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Public Hunting at West Point

The United States Military Academy is once again offering a deer hunting opportunity on the 16,000-acre West Point Military Reservation to General Public hunters holding valid DMP 3P permits.

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SITE MAP      

WEST POINT

The following link is the official West Point
page where you can find all of the current information
covering hunting at West Point.

READ THIS LINK FIRST!!
HUNTING INFORMATION

Reed 10 Pointer 2006
10 pointer taken in 2006

Big Game Hunting SEASON 2011/2012
Sign-outs and permit sales for Big Game Hunting Season will take place at the Victor Constant Ski Slope Rental Building, Rt 218 from 5am-5pm November 19 - December 11, 2011. Please call 845-938-8810 for information.

YOU MUST READ WEST POINTS INFORMATION PAGE
HUNTING INFORMATION
YOU MUST TAKE A DOE FIRST
YOU NEED A DMP 3P DOE PERMIT FROM NYS.
YOU MUST SIGN IN AND OUT DAILY AND WHEN YOU CHANGE LOCATIONS
General Public hunters may pre-register.  When pre-registering, a General Public hunter must present a valid DMP 3P permit, a NY big-game license (not the back tag), a photo id, and the $12 registration fee. Pre-registration is not required - it can be accomplished the first day you go hunting.

Important Points

(1) Some areas might be closed due to training and other reasons. You will be told when you sign in. 

(2) Only open until 12 Noon on Thanksgiving Day.

(3) All weapons ranges are OFF-LIMITS to all hunters.  Maps are marked to identify those areas. 
      "DUD ZONE, NO ENTRY" means that the area was a traget range, some going back to the 1700s, and if you go into them you could step on a "DUD" that will blow you up.

(4) Boundary changes to some hunting areas have been changed.  Old maps are not valid.
                                  CLICK HERE FOR THE NEW MAP

(5) 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.” West Point is located within wildlife management unit “3P”.

(6) Big Game Hunting SEASON 2011/2012 Sign-outs and permit sales for Big Game Hunting Season will take place at the Victor Constant Ski Slope Rental Building, Rt 218 from 5am-5pm November 19 - December 11, 2011. Please call 845-938-8810 for information.

(7) You must have a "3P" doe permit and take a doe and register it BEFORE shooting a buck.
USMA PERMIT FEES
DEER ONLY FOR CIVILIANS
Civilians $12
Juniors, ages 12-15 $3

For more information call (845) 938-3857,

POC is: Christopher Pray, CWB, USMA Fish & Wildlife Biologist
Send Mail To:
U.S. Army Garrison - West Point, NY
ATTN: IMNE-MIL-PWE-N
Directorate of Housing & Public Works
667A Ruger Road
West Point, NY 10996-1592
(845) 938-3857, FAX: (845) 938-2324

   West Point is a Military base and their main purpose is to support the troops and cadets at the Academy.  Where you want to go hunting might be closed on the day you visit.  They also have about 3 pages that you have to read and a form that you have to sign.

CLICK HERE FOR LINKS TO MAPS FOR THE WEST POINT AREA
TOPO MAP
PHOTO MAP

2006 Deer Season at West Point
  • Total # Deer Taken – 150
  • Total # of Antlered Bucks Taken – 70
  • Total Number of Adult Does Taken – 42
  • Heaviest Antlered Buck Taken –  161.8 lbs, 3 ½ yr old, 10 point.
  • Average Weight of Antlered Buck Taken – 106.7 lbs
  • Heaviest Adult Doe Taken – 119.6, 3 ½ yr old
  • Average Weight of Adult Doe Taken – 91.4 lbs.
 Reed 2006 10 Pointer

Biggest 2006 Buck, 10 Pointer

2005 Deer Season at West Point

WEST POINT 2005 DEER HARVEST SUMMARY
(CLICK HERE FOR THE WHOLE REPORT IN PDF.)

Some of the highlights

  • Heaviest Antlered Buck Taken – 153.0 lb., 3½ yr. old 8-pointer
  • Total # of Antlered Bucks Taken - 67
  • Average Weight of Antlered Buck Taken – 104.4 lbs.
  • Heaviest Adult Doe Taken – 108.8 lb., 2½ yr old
  • Total Number of Adult Does Taken - 66
9 pointer at West Point
9-pointer that may make the
NYS Big Buck Club record book.

