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DEC Region 2 · 2026-27
Richmond County Hunting
No deer or bear season exists in Richmond County: the guide lists it as a closed big game area. Here are the seasons that do apply, the closest counties with deer hunting and who to call at DEC.
Photo: jacopast (CC BY 2.0)
Richmond County covers 58 square miles of land and 45 of water. It is one of the five New York City boroughs, which have no county seats. Roughly 498,212 residents share that ground, or 8,661 per square mile. Its DEC regional headquarters sits in Long Island City (Region 2). Deer and bear are closed by the Environmental Conservation Law across the county; spring and fall turkey are closed in its WMU as well. DEC land polygons cover about 572 acres inside the county by GIS measure.
Land area from the Census 2024 Gazetteer, population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates, DEC region and offices from the DEC office list, WMUs from the DEC WMU season layer, DEC acres from the NYS DEC Lands layer (GIS measure). Checked October 27, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Richmond County
No deer or bear in Richmond County
Richmond County is closed to deer and bear hunting. The guide's closed big game list reads: All of the city. Turkey hunting is closed in WMU 2A, spring and fall. What DEC does open here: raccoon, red fox, gray fox, skunk, opossum, weasel, snapping turtle and frogs. In New York City rabbits and squirrels may be taken only by falconers; coyote hunting is closed. Expect the 500-foot firearm and 250-foot crossbow setbacks to rule out most ground in a dense county.
Closest open ground for deer
For deer, Richmond County hunters travel; these are the nearest open counties.
| Open county | Distance | Units | Deer | Deer 2025 | DMP target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockland | 41 miles | 3R, 3P | Southern | 279 | Unlimited |
| Westchester | 46 miles | 3S | Bow only | 859 | Unlimited |
| Orange | 59 miles | 3M, 3P, 3K | Southern | 4,926 | Unlimited |
| Putnam | 63 miles | 3N, 3G | Southern | 524 | 3,200 |
| Suffolk | 80 miles | 1C | Bow only | 3,765 | Unlimited |
Closed areas from the guide big game boundary page; turkey closures from the guide turkey page; setbacks from the guide legal implements page; deer take from DEC county tables. Checked October 27, 2026.
What opens and closes around Richmond County
WMU lines, not county lines, set most New York dates. Rows marked with a WMU apply only in that part of Richmond County.
| Species | Season | Covers | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raccoon | Hunting | WMU 2A | Nov 1, 2026 | Feb 25, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Hunting | WMU 2A | Nov 1, 2026 | Feb 25, 2027 | |
| Gray fox | Hunting | WMU 2A | Nov 1, 2026 | Feb 25, 2027 | |
| Skunk | Hunting | WMU 2A | Nov 1, 2026 | Feb 25, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Hunting | WMU 2A | Nov 1, 2026 | Feb 25, 2027 | |
| Weasel | Hunting | WMU 2A | Nov 1, 2026 | Feb 25, 2027 | |
| Snapping turtle | Hunting | Statewide | Jul 15, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Frogs | Hunting | Statewide | Jun 15, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 |
From the 2026-27 New York Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation), WMU lists as printed, checked October 27, 2026.
Richmond County tracts open to hunters
Public-land hunters from Richmond County must travel: these are the nearest tracts elsewhere.
Over the line
- Babylon Marshes Tidal Wetland Area40 miles off · 116 ac
- Rockefeller State Park Preserve41 miles off · 1,773 ac
- Louden Point (NYC DEP Recreation Unit)42 miles off · 165 ac
- Big Peninsula (NYC DEP Recreation Unit)43 miles off · 303 ac
- Sterling Forest State Park45 miles off · 19,487 ac
No hunting at Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve, Arden Heights Woods, North Mt Loretto State Forest, Saint Francis Woodlands, Todt Hill Woodlands, Bloesser's Pond, Goethals Pond Complex and Lemon Creek and 3 more.
All land pages · WMAs statewide · Reforestation areas
Tracts from our New York land list (DEC property pages, OPRHP, USFWS, USFS and DEP records); acres by kind from the NYS DEC Lands layer and the USFS ownership layer (GIS measures, not official acreages). Checked October 27, 2026.
Richmond County firearm limits, orange and baiting
Distance rules: 500 feet (firearm), 250 feet (crossbow), 150 feet (bow). No bait, feed, salt licks or mineral blocks for deer or bear at any time. There is no Sunday restriction: hunt seven days a week in season.
