It's Illegal To Hunt With These Bows In New York State

The archery season for whitetail deer and black bear hunters is here, and across New York State, the woods are about to be filled with hunters looking to drop a big buck on the ground! We are just days away from the season opener, and the deer herd looks to be very strong all across the Empire State. But as we get closer to the season, a few questions are popping up. Now that we have new legislation regarding crossbows, archery hunting is top of mind for many hunters.

There is a minimum draw weight to hunt big game during archery season in New York State.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is very good at explaining the laws on its website. However, there are many laws grouped into one area, and it might be tough to find the answers you want quickly. For example, deer hunters have quite a list of laws, and when it comes to archery, there are even more.

Minimum Draw Weight For Bows In New York State

If you plan to hunt with a bow in New York State, it needs to have a certain amount of pounds per draw. Some might be recovering from a surgery or have shoulder issues and want to hunt with a bow that is easy to pull back or draw. But the laws say that you are NOT ALLOWED TO HUNT with: "A bow with a draw weight less than 35 pounds or a crossbow with a draw weight less than 100 pounds".