Furbearers
New York Gray Fox hunting, 2026-27
New York gray fox seasons and rules for 2026-27.
Photo: cazalegg (CC BY 2.0)
This guide follows the 2026-27 DEC regulations for gray foxes: the first legal day is Oct 25, 2026 and the last is Feb 25, 2027, with every row and its source.
Gray Fox at a glance
- Bag: No limit
- Dates and gear: Same as raccoon.
DEC guide page (as of Aug 24, 2026), checked October 27, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
When gray foxes are open in New York
These are the 2026-27 gray fox rows; refuges, Fort Drum and state parks can add their own permits.
| Segment | Where | Units | Legal methods | First day | Last day | Length | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunting | All areas except Long Island and NYC | 89 WMUs | Handgun, shotgun, rifle (by area), bow, crossbow, air gun; calls incl. electronic | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | 114 | |
| Trapping | Upstate (all WMUs except Long Island/NYC) | 89 WMUs | Legal traps (trapping license) | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | 114 | |
| Hunting | Long Island and NYC | 3 WMUs | No rifles on Long Island | Nov 1, 2026 | Feb 25, 2027 | 117 | |
| Trapping | Long Island and NYC | 3 WMUs | Legal traps | Nov 1, 2026 | Feb 25, 2027 | 117 |
Fine print for gray foxes
- After sunrise on opening day, then any hour day or night. No bag limit.
- No bag limit. Adirondack bait restriction for land body-gripping traps when fisher/marten closed. No traps set before 7:00 AM on opening day.
From DEC guide page, DEC guide page, checked October 27, 2026.
Gray Fox by WMU
The guide reads WMU by WMU for gray foxes; this table turns the season maps into lists.
| Hunting window | Trapping window | Number | WMUs |
|---|---|---|---|
Oct 25–Feb 15 | Oct 25–Feb 15 | 89 | 3A, 3C, 3F, 3G, 3H, 3J, 3K, 3M, 3N, 3P, 3R, 3S, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4F, 4G, 4H, 4J, 4K, 4L, 4O, 4P, 4R, 4S, 4T, 4U, 4W, 4Y, 4Z, 5A, 5C, 5F, 5G, 5H, 5J, 5R, 5S, 5T, 6A, 6C, 6F, 6G, 6H, 6J, 6K, 6N, 6P, 6R, 6S, 7A, 7F, 7H, 7J, 7M, 7P, 7R, 7S, 8A, 8C, 8F, 8G, 8H, 8J, 8M, 8N, 8P, 8R, 8S, 8T, 8W, 8X, 8Y, 9A, 9C, 9F, 9G, 9H, 9J, 9K, 9M, 9N, 9P, 9R, 9S, 9T, 9W, 9X, |
Nov 1–Feb 25 | Nov 1–Feb 25 | 3 | 1A, 1C, |
WMU lists read from the 2026-27 guide season maps and DEC WMU layer, checked October 27, 2026. All 92 WMUs.
Lines that set gray fox rules
Not every gray fox rule is statewide; here are the groups.
Check gray foxes sets once every 24 hours south of the zone line; up north some WMUs allow 48 hours.
Southern Zone: once every 24 h. Northern Zone WMUs 5C, 5F, 5G, 5H, 5J, 6F, 6J, 6N: every 48 h. WMUs 5A, 6A, 6C, 6G, 6H, 6K: water sets and land body-grippers 48 h, restraining traps 24 h.
guide trapping maps, checked October 27, 2026.
Gray Fox on WMAs, state forests and refuges
Every public tract below lists furbearers in a WMU where the season is open; filter by name or county.
