If you enjoy the challenge of hunting and/or fishing, you can’t eat much more locally produced meat than what you catch yourself in the great outdoors of Andes. The forests are boundless, with State land and a significant amount of land owned by NYC open to hunting and fishing with a free permit (plus your hunting or fishing license). Deer hunting is excellent, with many large and even ‘trophy’ bucks out there due a recent requirement that bucks must have at least 3 points on one side. This rule allows young bucks to live to maturity and larger sizes. If you are only interested in the venison, doe tags are allotted by lottery. Black bears are more plentiful than ever, and many are taken each season with both bow and gun. Turkey are plentiful, and small game such as roughed grouse, woodcock and cottontail rabbits are numerous along the many old field/forest edges.
Whether you hunt on NY State, NYC or private land, know the rules and regulations and proper safety practices. The DEC Hunting website has all the information you need.
Use the FREE New York Fishing, Hunting & Wildlife App created by the NYS DEC, available on iTunes or GooglePlay for up-to-date information on hunting and fishing sites, species found there, regulations, license and permit requirements and more. It has all the cool features of a good gps app – the ability to mark waypoints, record tracks, calculate distances and more. It also has a “Nearest Me” feature to help you find which wildlife management areas, lakes and ponds are closest to where you are.
The NYC DEP website lists NYC parcels open for various types of recreation — find them here.
Hunting Requirements
First-time hunters must pass one or more Sportsman Education Courses before purchasing a hunting license in New York. DEC Regional Sportsman Education offices throughout the state offer sportsman education courses. For more information about classes in Delaware County, contact the Stamford DEC office at 607-652-7367. For classes throughout New York, register here.
Guided Hunts
If you’re looking for a guide to gain experience, education or just enjoy the hunt with, explore guide services available in the Great Western Catskills!
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