Welcome to FortDrum.iSportsman.net

• NEW Fort Drum Recreation Maps are available. The most up-to-date map has a an orange box in the lower right corner and states "Updated 2023."  A full size (24" x 30") printed version of the Recreation Map is available free-of-charge 24/7 from the kiosk outside of the Natural Resources Outreach Facility (Bldg. S-2507). The updated 2023 Recreation Map (9MB) can also be downloaded.
• NYSDEC now offers a HuntFishNY Mobile App that provides hunters, anglers, and trappers an instant way to display licenses and privileges; report game harvests; links to current regulations; sunrise/sunset information; etc.
• NEW hours for the Natural Resources Outreach Facility on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Talk to a staff person, see the displays, get assistance with recreation passes--next to the new Fort Drum Museum.
• Submit photos for the 2022 hunting season.

• Fort Drum Maple Days will be celebrated Monday, March 13 to Saturday, March 18 from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm behind the historic LeRay Mansion. Parking is on-site. The event is outdoors -- dress appropriately.
• Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust is sponsoring a Hike to Protect Hemlocks at Salmon River Falls from 10:00 am - 12:30 pm on Thursday, March 16. Learn how to recognize and report the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, an invasive insect. Reservations are required.
• Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust is sponsoring an Owl Prowl at Blake Sanctuary in Rutland from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm on Saturday, March 25. Reservations are required.
• Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust is sponsoring an Owl Prowl at Verona Beach State Park from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm on Friday, April 7. Reservations are required.
• Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust is sponsoring a Tug Hill Explorer Backpack Program: Hey! What's that Bird? at the Didymus Thomas Memorial Library in Remsen, NY from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm on Tuesday, April 11. Reservations are required.
• Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust is sponsoring a Tug Hill Explorer Backpack Program: Hey! What's that Bird? at the Western Town Library in Westernville, NY from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm on Thursday, April 13. Reservations are required.
• Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust is sponsoring an Owl Prowl at Blake Sanctuary in Rutland from 7:15 pm - 8:30 pm on Friday, April 14. Reservations are required.
• Indian River Lakes Conservancy is sponsoring an Earth Day Clean-up at the Redwood Hill Preserve from 9:00 am - 11:00 am on Saturday, April 22. Registration required.
• Indian River Lakes Conservancy is sponsoring a Birds, Blossoms, & Bugs Hike at the Grand Lake Reserve from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm on Saturday, May 6. Registration required.
• Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust is sponsoring Early Bird registration for the 2023 BirdQuest--watching birds at bird feeders daily from May 15-19--education materials, bird food and bird feeders are available upon request. 
• Free Fishing Weekend throughout NYS on Saturday and Sunday, June 24 and 25 -- no NYS fishing license is required to fish these days in any waters in New York State. 
• Outdoor Adventure Day at Fort Drum will be from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm on Saturday, August 19.

REQUIREMENTS

• It is the responsibility of all Fort Drum Access Pass holders to know Fort Drum regulations. Fort Drum Regulation 420-3 Hunting, Fishing, & Other Outdoor Recreation ( Unofficial Version effective & updated 1 Aug 2022) is available.
• All recreationists must understand the life threatening hazards associated with touching unexploded ammunition that may be uncovered in the Training Area.  Recreationists who would like more information can view the Explosives Safety Education Program - Recognize, Retreat, & Report Unexploded Ordnance. 
• Recreation maps and brochures are available from the kiosk in front of the Natural Resources Outreach Facility (Bldg. S-2507) off of Rte. 26 across from the Army Reserve Center (between Great Bend and Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield). 
• The current iSportsman system is designed to be used with a computer or smart phone which works better than a regular phone. However, if you only have a phone, the Sportsman's Hotline number is: 1-855-267-9770. 

