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Kings County · DEC Region 2
Where to hunt from New York City, NY
Deer and bear hunting is closed around New York City. These are the closest open tracts, the open bird seasons and the services nearby.
Photo: Central Park lake and Manhattan skyline in morning haze. Tomas Forgac (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Five counties make up New York City, and the point used for every mile on this page lies in Brooklyn. With 8,478,072 residents counted for 2024, New York City is where this page starts. The 10-mile ring holds roughly 22 public acres but no tract listed for hunting. The first public tract on the map from New York City is Babylon Marshes Tidal Wetland Area, about 29 miles away to its mapped center. The guide closes all of New York City to big game, so no deer or bear season applies anywhere in Kings County.
Town point and land area from the Census 2024 Gazetteer, population from the Census Vintage 2024 estimates; public acreage and boundary miles within 10 miles are a GIS measure over DEC Lands, Finger Lakes National Forest and USFWS boundaries (places.json). Closed areas from the guide closed big game areas. Checked October 27, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around New York City, New York
State land and refuges near New York City
Hunters in New York City drive past the 10-mile mark for public ground; here are the nearest options by miles.
Closest by miles are Babylon Marshes Tidal Wetland Area, 29 miles, Rockefeller State Park Preserve, 31 miles and Louden Point (NYC DEP Recreation Unit), 31 miles.
| Area | Category | Agency | WMU | Boundary miles | Center miles | Acres | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babylon Marshes Tidal Wetland Area 29 mi E | Tidal wetland | DEC | – | farther | 29 mi | 116 | Permit hunts |
| Rockefeller State Park Preserve 31 mi N | State park | State Parks | 3S | farther | 31 mi | 1,773 | Park hunting permit |
| Louden Point (NYC DEP Recreation Unit) 31 mi N | NYC watershed unit | NYC DEP | 3S | farther | 31 mi | 165 | DEP Access Permit |
| Big Peninsula (NYC DEP Recreation Unit) 32 mi N | NYC watershed unit | NYC DEP | 3S | farther | 32 mi | 303 | DEP Access Permit |
| Seatuck National Wildlife Refuge 38 mi E | Wildlife refuge | USFWS | – | farther | 38 mi | 203 | Permit hunts |
| Kings Park Unique Area 39 mi E | Unique area | DEC | 1C | farther | 39 mi | 69 | Permit hunts |
| Stayback Hill (NYC DEP Recreation Unit) 40 mi N | NYC watershed unit | NYC DEP | 3S | farther | 40 mi | 142 | DEP Access Permit |
| New Croton (NYC DEP Recreation Unit) 40 mi N | NYC watershed unit | NYC DEP | 3S | farther | 40 mi | 211 | DEP Access Permit |
Lands, acreage, WMUs and access from DEC property pages, the DEC WMU layer, NYS Parks, NYC DEP and federal pages (lands.json); boundary distances inside 10 miles from places.json; center distances are straight lines from the Census point for New York City. Checked October 27, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Deer and bear units that reach New York City
The WMU covering Kings County (2A) carries no big game season at all. The nearest public land with an open deer season is Rockefeller State Park Preserve in WMU 3S, 31 miles away. WMU 3S has a bowhunting-only deer season. Waterfowl, small game, coyote and other seasons in the table below still apply where hunting is otherwise lawful.
WMU shares and 2026-27 dates from the DEC WMU season layer (counties.json); DMP targets and odds from the DEC 2026 DMP table; antler, bowhunting-only and rifle rules from the 2026-27 guide; bear areas and fall turkey from the guide bear pages. Checked October 27, 2026.
2026-27 dates for New York City hunters
State land and private land share these dates in New York City; refuges, Fort Drum and some parks add their own permits.
| Animal | Hunt | Unit | Starts | Ends | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
New York City hunter services, nearest first
Shops are gun, archery, outdoor and chain sporting stores; town and village clerks that sell licenses get their own group. Nearest drop for donated venison is La Famiglia Butcher Shop/Deer Management of LI (34 mi). Bear hunters can leave a premolar tooth with Big Buck Taxidermy, a DEC bear cooperator 12 mi away.
| Type | Inside 15 | Inside 35 | Nearest one | Distance | Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processing shops | 0 | 1 | La Famiglia Butcher Shop/Deer Management of LI | 34 mi E | Bay Shore |
| Mount makers | 4 | 8 | Cypress Hills Taxidermy | 4.5 mi NE | Middle Village |
| Outdoor stores | 24 | 76 | Ammo International | 2.8 mi S | Brooklyn |
| Preserves | 0 | 1 | Rino Hunting | 30 mi N | West Harrison |
| Municipal license agents | 1 | 17 | County of Richmond | 7.4 mi W | Staten Island |
Processing shops
Mount makers
Outdoor stores
Preserves
Municipal license agents
None of the DEC-licensed hunting guides gives a Kings County address. DEC guide list
Processors from the DEC 2026 deer and bear processor list and Yellow Pages; bear cooperators from the DEC cooperating bear taxidermists and processors list; clerks from the DEC license issuing agents dataset; shops from Yellow Pages and store locators. Checked October 27, 2026; hours were not checked.
