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Westchester County, New York
Yonkers, New York, as a hunting base
Hunting from Yonkers, New York: land on the map by distance, WMU rules for Westchester County, legal light and where to buy a license.
Photo: From Westchester County, not the town itself, Misty snow-covered wetland and bare trees in Westchester County. Chrisbkes (CC BY 2.0)
Yonkers is part of Westchester County, out in the lower Hudson Valley. Around 211,040 people live here by the 2024 Census estimate. Within 10 miles of Yonkers the mapped public hunting acreage is nil. Top of the distance list sits Rockefeller State Park Preserve, about 11 miles away to its mapped center.
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 Yonkers, New York
Public tracts mapped around Yonkers
These are the closest public hunting lands to Yonkers, all past 10 miles, sorted by miles to each mapped point.
Point to point, Rockefeller State Park Preserve lies 11 miles from Yonkers and Louden Point (NYC DEP Recreation Unit) 12 miles.
| Tract | Type | Agency | WMU | Edge | Center | Acres | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockefeller State Park Preserve 11 mi N | State park | State Parks | 3S | beyond 10 mi | 11 mi | 1,773 | Park hunting permit |
| Louden Point (NYC DEP Recreation Unit) 12 mi NE | NYC watershed unit | NYC DEP | 3S | beyond 10 mi | 12 mi | 165 | DEP Access Permit |
| Big Peninsula (NYC DEP Recreation Unit) 13 mi NE | NYC watershed unit | NYC DEP | 3S | beyond 10 mi | 13 mi | 303 | DEP Access Permit |
| Stayback Hill (NYC DEP Recreation Unit) 20 mi N | NYC watershed unit | NYC DEP | 3S | beyond 10 mi | 20 mi | 142 | DEP Access Permit |
| New Croton (NYC DEP Recreation Unit) 20 mi N | NYC watershed unit | NYC DEP | 3S | beyond 10 mi | 20 mi | 211 | DEP Access Permit |
| Salt Hill State Forest 20 mi N | State forest | DEC | 3S | beyond 10 mi | 20 mi | 271 | – |
| Turkey Mountain West (NYC DEP Recreation Unit) 21 mi N | NYC watershed unit | NYC DEP | 3S | beyond 10 mi | 21 mi | 298 | DEP Access Permit |
| Turkey Mountain East (NYC DEP Recreation Unit) 22 mi N | NYC watershed unit | NYC DEP | 3S | beyond 10 mi | 22 mi | 96 | DEP Access Permit |
| Angle Fly (NYC DEP Recreation Unit) 25 mi N | NYC watershed unit | NYC DEP | 3S | beyond 10 mi | 25 mi | 269 | DEP Access Permit |
| Muscoot East (NYC DEP Recreation Unit) 26 mi N | NYC watershed unit | NYC DEP | 3S | beyond 10 mi | 26 mi | 154 | DEP Access Permit |
Before you park near Yonkers
- Louden Point (NYC DEP Recreation Unit) (12 mi). A free DEP Access Permit is required here.
- Big Peninsula (NYC DEP Recreation Unit) (13 mi). DEP requires its free Access Permit on this unit.
- Stayback Hill (NYC DEP Recreation Unit) (20 mi). Hunting here needs the DEP Access Permit, which is free.
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 Yonkers. Checked October 27, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Which WMU rules apply near Yonkers
DEC sets deer and bear dates in Westchester County by 1 Wildlife Management Unit: 3S, all in the Southern Zone. Rockefeller State Park Preserve, the nearest listed land in a county unit, lies in WMU 3S. No firearms for deer in WMU 3S; it is a bowhunting-only unit. Antlerless permits are unlimited in 3S. No-rifle areas listed for this part of the state: Westchester and Long Island (no rifles at all, ECL 11-0931(5)). Every license carries one Antlered Deer Tag; a second comes only after an antlerless deer is reported. The Southeastern and Long Island duck zones apply around Yonkers, with South for geese.
| Unit | Share | Zone | Early archery | Regular | Muzzleloader | Bear season | Fall turkey | DMP target | Chance (res.) | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3S Near town | 95% | Southern | – | Oct 1–Dec 31 Bowhunting Only | No muzzleloading season | Oct 1–Dec 31 (bowhunting only) | Oct. 17-30 | Unlimited | 100% | Bow only |
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.
