Although the deer hunting season has ended in the North Country, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) wants hunters to be aware that opportunities still exist for hunting in central New York and on Long Island.

“Areas where we have extended seasons to address problems with deer overabundance provide a great opportunity for hunters to fill their freezers, donate venison to the less fortunate, and help bring ecosystems back into balance,” Commissioner Basil Seggos said.

From Jan. 13 to Jan. 31, there will be an antlerless deer season open in the Deer Management Focus Area (DMFA) in Tompkins County. To participate, hunters must register with the DMFA program and download a permit, carcass tags, and a hunting activity log from the DMFA webpage. Registered hunters may take up to two antlerless deer per day using any hunting implement that is legal during any other deer season at the site where they are hunting.

The 60,000-acre DMFA was created in 2012 to help communities in the Ithaca area address problems caused by deer overabundance. The area allows harvest of up to two antlerless deer per day throughout all the general deer hunting seasons, in addition to the January DMFA season. Hunters must carry a DMFA permit and DMFA carcass tags while hunting during the January season. They must also record their DMFA deer hunting activity and harvests on their hunting activity log and submit it to DEC by Feb. 7.

Additional information, including DMFA boundary descriptions and a printable map, is available on the DMFA webpage.

For regulations, places to hunt, and more information, visit call (631) 444-0310.