Clock times for hunts out of New York City
East and west matter: sunrise in Buffalo comes about 20 minutes after sunrise in Albany, so use local times for New York City.
| Date | Why | Sunrise | Sunset | Legal for big game | Legal for ducks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2026 | Northern bow opener | 6:47 a.m. | 6:47 p.m. | 6:17 a.m.–7:17 p.m. | 6:17 a.m.–6:47 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Southern bow opener | 6:51 a.m. | 6:40 p.m. | 6:21 a.m.–7:10 p.m. | 6:21 a.m.–6:40 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Northern regular opener | 7:16 a.m. | 6:04 p.m. | 6:46 a.m.–6:34 p.m. | 6:46 a.m.–6:04 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Southern regular opener | 6:49 a.m. | 4:35 p.m. | 6:19 a.m.–5:05 p.m. | 6:19 a.m.–4:35 p.m. |
| Dec 14, 2026 | Southern late season | 7:11 a.m. | 4:29 p.m. | 6:41 a.m.–4:59 p.m. | 6:41 a.m.–4:29 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late season close | 7:19 a.m. | 4:38 p.m. | 6:49 a.m.–5:08 p.m. | 6:49 a.m.–4:38 p.m. |
| May 1, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 5:56 a.m. | 7:50 p.m. | 5:26 a.m.–8:20 p.m. | 5:26 a.m.–7:50 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.
State wildlife offices for New York City hunters
Questions about DMPs, state land or nuisance wildlife near New York City go to DEC Region 2.
NYSDEC Region 2 Headquarters (Long Island City), 5.6 mi north
NYSDEC Region 3 Tarrytown Sub-Office, 28 mi to the north
From the DEC statewide office list (services.json; Region 9 phones from the DEC permit administrators page), checked October 27, 2026.
Dinners, courses and hunts near New York
Drawing a circle of about 30 miles around New York catches 1 upcoming event. Kinds: hunter education course.
On the way
| On | Listing | Away | Venue | Tickets or seats | Read at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 14, 2026 | Hunter Education Course – Nassau County Rifle & Pistol Range · hunter education course | 18 | Nassau County Rifle & Pistol Range Uniondale | Register with DEC | Source |
Ranges nearest New York
Combat Masters Pistol Club is the closest, about 0 miles from New York.
The Floyd Bennett Field Archery Range, about 6 miles away, is the public range closest to New York.
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 27, 2026.
New York City hunters’ common questions
Why is there no deer season around New York City?
Deer and bear hunting is closed in Kings County; the guide lists it among the closed big game areas.
How much state land surrounds New York City?
DEC, park and federal parcels within 10 miles of New York City cover close to 22 acres.
Is there a Sunday ban in Kings County?
Sunday hunting is allowed in all areas of New York State; the old county limits no longer apply.
How do New York City hunters report a deer, bear or turkey?
Fill out the carcass tag, then report through HuntFishNY, online or at 1-866-426-3778: within 48 hours on paper tags, immediately on e-tags.
Where do New York City hunters pick up a license?
HuntFishNY sells licenses online and by phone; clerks and agents sell them in person. The nearest clerk on the DEC agent list is County of Richmond (7.4 mi).
What does the orange rule require around New York City?
Big game gunners need 250 square inches of fluorescent orange or pink above the waist, or a hat at least half orange or pink; pink is a legal match for orange.
What should New York City hunters know about CWD?
The wild herd has no known case; DEC keeps testing and limits what parts of out-of-state deer can come in.
Can a deer from near New York City be processed locally?
La Famiglia Butcher Shop/Deer Management of LI in Bay Shore is the closest listing, 34 mi away. Ring the shop before a November drop-off; hours on this page were not checked.
How far is New York City from state land?
Start with Babylon Marshes Tidal Wetland Area, about 29 miles away to its mapped center. The second-nearest tract to the New York City town point is Rockefeller State Park Preserve.
How close to a house can I hunt in New York?
Keep 500 feet from occupied homes, farm buildings, schools and churches with a gun, 250 with a crossbow and 150 with a bow, unless you have permission.
Answers drawn from the sources in each section above; reporting from the guide reporting page; orange and Sunday rules from the guide big game page; setbacks from ECL 11-0931; CWD from DEC CWD page. Checked October 27, 2026.
New York City hunters, one last look
Wear orange or pink with a gun for deer or bear, carry your tags and report within the deadline.
Other photos on this page: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); fishhawk (CC BY 2.0); GlacierNPS (Public domain); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0); David A Mitchell (CC BY 2.0); Under the same moon… (CC BY 2.0); Under the same moon… (CC BY 2.0).