Yonkers hunting businesses by distance
Processors come from DEC’s 2026 deer and bear processor list plus listings that name deer or game, sorted by miles from Yonkers. For venison donations, MJ Amato Farm is 23 mi away. Big Buck Taxidermy sits on DEC’s 2026 cooperating bear business list.
| Service | Within 15 mi | Within 35 mi | Nearest | Miles | Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processors | 0 | 2 | MJ Amato Farm | 23 mi NE | Katonah |
| Mounts | 0 | 9 | Brooklyn Taxidermy | 16 mi S | Brooklyn |
| Gun and bow shops | 28 | 97 | Vintage Arms Inc | 0.6 mi NW | Yonkers |
| Shooting preserves | 1 | 1 | Rino Hunting | 10 mi NE | West Harrison |
| Town clerks (licenses) | 7 | 34 | City of Yonkers | 1.9 mi SW | Yonkers |
Processors
Mounts
Gun and bow shops
Shooting preserves
Town clerks (licenses)
9 licensed guides with hunting on their license list a Westchester County address. Find a licensed guide
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.
Deer and bear take behind Yonkers
In 2025, 859 deer came out of Westchester County, which ranks 53rd of the 56 counties with deer hunting. 2010 tops the chart with 1,910. DEC’s 2018 town table gives the city of Yonkers 1 deer. By unit, WMU 3S shows 841 deer for 2022. Bear take in Westchester County ran 2 in 2019, 2 in 2020 and 2 in 2022. In 2025, a record bear year statewide, WMU 3S produced 1 bears (0.2 per 100 square miles). For gobblers, WMU 3S belongs to the New York City Transition group: 36 spring birds in 2026, 17 the year before.
| Year | Estimate | Adult bucks | Adult does | Fawns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 830 | 501 | 206 | 123 |
| 2024 | 850 | 490 | 257 | 103 |
| 2025 | 859 | 507 | 245 | 107 |
| Year | Deer, city of Yonkers | Adult bucks |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 10 | 3 |
| 2012 | 2 | 1 |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 |
| 2015 | 6 | 5 |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 |
Deer take from DEC deer reports (latest county table, take by town 2007-2019); bear from the DEC bear take by town and county and the 2025 bear harvest summary; spring turkey from the DEC turkey WMU aggregate layer. Figures are DEC calculated take, printed as DEC labels them. Checked October 27, 2026.
DEC offices near Yonkers
Nobody needs to visit DEC for a license; these offices are for permits, land and wildlife staff near Yonkers.
NYSDEC Region 3 Tarrytown Sub-Office (8.2 mi north)
NYSDEC Region 2 Headquarters (Long Island City), 15 mi off to the south
From the DEC statewide office list (services.json; Region 9 phones from the DEC permit administrators page), checked October 27, 2026.
Westchester County season rows for Yonkers
31 species and 43 dated windows reach Yonkers; the last column compares each with today.
| Quarry | Season | Units | From | To | Status today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | September antlerless, bowhunting only | WMU 3S | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Westchester County Regular (bow only) | WMU 3S | Oct 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bowhunting-only WMUs | WMU 3S | Oct 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall Season | WMU 3S | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 30, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Youth Spring Turkey Hunt | WMU 3S | Apr 24, 2027 | Apr 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring Season | WMU 3S | May 1, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Youth Pheasant Hunt | WMU 3S | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular (either sex) | WMU 3S | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Hunting | WMU 3S | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Hunting | WMU 3S | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Hunting | WMU 3S | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Gray squirrel | Hunting | WMU 3S | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Black squirrel | Hunting | WMU 3S | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Fox squirrel | Hunting | WMU 3S | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Split 1 | Southeastern Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | Southeastern Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 1 | Long Island Zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | Long Island Zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Scaup | 2-scaup window | Southeastern Zone | Dec 8, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | |
| Scaup | 2-scaup window | Long Island Zone | Jan 12, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Snow goose | Regular season | Southeastern Zone | Nov 24, 2026 | Mar 10, 2027 | |
| Snow goose | Regular season | Long Island Zone | Nov 24, 2026 | Mar 10, 2027 | |
| Brant | Regular season | Southeastern Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Brant | Regular season | Long Island Zone | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth days | Southeastern Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth days | Long Island Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Veteran waterfowl | Veteran days | Southeastern Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Veteran waterfowl | Veteran days | Long Island Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Hunting | WMU 3S | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Rails | Hunting | WMU 3S | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Gallinule | Hunting | WMU 3S | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Crow | Hunting | WMU 3S | Sep 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Hunting | WMU 3S | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 28, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | WMU 3S | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Hunting | WMU 3S | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Gray fox | Hunting | WMU 3S | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | WMU 3S | Oct 25, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| Skunk | Hunting | WMU 3S | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Hunting | WMU 3S | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Weasel | Hunting | WMU 3S | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Mink | Hunting (Southern Zone only) | Southern Zone | Nov 10, 2026 | Apr 7, 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.
