USMA

West Point Military Reservation

Hunting Policies & Programs

This brochure does not contain all USMA hunting regulations. Consult USMA REG 215-5 for the complete listing. New York State hunting laws govern seasons, bag limits, and permitted weapons unless the USMA provisions are more restrictive. Individuals are responsible for complying with all rules and laws.

PERMIT REQUIREMENTS

All hunters must have an appropriate New York license, permit and/or stamp and a West Point Hunting Permit or a West Point Combination Hunting/Fishing Permit to hunt at West Point.

New York hunting, big-game, and sportsman (combination big-game, small-game, & fishing) licenses can be purchased at any town clerk’s office or at some sporting goods stores. To purchase a license, you need a previous license issued by any state or Canadian province, or proof of completion of a hunter safety course from any state. To hunt deer and bear with a bow you will also need to have completed a bowhunter education course as well.

New York laws allow children ages 12-15 to hunt small-game while accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who is also licensed to hunt small-game. Children ages 14 and 15 may also hunt deer and bear during the special archery season if a licensed adult archery big-game hunter accompanies them. Children 16 and 17 yr. old must be with a licensed big-game hunter 18 years or older to hunt deer or bear.

Military personnel stationed in New York qualify for resident licenses. A New York driver’s license or a copy of your assignment orders will satisfy the proof of residency requirement. Cadets from other states as full-time students also qualify for New York resident licenses.

PERMIT FEES

Fees for USMA hunting permits, daily guest permits, and weekly guest permits are determined annually. For information call 938-2401/4455/2503.

TYPES OF HUNTING AVAILABLE

West Point hunters can pursue a wide variety of small-game and big-game species including: gray squirrels, ruffed grouse, woodcock, wild turkey (both spring and fall), coyotes, red fox, gray fox, raccoons, white-tailed deer, crows, black bear, cottontail rabbits, common snipe, wood ducks, Canada geese, mallard ducks, black ducks, and several other duck species. Stocking of ring-necked pheasants and bobwhite quail may also occur.

WATERFOWL HUNTING

Waterfowl hunting opportunities are limited, but the action can be exciting when the birds are coming in. The lakes and ponds that the ducks and geese frequent at West Point are grouped (WF1-WF4) for sign-out purposes. The waters in each group are located on the front page of the sign-out sheet. There are three or four wetlands not included in these groups that occasionally have ducks and geese. These areas must be selected by choosing the Hunting Area that they are within. Area capacities still apply. Remember: only non-toxic (non-lead) shot may be possessed and used when hunting and/or shooting at waterfowl.

TREE STANDS & DUCK BLINDS

Permanent tree stands may not be built or used when hunting at West Point. Use of spikes or screw-in steps or anything that damages trees or is nailed to a tree is also prohibited. Portable tree stands and ladder stands are permitted. Duck blinds may only be made from natural materials found at the hunting location. The blind must be taken down and removed by the end of February each year.

ACCESS FOR HUNTING

Access to the West Point Military Reservation is controlled by Range Control (938-3930). The Reservation is divided into 40 separate hunting areas, each one limited as to the number of individuals that can be afield at any one time. Some areas are limited as to what weapons may be used (bow only, shotgun/ bow only). These restrictions are listed on the sign-out cover sheet.

To hunt on the Reservation, hunters and any accompanying non-hunters must sign in and out daily at Range Control, located on Route 293, one mile west of its intersection with U.S. Route 9W. The front page of the sign-out sheet will list what areas are open that particular day and the hunter capacity. It is the hunter’s responsibility to be sure that the selected area is open and is not filled to capacity. On the attached sign-out page, the hunter must print all information requested, completely and legibly (name, address, USMA Permit #, area selected, vehicle license plate #, and time signed out). Upon the end of the hunt or to change areas, the hunter must return to Range Control and record the time that he/she signed back in and record any game taken. All deer taken will be aged and weighed (checking procedures for deer are posted in the hunter sign-out shed located at Range Control).

