New York hunters harvested an estimated 227,032 white-tailed deer during the 2025-2026 hunting seasons, according to new figures released by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
DEC officials said the statewide deer harvest was about 2 percent higher than the previous season and remained close to the five-year average.
The agency credited expanded crossbow hunting opportunities for helping boost participation and harvest totals. In 2025, New York amended state law to allow hunters to use crossbows anywhere vertical bows are permitted during deer season.
According to the DEC, crossbows accounted for 55 percent of the total archery deer harvest during the 2025 season, up from 33 percent in 2024.
Officials said the expanded use of crossbows helped attract more hunters who may be new to archery or unable to use traditional vertical bows. DEC data showed hunters using crossbows were, on average, older and more likely to be female than hunters using vertical bows.
The DEC also reported a milestone in the state’s buck age structure. For the first time in modern state history, hunters harvested as many mature bucks age 3½ years or older as yearling bucks.
The antlered buck harvest totaled 120,909 deer, while hunters harvested 106,123 antlerless deer statewide.
State officials noted that antlerless harvest numbers in many areas still remain below population management goals. The DEC has proposed regulation changes aimed at encouraging hunters to harvest more antlerless deer in future seasons.
The agency also announced that none of the more than 3,000 wild deer tested statewide showed signs of Chronic Wasting Disease.
