The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced this week that hunters can now use electronic tags (e-tags) through the HuntFishNY mobile app as an alternative to traditional paper tags. Those using e-tags won’t need to attach a physical tag to deer, bear, or turkey as long as they keep the carcass with them. For those still using paper tags, the DEC has tightened the reporting deadline from seven days to 48 hours to encourage prompt reporting and improve enforcement. Youth hunters ages 12 to 15 who harvest a deer during the Youth Big Game Hunt weekend can now qualify for a bonus tag. If they don’t already hold a Deer Management Permit, they’ll receive an extra regular season tag valid for a deer of the opposite sex from their youth hunt harvest.