Hunters In Upstate New York Have A Chance To Win A Lifetime Hunting License

Hunters, tired of renewing your bunting license year in and year out? Well, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation is giving local hunters a chance at a lifetime license, and the opportunity to help save local wildlife populations.

All you have to do is keep hunting like normal...

Chronic Waste Disease

New York is currently worried about the spread of Chronic Waste Disease (CWD). It's a fatal disease that targets deer, elk, and moose. The disease is contagious, and can spread rapidly once introduced to an area.

brown and white deer surrounded by green plants

While there are no confirmed cases currently ion New York State, the DEC is determined to keep that number at zero. If discovered, deer, elk, and moose populations would need to be culled, and movement/disposal of carcasses would be prohibited. While the disease isn't known to effect humans, the DEC still recommends not ingesting meat from an animal that was contaminated.

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Lifetime License

In order to keep the population safe, the New York DEC has opened a competition to motivate hunters to report their finds. The rules are simple:

1. Cut off the deer's head, leaving some neck remaining
2. Keep chilled or frozen until you can submit it
3. Remove the skull plate and antlers on bucks
4. Place the head in a plastic garbage bag
5. Label with name, address, and phone number, and complete the DEC tag at the drop-off
6. Place tag in ziploc bag and then place in the garbage bag
7. Zip-tie the bag and place it in collections box.

Collection boxes can be found at these locations:

Herkimer County

• Columbia - 936 Jordanville Road, Ilion (left of the salt barn)
• Columbia - 147 County Route 259, Ilion (DOT buildings)
• Litchfield - 804 Cedarville Road, Ilion (southern end of the salt barn)
• Warren - 131 Hyde-Bell Lane, Jordanville (DOT buildings)
• German Flatts - 85 East Main Street, Mohawk (Behind YMCA)
• German Flatts - 106 West Main Street, Mohawk (Herkimer County Sewer buildings)
• Winfield - 306 Stone Road, West Winfield (Across road in turnaround)

Otsego County

• Richfield - 1545 County Route 25, Richfield Springs (Boss Farm)

More information can be found at the DEC Website.