| Public land | Kind | Acres | County | WMU | Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferris Lake | Forest Preserve Wild Forest | 147,936 | Hamilton · +1 | furbearers | |
| Wilcox Lake | Forest Preserve Wild Forest | 127,860 | Warren · +2 | furbearers | |
| Vanderwhacker Mountain | Forest Preserve Wild Forest | 96,577 | Essex · +1 | furbearers | |
| Debar Mountain | Forest Preserve Wild Forest | 88,354 | furbearers | ||
| Lake George | Forest Preserve Wild Forest | 76,871 | Warren · | furbearers | |
| Allegany | State Park | 64,160 | furbearers | ||
| Slide Mountain | Forest Preserve Wilderness | 50,718 | furbearers | ||
| Jessup River | Forest Preserve Wild Forest | 48,456 | furbearers | ||
| Sargent Ponds | Forest Preserve Wild Forest | 43,793 | furbearers | ||
| Hoffman Notch | Forest Preserve Wilderness | 38,529 | furbearers | ||
| Sundown | Forest Preserve Wild Forest | 30,768 | Sullivan · | 3A, | furbearers |
| Delaware | Forest Preserve Wild Forest | 29,590 | Delaware · +1 | furbearers | |
| Aldrich Pond | Forest Preserve Wild Forest | 26,586 | Herkimer · +1 | furbearers | |
| Raquette Boreal | Forest Preserve Unit | 25,638 | 6F, | furbearers | |
| Hunter-West Kill | Forest Preserve Wilderness | 24,549 | Greene · | furbearers | |
| Sterling Forest | State Park | 19,487 | furbearers | ||
| Indian Head | Forest Preserve Wilderness | 17,439 | Greene · | furbearers | |
| Bog River | Forest Preserve Unit | 17,058 | Franklin · +1 | 5F, | furbearers |
| Windham-Blackhead Range | Forest Preserve Wilderness | 17,024 | furbearers | ||
| Willowemoc | Forest Preserve Wild Forest | 15,534 | Sullivan · | 3A, | furbearers |
| Grass River | Forest Preserve Unit | 14,179 | furbearers | ||
| Watson's East Triangle | Forest Preserve Unit | 13,461 | Herkimer · | furbearers | |
| Iroquois | National Wildlife Refuge | 10,810 | Genesee · | furbearers | |
| Dry Brook Ridge | Forest Preserve Wild Forest | 9,539 | furbearers | ||
| Kaaterskill | Forest Preserve Wild Forest | 8,099 | Greene · | furbearers | |
| High Tor | Wildlife Management Area | 6,937 | Ontario · | furbearers | |
| Stewart | State Forest | 6,653 | furbearers | ||
| Moreau Lake | State Park | 6,640 | Saratoga · | furbearers | |
| Neversink River | Unique Area | 6,583 | furbearers | ||
| Mongaup Valley | Wildlife Management Area | 6,416 | Orange · | furbearers | |
| Taconic | State Park | 6,183 | Columbia · | furbearers | |
| Shandaken | Forest Preserve Wild Forest | 6,114 | Greene · | 3A, | furbearers |
| Rattlesnake Hill | Wildlife Management Area | 5,138 | Allegany · | furbearers | |
| Halcott Mountain | Forest Preserve Wild Forest | 4,934 | furbearers | ||
| Partridge Run | Wildlife Management Area | 4,592 | furbearers | ||
| Fish Creek | Wildlife Management Area | 4,556 | furbearers | ||
| Beebe Hill & Harvey Mt. | State Forest | 4,012 | 4U, | furbearers | |
| Rusk Mountain | Forest Preserve Wild Forest | 3,907 | furbearers | ||
| Vernooy Kill | State Forest | 3,721 | furbearers | ||
| Lakeview | Wildlife Management Area | 3,444 | furbearers | ||
| Leonard Hill & High Knob | State Forest | 2,981 | furbearers | ||
| Erwin | Wildlife Management Area | 2,770 | furbearers | ||
| Honeoye Inlet | Wildlife Management Area | 2,763 | furbearers | ||
| Grafton Lakes | State Park | 2,612 | furbearers | ||
| John Boyd Thacher | State Park | 2,475 | furbearers | ||
| Canadaway Creek | Wildlife Management Area | 2,190 | furbearers | ||
| Hall Island | State Forest | 2,120 | furbearers | ||
| Sampson | State Park | 2,047 | furbearers | ||
| Huckleberry Ridge | State Forest | 1,948 | furbearers | ||
| Whetstone Gulf | State Park | 1,903 | furbearers | ||
| West Osceola | State Forest | 1,897 | 6K, | furbearers | |
| Plainfield | State Forest | 1,862 | furbearers | ||
| Darien Lakes | State Park | 1,844 | furbearers | ||
| Lutheranville | State Forest | 1,803 | Otsego · | furbearers | |
| Bear Swamp | State Forest | 1,748 | furbearers | ||
| Coles Creek | State Park | 1,731 | furbearers | ||
| Mount Tom | State Forest | 1,725 | furbearers | ||
| Hither Hills | State Park | 1,665 | furbearers | ||
| Wagner Farm & General Jacob Morris | State Forest | 1,649 | furbearers | ||
| Gilbert Lake | State Park | 1,590 | furbearers |
Game lists from DEC, USFWS, USFS, State Parks and NYC DEP pages in our land data, retrieved 2026-10-27. All public land · Wildlife Management Areas.
Gray Fox bag and license table
The gray fox limits, followed by license prices for residents and nonresidents.
| Bag row | What it allows |
|---|---|
| Coyote, raccoon, foxes, skunk, opossum, weasel, bobcat | No bag limits (hunting or trapping). |
Gray Fox license costs
| License | Who | Category | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunting License | resident | Annual, ages 16-69 | $22 |
| Hunting License | nonresident | Annual, ages 16+ | $100 |
| Trapping License | resident | Ages 16-69 | $20 |
| Trapping License | nonresident | Ages 16+ | $275 |
DEC guide bag limits and the license fee table, checked October 27, 2026. New York hunting license guide.