Chronic wasting disease
Since testing began in 2002, DEC has sampled 71,973 wild deer; the only positives were 2 in 2005. Whole carcasses and intact heads of deer, elk, moose or caribou from outside New York may not be brought in.
| Year | Deer sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 2,967 | 0 |
| 2022-2023 | 2,727 | 0 |
| 2023-2024 | 2,713 | 0 |
| 2024-2025 | 3,189 | 0 |
| 2025-2026 | 3,050 | 0 |
See DEC's opt-in map for 12- and 13-year-old firearm deer hunters. Opt-in map
Hunting law page · CWD testing · Youth and veterans
Rifle areas and setbacks from the guide legal implements map; orange from the guide big game rules; baiting from the general regulations; Sunday hunting from the guide; CWD from the DEC CWD page and the CWD surveillance plan. Checked October 27, 2026.
Richmond County hunting services and contacts
Processors marked with donated venison are flagged on the DEC 2026 processor list. Municipal clerks selling licenses in Richmond County: 1.
Phone list for Richmond
Long Island City is home to the DEC Region 2 office that covers Richmond County. The nearest DEC office to the county centre is NYSDEC Region 2 Headquarters (Long Island City), about 16 miles away.
Mounts
Outdoor stores
Offices from the DEC office list; processors from the DEC 2026 processor list and directories; guides and clerks from DEC data.ny.gov lists; shops from directories and store locators. Checked October 27, 2026; call ahead. All New York hunting services.
Richmond County seat, towns and next-door counties
Pick a base in Richmond County: every town below links to a page with nearby state land and services.
- New Yorkmostly next door · 8,478,072 people in 2024 · 22 open ac in a 10-mi circle
2 New York counties touch Richmond County; Hudson (NJ), Middlesex (NJ), Monmouth (NJ) and Union (NJ) lie beyond the border.
Towns from the Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Richmond County shooting time on key dates
Sun times below are calculated for Richmond County; the game column adds the big game half hour and the bird column stops at sunset.
| Day | Season | Sun up | Sun down | Big game hours | Migratory birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2026 | Northern bow opener | 6:48 a.m. | 6:47 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 7:17 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 6:47 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Southern bow opener | 6:52 a.m. | 6:41 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 7:11 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 6:41 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Northern regular opener | 7:16 a.m. | 6:05 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 6:35 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 6:05 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Southern regular opener | 6:49 a.m. | 4:36 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. |
| Dec 14, 2026 | Southern late season | 7:12 a.m. | 4:30 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late season close | 7:20 a.m. | 4:39 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 4:39 p.m. |
| May 1, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 5:56 a.m. | 7:51 p.m. | 5:26 a.m. to 8:21 p.m. | 5:26 a.m. to 7:51 p.m. |
Hours rule from the DEC guide sunrise and sunset page; sun times calculated for the county centre (NOAA method), checked against the guide’s Albany table; checked October 27, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Richmond County ranges and match dates
7 ranges in Richmond County as of October 27, 2026, each card with its access rule.
| Name | Town | Disciplines | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victory Sportsmen (an archery range) | Staten Island | archery/3D archery | Access not stated |
Matches in the county
| When and what | Kind | Go |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 14, 2026 / McKee Fall Fun | NASP | Host page |
| Nov 14, 2026 / USPSA Championship at Richmond Boro Gun Club | Action pistol | Enter |
| Nov 15, 2026 / OLQP Turkey Shootout | NASP | Host page |
| Jan 8-9, 2027 / OLSS State Bullseye Qualifier | NASP | Host page |
| Jan 9, 2027 / McKee New Year Fun State Qualifer | NASP | Host page |
| Feb 26-27, 2027 / OLSS 3D Winter Fun | NASP | Host page |
Ranges from DEC, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 27, 2026.
Richmond County questions, short answers
Where is the nearest deer hunting to Richmond County?
Rockland County, about 41 miles away, is the closest county with a deer season.
Do I need a DMP to hunt antlerless deer near Richmond County?
Yes, or a Bow/Muzz Antlerless tag in bow and muzzleloader seasons; DMPs are issued by WMU.
Why is Richmond County closed to big game?
The Environmental Conservation Law lists it as a closed big game area: All of the city.
Which county near Richmond County has the most deer?
Orange County, with 4,926 deer in 2025, among the five nearest open counties.
What is the DEC phone for Richmond County?
(718) 482-4900; wildlife (718) 482-4922.
How much Forest Preserve is in Richmond County?
None by the DEC Lands layer.
How far from a house can I shoot in Richmond County?
500 feet with a firearm, 250 with a crossbow and 150 with a bow, unless the owner consents.
How does a Richmond County resident buy a hunting license?
Online, by phone, or at a town clerk or license agent; 1 clerk offices sell them in the county.
Answers from the 2026-27 New York Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide, the DMP pages, harvest reporting rules, DEC harvest data and the sources above. Checked October 27, 2026.
Double-check before Richmond County
DEC can change dates and rules between license years. The guide and 6 NYCRR are the legal reference.
Sources: 2026-27 New York Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide, DEC hunting, Census and the agencies linked in each section. Checked October 27, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); fishhawk (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain).