What Does New York’s Recent Changes to Gun Laws Mean For Your Hunting Season?

Recent changes to New York's gun laws have a lot of hunters confused about the rules this hunting season, so the Department of Environmental Conservation has answers to many of your hunting questions.

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation released a list of frequently asked questions for hunting season in New York along with the answers to many of the questions they've received. So let's start with the big question.

How does New York's new gun laws affect hunting?

Good news for hunters, it doesn't. According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, the new law does not affect how and where lawful hunting may occur in New York. In fact, there are even exemptions in the law to allow for hunting in areas otherwise listed as sensitive or restricted. You can still hunt on public lands and private lands as long as the owner of the property posts permission to carry guns. As long as you are lawfully engaged in hunting activities, there's no changes to where or how to hunt.

New requirements for storing guns

The law may not make any changes to hunting, but it does make changes to transportation and storage of hunting guns. Under the new law, if anyone under 18 years of age or anyone who is prohibited from possessing a gun resides in your home, all firearms need to be secured with a gun locking device or locked in a safe that is fire, impact and tamper resistant.

New requirements for transporting guns

When traveling with a gun, all ammunition must be removed and locked in a storage container and be hidden from view if left unattended in the vehicle. The rules are similar for other means of travel, like flying or taking a ferry. The main rule of thumb is to keep the ammunition separate from the gun, locked away, and hidden from view if you're unable to remain with it.