2004 Deer Season at West Point
CLICK HERE FOR A BREAK DOWN
OF ALL DEER TAKEN

     A total of 236 deer were taken at West Point in the 2004 season. 76 Antlered Bucks with an average weight of 104.1 lbs were taken with the largest being a 153.0 lb., 3½ yr. old 8-pointer.
     93 Adult Does were taken with an average weight of 85.7 lbs with the largest doe being a 5½ yr old that weighed 116.4 lb.
     A total of 622 different hunters took part in all of the season with 594 gun, 71 Muzzle loaders and 120 bow hunters. (Many people hunted in more than one season.) The total deer take was down only 7 from last year, (243 -2003,) but Buck take was down by over 30. Women and youth were well represented in all seasons this year.
     Being able to adapt to different hunting conditions was a major factor for those who were able to take a deer in the 2004 season.

13 point Deer taken at West Point
The photo is of a 13-pointer taken here in the fall of 2002. It was the
woman's first buck. The 13-pointer was officially scored for the New York Big Buck Club at
143-3. This makes it the third West Point record book buck entered in the last 5 years
- two with the gun and one with the bow. The bow buck
was also entered in the Pope & Young records as well.

     In 2002, 247 general public hunters hunted deer at West Point. Maximum number has been 325 general public hunters.
     The property has capacity for 228 individuals a field at any one time. These include bow-only areas (7 slots) and areas open only for West Point personnel (26 slots) . Of the remaining spaces - available to West Point and general public hunters, five slots are in a shotgun/muzzle loader/bow area and the remainder are in areas where rifles can be used in addition to shotguns, muzzle loaders and bows (190 slots).
     The areas where you can hunt, types of hunting and the number of hunters allowed was reduced in the 2004/2005 season. Old maps are no longer valid. You must check West Point's web page.

Pope & Young buck from 2001 which was

Pope & Young buck from 2001 which was
officially scored at 130-7.

Who is Eligible to Hunt/Fish at West Point

Each year, many sportspersons contact West Point to inquire about hunting/fishing/trapping opportunities at the 16,000-acre West Point Military Reservation. The answer is not short and simple but instead involves some important details.

First, hunting, fishing and trapping is authorized for the following individuals:

  1. Active-duty military personnel (all Armed Services branches). This also includes members in the Ready Reserves, Army National Guard and Air National Guard (Guard members must be on active call-up). Includes cadets at the US Military Academy at West Point and the other service academies.
  2. Retired military personnel from any Armed Services branch (must be collecting a military pension, not merely serving a tour of duty and being honorably discharged). The exceptions are: veterans with a 100% service-connected disability honorably discharged; and former Prisoners of War (POWs).
  3. Department of Defense (DoD) civilian employees that work at the US Military Academy at West Point, NY and its tenant organizations. Retired DoD civilian employees that retired while working at the USMA are also eligible.
  4. Immediate family members of someone in the above-three categories (must be able to be claimed as a dependent on income-tax forms).

Individuals in these categories can purchase West Point hunting, fishing and/or trapping permits, which are required in addition to a New York State sporting license of the appropriate type. Permit holders are also allowed to purchase daily guest passes and be accompanied daily by up to two guests.

Because West Point is an active military installation, there are many restrictions regarding access and authorized activities. These are detailed in USMA Regulation 215-5 – Hunting, Fishing, Trapping. Also, there is a USMA Hunting map that shows designated hunting areas. This map is only issued when you purchase your West Point permit.

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For members of the general public who do not qualify under the above categories, there is one remaining opportunity for hunting. General public hunters who possess deer management permits issued by New York State for Unit 3P may hunt for deer at West Point during the Regular Deer Season (also known as the “gun season”), the Late Special Archery Season (following the Regular Season) and the Special Muzzle loader Season. Hunting during the Early Special Archery Season or Small-Game Hunting is not authorized nor is pre-season scouting. Access is controlled with a daily sign-in/sign-out process. There is a special West Point permit issued and registration procedures for this deer hunting opportunity. These procedures are not finalized until 1 October each year. Interested individuals can either sign up for e-mail notification or call after 1 October to recent the current procedures for the coming fall season. General public hunters must fill their 3P permits with an antlerless deer at West Point before they are allowed to take an antlered deer.

Because the deer management permits for Unit 3P are limited, interested hunters are encouraged to obtain their 3P permit from New York State before the 1 October deadline.