• Recreationists must check-in before recreating and check-out at the end of the day. Everyone will have to check into a specific area(s). Due to the number of incidences of recreationists entering closed areas and for a general safety procedure, all recreationists are required to check-in to an open subtraining area. You have the option to check-in to three areas at a time. If you want to change areas, you will have to check-out of the first areas and check-in again to the new areas. If you are recreating only along a road (e.g., birdwatching from the road, going for a drive, etc.) and not entering a subtraining area, there is the option of "Road Recreation."  You can now see what training areas are open by looking at the interactive map. 
• To check-in using a map, follow the directions below: 
  • Sign-in to your account and click the "Checkin/Checkout" button.
  • Follow the regular procedure: "Checkin" > When are you going? > Select Activity
  • At the "Select Area" screen, click the blue button "Show Map" -- an interactive map will load showing which areas are open or closed.
  • Click on up to 3 areas to select the area to checkin -- click on an area again to unselect
  • Click on the blue button "Next Areas (# Areas)"
  • Click "OK" to Confirm Area Selection 
  • Follow the regular procedure: Click "I Accept" confirming checkout is required and click "Confirm Checkin" and you are done. 
• Firearms in the Training Area no longer need to be registered. See Fort Drum Regulation 190-13 Physical Security (updated 1 Mar 2020) (Chapter 8: Privately Owned Weapons & Ammunition) for more information. (But you should keep your paperwork in a safe place if you have registered your firearm in the past.)
• First-time hunters must complete a NYSDEC Hunter, Bowhunters, and/or Trapper Education course before applying for a respective New York State license. An online option for Hunter Education classes is available.  Anyone 11 years of age and older can obtain a hunter education certificate either by completing the online course and virtual field day, passing the final exam, and paying a fee; or by attending an in-person, instructor-led course. 
• Below are links to the different classes offered that can be sorted by distance from a zip code location. 
  • Hunter Education
  • Bowhunter Education
  • Trapper Education
  • Waterfowl Hunter Identification  
• To add another vehicle to your account (or update other personal information), follow the directions below:
  • Once you are on your home account page, go to the blue navigation bar at the top and click on “My Account.”
  • On the drop-down menu, click on "Account Details"
  • Click on the blue button "Manage Account"
  • Go to the bottom for vehicle information and click on the “+ Add New” button
• Click here for the iSportsman User Guide

FISHING SEASONS on FORT DRUM

• Trout fishing season begins April 1, 2023.
• Northern Pike, Walleye, Pickerel, and Tiger Muskellunge  season begins May 1, 2023 
• Largemouth Bass & Smallmouth Bass season begins June 15, 2023.

HUNTING SEASONS on FORT DRUM

• Youth turkey hunting season is April 23 - 24, 2022 throughout NYS.
• Spring turkey hunting season is May 1 - May 31, 2022.
• Gray squirrel hunting season is September 1, 2022 - February 28, 2023.
• Canada goose (early) hunting season is September 1 - September 25, 2022.
• Crow hunting season is September 1, 2022 - March 31, 2023.
• Regular black bear hunting season is September 17 - December 4, 2022.
• Youth waterfowl hunting weekend is September 17 - 18, 2022.
• Ruffed grouse hunting season is September 20, 2022 - February 28, 2023.
• Early archery deer hunting season is September 27 - October 21, 2022.
• Fall turkey hunting season is October 1 - 14, 2022.
• Woodcock hunting season is October 1 - November 14, 2022.
• Cottontail rabbit and Snowshoe hare hunting season is October 1, 2022 - March 19, 2023.
• Snow goose hunting season is October 1, 2022 - April 15, 2023.
• Duck & Merganser (early) hunting season is October 1 - 23, 2022.
• Crossbow deer hunting season is October 12 - 21, 2022.
• Muzzleloading deer hunting season is October 15 - 21, 2022.
• Regular deer hunting season is October 22 - December 4, 2022.
• Canada goose (late) hunting season is October 22 - October 23 and October 29 - November 25, 2022.
• Duck & Merganser (late) hunting season is October 29 - December 4, 2022.
• Late archery deer and muzzeloading deer hunting seasons are December 5 - 11, 2022.

Fort Drum is a U.S. Army installation in northern New York State located in the northeastern corner of Jefferson County and the northwestern corner of Lewis County; St. Lawrence County borders Fort Drum to the north. Fort Drum is approximately 30 miles from Canada, 6 miles east of Interstate 81, and 10 miles northeast of the City of Watertown which is the largest U.S. city within a 50 mile radius.

Fort Drum is the largest Fish & Wildlife Management Act (FWMA) Cooperator Area in New York State. Fort Drum signed the original agreement in 1959 to provide additional outdoor recreational opportunities to the public. Fort Drum is over 108,000 acres in size with approximately 70,000 acres open to everyone (including the public) for recreation. Fort Drum has 3 lakes and 4 ponds totaling 506 acres that are commonly fished—Indian Lake (184 acres) is the largest lake on the installation.

Besides permanently prohibited areas, the only restricted access and activity on Fort Drum is hunting in the Cantonment Area and Training Areas 5E and 6C. Approximately one-third of the 8,000 acre Cantonment Area is open for archery hunting only by persons with Department of Defense identification. Training Areas 5E and 6C are open for disabled access hunting only. None of these areas are open for trapping, although fishing and other recreational activities are allowed in the Cantonment Area to anyone including the public.

The area surrounding Fort Drum is generally rural with small concentrations of residential, commercial, and industrial areas mainly within villages. Although there are few federal lands near Fort Drum, state lands are numerous including state forests, forest preserves, wildlife management areas, and state parks. The majority of protected land is large forested tracts (primarily state forests, wilderness areas, wild forests, and primitive areas) located in Adirondack Park which begins only 5 miles from Training Area 19 in the northeastern part of Fort Drum. State forest lands border some areas of Fort Drum. The nearest state wildlife area is Perch River Wildlife Management Area (7800 ac) approximately 5 miles to the northwest of the Cantonment Area of Fort Drum.