Gray Fox regulations to know
When to shoot gray foxes
The first morning starts at sunrise; from then on gray foxes may be called and shot at any hour, under lights if needed.
Gray Fox and Sundays
Sundays count as normal days for gray foxes statewide.
Orange or pink for gray foxes
DEC suggests blaze for small game hunters, including anyone after gray foxes, but the rule with a penalty attached is for big game guns.
Gray fox baiting rules
When trapping gray foxes, carcass bait at footholds must be hidden from view, and the Adirondack fisher-marten restriction limits baited land body-grippers.
Harvest reporting for gray foxes
Gray foxes are not on the DEC reporting list.
Hunting gray foxes with dogs
Gray foxes may be hunted over dogs; off-season training is limited to the guide windows.
shooting hours, orange and pink rule, Sunday hunting, baiting rules, tagging and reporting, checked October 27, 2026. Legal shooting hours · Hunting laws.
Gray Fox: legal gear and penalties
| Rule | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Furbearer hunting | Handgun, shotgun, muzzleloading rifle, bow, crossbow, air gun; rifles per deer-season rule; spotlights, night vision, thermal, lasers. | Hunting from any motor vehicle incl. ATV/snowmobile. |
| Rifle restrictions | Rifles allowed where the legal implements map shows orange. | Any rifle afield in Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk; rifles larger than .22 rimfire during deer seasons in shotgun-only areas; Northern Zone: rifles over .22 rimfire, slug/buckshot loads or crossbows when hunting with a dog (except coyote). |
Taking gray foxes: the method rules
- Spotlighting: Lights may be used to observe wildlife only if no implement is ready (cased, taken down, locked in trunk, or a handgun) and not within 500 ft of a home or farm building without permission when looking for deer/bear.
- Trap rules: Name/address or DEC ID on traps; foothold max 5-3/4 in. on land (7-1/4 in. in water during beaver/otter), pan tension and covered if >4 in. on land; no teeth; no snares; no traps before 7 AM opening day; not within 100 ft of house/school/playground/church without permission; land body-grippers not within 100 ft of public trails (except WMAs); 15 ft from beaver dams/lodges with exceptions; 5 ft from muskrat houses.
- Trap checks: Southern Zone every 24 h; Northern Zone 24-48 h by WMU and trap type.
- Dogs: Dogs may hunt small game (not spring turkey); no dogs for big game except licensed leashed tracking dogs; dog training on raccoon, fox, coyote, bobcat July 1-Apr. 15, other small game Aug. 15-Apr. 15.
From the DEC guide and ECL Articles 11 and 71 on the NY Senate site, checked October 27, 2026. New York hunting laws.
Gray Fox: common questions
What is the bag limit for gray foxes in New York?
No bag limits (hunting or trapping).
Which license covers gray fox hunting in New York?
Prices for 2026-27: Hunting License (resident) $22; Hunting License (nonresident) $100; Trapping License (resident) $20; Trapping License (nonresident) $275. Buy online, by phone or from a license-issuing agent.
Can you hunt gray foxes after sunset?
The first morning starts at sunrise; from then on gray foxes may be called and shot at any hour, under lights if needed.
Is Sunday gray fox hunting legal?
Sundays count as normal days for gray foxes statewide.
Is blaze needed for gray fox hunting?
DEC suggests blaze for small game hunters, including anyone after gray foxes, but the rule with a penalty attached is for big game guns.
Is it legal to bait gray foxes?
When trapping gray foxes, carcass bait at footholds must be hidden from view, and the Adirondack fisher-marten restriction limits baited land body-grippers.
Do you have to report gray foxes in New York?
Gray foxes are not on the DEC reporting list.
How long can a gray fox trap go unchecked?
Check gray foxes sets once every 24 hours south of the zone line; up north some WMUs allow 48 hours.
What public land has gray foxes?
Ferris Lake Wild Forest, Wilcox Lake Wild Forest, Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest and Debar Mountain Wild Forest lead the 145 public tracts that list furbearers.
What guns and bows work for gray foxes?
Furbearer hunting: Handgun, shotgun, muzzleloading rifle, bow, crossbow, air gun; rifles per deer-season rule; spotlights, night vision, thermal, lasers. Not legal: Hunting from any motor vehicle incl. ATV/snowmobile.
When is gray fox season in New York this year?
Gray foxes open Oct 25, 2026 with the hunting row; the final day anywhere is Feb 25, 2027.
Other photos on this page: Under the same moon… (CC BY 2.0); Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); ZionNPS (CC BY 2.0).