Four Hiking Safety Tips During Hunting Season

Fall is a gorgeous time of year in the Catskills, and it’s when outdoors enthusiasts of all types enjoy the natural beauty of our surroundings. If you’re visiting from an area where hunting isn’t popular, you want to make sure to educate yourself on hiking safety during this time of year as you share the woods with other outdoorspeople, including hunters.

When is hunting season in New York?

Hunting season starts in the fall, depending on the type of game being hunted. The New York State DEC has a detailed map of the different hunting seasons for different game for the 2021-22 season here. The most popular hunting season is turkey and deer hunting seasons, which take place in October, November, and December here in the Catskills, so you want to be extra careful when hiking during those months. Deer season has bow hunting days and regular (firearm) hunting days, but you should be equally careful during the entire season.

Wear blaze orange when hiking on trails

Hunters are required to wear blaze orange when hunting with a firearm - you should always wear blaze orange when hiking, biking, or walking through the woods during hunting season. If you have a dog with you, put a blaze orange vest on them. Everyone in your party, including kids, should have blaze orange prominently displayed on their outfit (hat, vest, coat, etc).

Blaze orange hats or beanies are really great to have - they’ll always be visible, even when your back is turned (as opposed to a shirt, which might not always be seen).

Keep dogs on a leash

Dogs should be on a leash during hunting season - you don’t want a hunter to see your dog and mistake them for a deer. Your dog should also, as we said above, have a blaze orange vest on them during this season. Make sure it’s securely fastened.

Stay vigilant throughout the day

Deer hunting hours start 30 minutes before sunrise and end 30 minutes after sunset. Most hunters get started early in the morning, and if they have the day off are out in the woods all day long until sunset. Make sure to remain vigilant all day, and stick to afternoon hikes. Avoid times of day like dawn and dusk when it gets dark and your blaze orange might be hard to see. Bring a flashlight with you just in case, too.

Stay on marked trails

Hunters are a responsible group, and they won’t be hunting near marked hunting trails, especially ones that are known to be busy. During hunting season, staying on marked trails is a safe bet.

If you see a private property sign on wooded land in the Catskills, it may be someone’s hunting property - definitely don’t venture off hiking on this land (though you shouldn’t cross no trespassing signs in the first place, of course!).