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NY switching to paper tags/licenses 2024

Reliable rumor that NY will switching to plain paper for licenses, carcass tags, back tags for 2024 season (Sept 1). No more fancy "thermal paper" with print so tiny many may have had trouble reading it. The rest of the DECALS system will be the same and you will still be able to buy from license vendors (who can charge a new fee for printing), or by phone, or online. If you purchase online, you print out your own stuff on your home printer. Lifetime license holders will still get everything mailed to them. Likely going to see a big push to use the phone app for your licenses and harvest reporting, but carcass tags will remain paper for now. If you lose or paper gets destroyed it appears to be easy-peasy to just reprint more at home. Plenty of other states use plain paper licenses/tags, but this should be interesting. Cheaters always going to cheat, at least now they won't have to buy tags for their wife or get replacement tags. :)

NY screwed it up last time they change the licenses, I expect another cluster.

Must be more environmentally sustainable to use plain paper rather than the thermal paper. How are you supposed to keep a paper carcass tag on an animal during transport. Probably figure they can issue more tickets. The people running this state are functionally illiterate.

Ralph, don't you remember the days when you would put the tag in a sandwich bag, before zip locks? lol!

Don't worry fellas. It will be just like when they rolled out DECALS. No connections, Albany server is down, printer is not working, can't find the paper roll, etc... Come back in a few hours, or tomorrow. More money wasted by the incompetence of the decision makers.

I like the way Maine does it

Agreed Al.

I don't know where the "money wasted" thing comes from. To be clear, the underlying system remains unchanged. The main change is how things are printed. Vendors will no longer need to have a dedicated computer, buy a special printer and keep a stock of specialized "valeron"/thermal paper. For them, this should make things way easier. I am sure DEC hopes many choose to print from home, because they spend a lot of money in postage sending out licenses/tags/back tags.

I've done self-printed licenses/tags for Montana many years now - it's very easy. I could buy a license the morning of opening day if I needed to. If I drove to Montana and forgot my tags, I could reprint them on the motel lobby printer. If I lose them, same thing. Carry tags, pen and zip tie in small ziplock bag and done. No one likes change but this should quickly become popular for the sportsman.

On the other hand, I don't see the ECOs liking this. Remember, they don't write the laws, and there are going to be issues going to this new format. They are going to take the brunt of complaints that should be directed at DEC Wildlife/Fisheries. ECOs don't get paid by the ticket and will likely be writing more warnings than ever. A handful of cheaters/poachers will find new ways to exploit this system and the ECOs will eventually catch on to those.

Now if they could only limit the number of buck tags everyone printed to 1 per year.........

The old , paper tags were heavy paper with a reinforced hole for attaching to the carcass. Most printer paper disintegrates when it gets wet. Love to hear their rationale for this. It seems like every time they finally get the bugs out of the system, they change systems or vendors.

But it should copy well.

Pretty sure this decision wasn’t made at 625 Broadway.

I’m willing to bet some political insider is cashing in on this, like Gov Houcols husband is on the thruway rest areas.

Retro hunting licenses... maybe they could print old Outdoor Life magazine covers on them! lol scentman

Don’t forget Mr Hochul’s investment in the new Bills stadium. Even when I worked for the DEC, every big policy decision went through the Governor’s office.

The trough gets bigger inviting more to partake of the free feast on backs of taxpayers. Go Bills!

We’ve been doing online tags for years in Ct. I love it. My kid called me on New Years Eve to join him on a goose hunt Jan 1st. I pulled up the DEEP website, bought my 24 license and duck stamp, printed it off and went hunting the next morning. I’m sure they will screw something up but it will get worked out. The old paper tags are nostalgic, but that’s about it.

I guess my only question is how do you keep a printer paper carcass tag attached, especially when transporting in the open bed of a pickup truck ? I guess we will need some ziplock sandwich baggies in our packs. I doubt they will eliminate the requirement to attach the tag to the carcass and just allow you to have it filled out and on your person.

I always fill out the tag and attach it with zip ties. I also do the check on the phone and then screen shot the confirmation. If the tag flies off (it never has), I have already e-checked the deer and can show the screenshot image to a CO. If they bust you after all of that, then I'm gonna meet with the prosecutor. 99x out of 100 the prosecutor will drop the charges. But the chance of that happening is slim to none, most CO's will not charge someone after all of that.

OK, more info coming out about this. If you purchase from a lic. Issuing agent and they print your lic., they are going to tack on another fee to cover their ink and paper costs. Typical NY finding ways to generate more revenue.

I would not want to take my chances with NYS government saying that even though the carcass tag is missing I reported my kill and have a picture. The law states the carcass needs to have a tag attached. The state has $2.5 billion in the proposed budget for illegal immigrants yet is trying to pinch penny’s with sportsmen who pay them to do them a service by controlling wildlife populations. Trying to keep a printer paper tag on the carcass during the months of November and December while transporting in the bed of a pickup will be a problem.

I've turkey hunted MO and really like their method. No tagging...unless you choose to print one and do so. Your "tags" are on your cell phone. Kill a bird and "notch" the tag, additional reporting later. Works offline as well.

Problem is the people making the decisions have never hunted in their lives. They have no idea the process or conditions we experience. They are only looking at the economic ledger.

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