Saratoga Spa State Park opens section to deer hunting

Bow and crossbow hunters will be allowed into part of Saratoga Spa State Park for the first time this fall. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation will open a roughly 600-acre undeveloped section of the park to white-tailed deer hunting from October 13, 2026, through January 1, 2027, with 15 permits issued for the season, the agency announced on September 4.

The hunting area lies south of East-West Road, along Kayaderosseras Creek, and falls within the City of Saratoga Springs and the Town of Malta. State Parks says the program is meant to address the damage caused by too many deer in the park and to add outdoor recreation. The application window for permits closed Tuesday, September 22, at 4 p.m.

The key facts

Here is how the program works, according to State Parks and reporting by NEWS10 and The Post-Star.

• The season runs from October 13, 2026, through January 1, 2027.
• Only bow and crossbow hunting is allowed. Firearms are not part of the program.
• The park will issue 15 permits for this first season.
• Hunters need a park-specific permit in addition to a hunting license from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
• Applications were taken at the park office, 19 Roosevelt Drive, from September 8 through September 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• DEC rules require a bowhunting privilege and bowhunter education certification to hunt deer with a vertical bow, so check your license before applying in future seasons.
• Applications go into a randomized lottery so every applicant has an equal chance, NEWS10 reported.

Where hunting will and will not happen

The hunt is limited to an undeveloped part of the park south of East-West Road, the road that links Route 9 and Route 50. State Parks describes the section as undeveloped, which keeps the hunt away from the park’s historic buildings, springs and concert grounds.

Rules that were part of the proposal, as described by the Friends of Saratoga Spa State Park ahead of the May public meeting:

• Hunting would not be permitted within 250 feet of any building, road or parking lot.
• The hunting area would be posted with signs.
• Hunting hours follow state rules: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
• Portable tree stands and ground blinds are allowed if they do not damage trees or vegetation. Permanent tree stands are prohibited.
• No overnight camping is allowed in the park.

Earn a buck first

The park’s program follows the state’s new Earn-a-2nd-Buck rule. Before taking an antlered deer, a hunter must first take an antlerless one, State Parks said. All other season dates and limits follow DEC regulations for the area. The park sits in DEC Wildlife Management Unit 5R, in the state’s Southern Zone.

The Earn-a-2nd-Buck rule is one of several deer regulation changes DEC adopted for 2026, along with an expanded September antlerless season in several management units, according to DEC’s hunting guidance.

DEC’s 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide, which covers season dates and the rule changes, is available on the department’s hunting webpage and from license-issuing agents, according to DEC.

Why State Parks is doing this

State Parks says the park has more deer than its forests can support. According to the proposal, the goals are to:

1. Manage the deer population at a level that allows the forest to regenerate.
2. Improve habitat for wildlife that depends on healthy forest.
3. Provide safe recreational and educational opportunities.

Hunting in state parks is not new. More than 80 New York State Parks and Historic Sites run hunting programs, and 65 of them offer deer hunting, including several in the agency’s Saratoga-Capital District region, according to the proposal.

How the decision was made

State Parks held a public information meeting on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at the park’s Roosevelt II Bathhouse, followed by a two-week public comment period. After weighing that feedback, the agency approved the plan, it said in its September 4 announcement. NEWS10 reported the approval came in May.

What it means for park visitors

For most people who walk, run or ski in the park, little will change. The hunting area is in an undeveloped section, and the paved paths, springs and buildings visitors use most are outside it. Still, visitors who use trails in the southern part of the park should know hunting is happening between mid-October and New Year’s Day.

Some practical tips during the season:

• Watch for posted signs marking the hunting area and stay out of it.
• Wear bright colors if you walk in wooded parts of the park in the fall, a common precaution during hunting season.
• Keep dogs leashed, as park rules require.
• Use the main trails near Geyser Creek and the Hall of Springs if you want to stay far from the hunt.

The park at a glance

Saratoga Spa State Park covers about 2,379 acres between Route 9 and Route 50. It became a state park in 1962 and a National Historic Landmark in 1987. It includes the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the Saratoga Automobile Museum, the Saratoga Spa Golf Course and The Gideon Putnam hotel.

What happens next

Permits will go to lottery winners before the season opens on October 13. Hunters who were not selected this year will have to wait for any future season State Parks announces. State Parks described this as an initial season, and the program’s future will likely depend on how it goes. The hunting area map and program details are posted on the park’s page on the State Parks website.

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