediately report their harvest with the mobile app whether they have cell service or not. Users also won’t need to attach a physical tag to their harvested deer, bear, or turkey while they remain in possession of the carcass, including in their vehicle and at their home.
If e-tag users leave the carcass somewhere other than their home or vehicle, such as at a taxidermist or processor, they would need to affix a tag of their making to the carcass that includes the hunter’s name, identification number, and reporting confirmation number.
Hunters will still have the option to use paper licenses and tags for deer, bear, and turkey, but to encourage prompt reporting and facilitate greater law enforcement oversight, hunters using paper tags are now required to report their harvest within 48 hours rather than seven days.
The NYS DEC fined Great Lake Cheese for discharging hazardous materials into Ischua Creek. The investigation found that an August 2025 discharge poisioned fish and wildlife. A $475,000 corrective action was filed against Great Lakes Cheese.
The Order requires Great Lakes Cheese to complete extensive corrective actions to address violations, including detailed in-stream monitoring at the facility’s wastewater treatment plant operations; modifications to the wastewater treatment plant; implementation of plans to timely detect plant upsets to prevent a recurrence of the August 2025 discharge; actions to abate hydrogen sulfide exceedances from reoccurring; and the hiring of independent third parties approved by DEC to further ensure compliance with the terms of the Order, timely reporting of sampling data, and evaluating the design and operation of the biogas collection and control system to ensure compliance with the company’s Air State Facility permit.