The sign-out procedure for spring turkey hunters is slightly different. For spring turkey season, the area hunter capacities are less than in the fall season (by one-half). Be sure to check the sign-out sheets. A non-hunting caller who does not count against the area hunter capacity can also accompany a spring turkey hunter. This is the only situation where an accompanying non-hunter does not count against the area capacity and does not have to sign in and out on the sheet.

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

There are several USMA regulations in place to improve safety conditions for hunting on West Point.

First, during the Regular Big-Game Season (commonly referred as the “gun” season), all hunters except waterfowl hunters must wear at least 400 square inches of fluorescent orange clothing. This is an area 20”x20”, so a vest is the minimum amount of clothing that would meet this requirement, provided that the vest is all orange. During the Special Muzzleloader Deer Season, all muzzleloader deer hunters must wear at least 100 square inches of fluorescent orange clothing. For this season, a hat will suffice.

Second, no firearm or bow may be discharged within 50 feet of the major roadways that intersect or adjoin the reservation (Routes 6, 9W, 293, & 218, Mine Torne Road, Smith Clove Road, Mineral Springs Road, and Stony Lonesome Road).

Third, obey the hunter capacities for each of the areas. The area quotas were designed to spread people out so that a hunter is less likely to crowd upon another hunter using the area.

Finally, both New York State Law and USMA regulation prohibit shooting a bow or firearm within 500 feet of an occupied building.

TAGGING REQUIREMENTS

New York laws and USMA regulation require successful deer, bear, and turkey hunters to fill out the carcass tag immediately upon bagging an animal. For deer, the tag does not have to be attached to the animal until you are ready to transport it in your vehicle and return to Range Control. Unfortunately, every year hunters unknowingly commit violations of New York game laws by not properly filling out their tags. The violation can carry a fine of $25.

To avoid this unfortunate circumstance, here are a few bits of information to keep in mind when filling out your deer, bear, or turkey tags. First, be sure to carry a pen. A pencil is not legal. Keep the pen next to your body in cold weather so that the ink will not freeze. Second, on deer and turkey carcass tags, the month and date must be cut out. The month is on one side of the tag (in letters) and the dates (in numbers) are along another side. Finally, there are several blocks on the tags which successful hunters either leave blank or fill incorrectly. The information you record in these blocks is important for New York State in managing its deer populations. Here are the proper pieces of information: COUNTY of KILL - West Point is in Orange County; TOWN of KILL - This refers to township, not town, city, or community. West Point is within three townships - Highlands (the main township), Woodbury (the next largest portion), and, Cornwall. The boundaries of each township are located on your USMA Hunting Map. Consult your map to determine which township you were within. NEAREST VILLAGE - use “West Point”. WILDLIFE MGT. UNIT - Because New York has such varied terrain and habitats, these regions support different levels of deer populations. To effectively manage the state deer herd, New York subdivides the state into many smaller units (wildlife management units), each with its own management requirements. West Point is located within wildlife management unit “3P”. Most of the other blocks are self-explanatory. Be sure that all the areas are filled correctly.

The New York Regulation Guide you receive when you buy your license also explains how to fill out your tags. If there is still confusion, contact the Natural Resources Branch for answers to any remaining questions.

POINTS OF CONTACT:

NATURAL RESOURCES BRANCH DHPW (phone: 938-3857): Wildlife management operations, game species population status on the reservation, questions on New York hunting and trapping regulations.

COMMUNITY RECREATION DIVISION, DCFA (phone: 938-2401): USMA hunting and combination hunting-fishing permits, guest passes, NY hunting licenses, area maps, USMA hunting regulations (USMA Regulation 215-5).

RANGE CONTROL (phone: 938-3930): Access to Reservation for hunting, fishing, and trapping.

PROVOST MARSHALL (phone: 938-3333): Law enforcement.

New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation Regional Office (New Paltz, NY- Region 3: phone: 845-256-3098): NY game laws, license information, hunter safety course information.

To report NYS Game Law Violations, call: 1-845-256-3013.