Dates on the calendar near Yonkers
Around 30 miles out from town: 2 upcoming events (DU chapter party and hunter education course).
Dated ahead
| Held on | Event | How far | Where held | Link | Checked at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 14, 2026 | Hunter Education Course – Nassau County Rifle & Pistol Range · hunter education course | 21 | Nassau County Rifle & Pistol Range Uniondale | Register with DEC | Source |
| Nov 15, 2026 | South Shore DU Pasta & Meatballs · DU chapter party | 29 | Casa de Campanelli Dix Hills | Get tickets | Source |
Yonkers: three closest ranges
Yonkers shooters have these three closest, each card with its access rule.
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 27, 2026.
Yonkers legal hours on key dates
The DEC guide prints sunrise and sunset for Albany only. The times here are worked out for the centre of Yonkers and match the Albany table within four minutes.
| Day | Hunt | First sun | Last sun | Big game window | Bird window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2026 | Northern bow opener | 6:46 a.m. | 6:46 p.m. | 6:16 a.m.–7:16 p.m. | 6:16 a.m.–6:46 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Southern bow opener | 6:50 a.m. | 6:39 p.m. | 6:20 a.m.–7:09 p.m. | 6:20 a.m.–6:39 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Northern regular opener | 7:15 a.m. | 6:03 p.m. | 6:45 a.m.–6:33 p.m. | 6:45 a.m.–6:03 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Southern regular opener | 6:49 a.m. | 4:33 p.m. | 6:19 a.m.–5:03 p.m. | 6:19 a.m.–4:33 p.m. |
| Dec 14, 2026 | Southern late season | 7:12 a.m. | 4:27 p.m. | 6:42 a.m.–4:57 p.m. | 6:42 a.m.–4:27 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late season close | 7:20 a.m. | 4:36 p.m. | 6:50 a.m.–5:06 p.m. | 6:50 a.m.–4:36 p.m. |
| May 1, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 5:54 a.m. | 7:50 p.m. | 5:24 a.m.–8:20 p.m. | 5:24 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.
Questions from Yonkers hunters
Do Yonkers hunters face any Sunday limits?
It is legal statewide. Crow hunting is limited to certain days by season, not by a Sunday rule.
What are the orange rules for deer hunters in Westchester County?
Gun hunters for big game must show 250 square inches of fluorescent orange or pink; bowhunters in archery seasons are exempt.
What is the closest license agent to Yonkers?
Online, by phone or at a clerk office. One clerk office that sells them is City of Yonkers, 1.9 mi from Yonkers.
Who processes deer close to Yonkers?
Try MJ Amato Farm in Katonah first; it is the nearest venison cutter in the data. Phone first during the regular season.
What CWD rules apply to Yonkers hunters?
CWD is not known in wild New York deer. DEC samples thousands each year (3,050 in 2025, none positive) and bans importing whole carcasses from other states.
What is the 500-foot rule near Yonkers?
State law sets 500 feet for firearms near occupied buildings; crossbows need 250 feet and bows 150 feet. Crossbows in Westchester County: 500 feet.
Which tract is the closest public hunting ground to Yonkers?
The list starts with Rockefeller State Park Preserve, about 11 miles away to its mapped center. Behind it on the distance table comes Louden Point (NYC DEP Recreation Unit).
How big is the state land base around Yonkers?
Zero inside the 10-mile line; head for Rockefeller State Park Preserve, about 11 miles away to its mapped center.
When can deer be hunted near Yonkers?
Deer in WMU 3S are taken with bows and crossbows only, Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, Bowhunting Only.
Are antlerless permits easy to draw near Yonkers?
The 2026 target in 3S is Unlimited; first-choice odds for residents were 100%. About 9.5% of DMPs get filled.
Do Yonkers hunters get a bear season?
Bears near Yonkers follow the Southern Zone, bowhunting only rules for WMU 3S.
How does turkey season work near Yonkers?
Fall turkey in WMU 3S: Oct. 17-30. Spring gobbler hunting runs statewide from May 1, half an hour before sunrise to noon.
How fast must a Yonkers hunter report a deer?
Tag it in the field and report it, immediately for e-tags or within two days for paper tags, by app, web or 1-866-426-3778.
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.
Before Yonkers hunters head out
Every mile here is a straight line from Yonkers; state forests, Forest Preserve units, parks and refuges each add rules, so read the land page and the 2026-27 guide first.
Other photos on this page: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); OhLizz (CC BY-SA 2.0); fishhawk (CC BY 2.0); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); fishhawk (CC BY 2.0); PEHart (CC BY-SA 2.0); z2amiller (CC BY-SA 2.0).