ALBANY (AP) - The regular deer and bear hunting seasons open at sunrise on Saturday, running through Sunday Dec. 7.

The Southern Zone season is New York’s most popular hunting season, with participation from about 85 percent of New York’s 550,000 licensed hunters.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation says harvest during this season accounts for nearly 60 percent of the total statewide deer kill and 30 to 60 percent of the bear kill.

In the Northern Zone, the regular deer and bear hunting season opened Oct. 25 and will close at sunset on Dec. 7. The Northern Zone generally includes the Adirondacks, Tug Hill Plateau, Eastern Lake Ontario Plain and the Champlain and St. Lawrence Valleys.