Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area: hunting, parking and access
Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area is 50,000 acres (DEC) managed by DEC in the towns of Victory, Conquest, Mentz, Montezuma, Cayuga County; Towns of Butler, Savannah, Wayne County; Town of Seneca Falls, Seneca County, in WMUs 8F and 8J (Southern Zone). DEC lists 17 parking areas with coordinates.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: DEC's page for Northern Montezuma WMA, read 2026-10-18. Boundary: DEC GIS.
DEC landState parkNational wildlife refugeOther state landNorthern Montezuma WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 50,000 acres (DEC) |
|---|---|
| Location (DEC) | Towns of Victory, Conquest, Mentz, Montezuma, Cayuga County; Towns of Butler, Savannah, Wayne County; Town of Seneca Falls, Seneca County |
| WMU | WMU 8F, WMU 8J |
| Zone | Southern Zone |
| DEC region | Region 8 |
| Open | Year-round |
| Fee | Free |
| Parking areas (DEC) | 17 |
| Activities DEC lists | Hiking, Hunting, Trapping, Freshwater Fishing and Watchable Wildlife |
| Nearest towns | Savannah (next to it), Cayuga (next to it) and Port Byron (2 mi) |
Where do you park at Northern Montezuma WMA?
DEC lists 17 parking areas for Northern Montezuma WMA:
| DEC's description | Latitude, longitude |
|---|---|
| Morgan Road, at Northern Montezuma WMA field office | 43.06789, -76.71876 |
| Cotten Road, Turtle Pond | 43.11613, -76.76317 |
| Route 89, Colvin East parking lot | 43.08920, -76.76186 |
| Route 89, Audubon Center; Crusoe Creek Access parking lot | 43.08902, -76.76237 |
| Frost Hill Road, Recckio Pond | 43.10584, -76.70396 |
| Route 274 | 43.09929, -76.71287 |
| Route 274 | 43.08817, -76.71226 |
| Hunters Home Road, temp lot for Howland's Island | 43.07850, -76.68988 |
| Route 38 | 43.08485, -76.70938 |
| Route 274 | 43.08485, -76.70938 |
| E Tyre Road | 42.97422, -76.78391 |
| Route 89 | 42.97061, -76.77138 |
| Route 271 | 43.13025, -76.77661 |
| Route 89, Audubon Center | 43.08521, -76.76057 |
| Railroad Road | 43.05687, -76.72940 |
| East Road | 43.01153, -76.75877 |
| Route 274 | 43.07369, -76.73915 |
From DEC's page for Northern Montezuma WMA.
What can you hunt on Northern Montezuma WMA, and when?
DEC's map of hunting on DEC-managed lands marks the area open to hunting. DEC lists these activities for the area: hiking, hunting, trapping, freshwater fishing and watchable wildlife. Hunting on a WMA follows the seasons of the WMU the ground is in. In WMU 8F, the 2026 regular firearms deer season runs November 21 to December 13. WMU 8F also has the early antlerless season, September 12 to 20.
| WMU | WMA acres in it | Deer harvested (whole WMU) | Adult bucks | Bears (whole WMU) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 8F | 7,898 | 5,893 (2025) | 2,610 | 0 (2025) |
| WMU 8J | 184 | 4,910 (2025) | 2,269 | 1 (2025) |
Harvest: DEC 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; DEC 2025 Bear Harvest Summary. Seasons: DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October.
DEC's plans for the area: a Habitat Management Plan approved February 2020.
What DEC says about each activity here
- Hunting. "The great diversity of habitats at Northern Montezuma WMA provide excellent opportunities for both large and small game hunting."
- Trapping. "Plentiful trapping opportunities are available at Northern Montezuma WMA, largely due to the extensive wetland and wooded habitat here."
- Freshwater Fishing. "Most fishing opportunities at Northern Montezuma WMA occur along the Seneca River, NYS Canal System, and Crusoe Creek."
- Watchable Wildlife. "On Northern Montezuma WMA, emergent marshes and impoundments, forested wetlands, old fields, meadows, farm fields, and woodlands provide a diversity of habitats for wildlife and public use."
From DEC's page for Northern Montezuma WMA.
How do you get to Northern Montezuma WMA?
Highways within five miles: I-90, NY 89, NY 31, NY 414, NY 38 and NY 5. Nearest towns: Savannah (next to it), Cayuga (next to it), Port Byron (2 miles) and Seneca Falls (2 miles). State land nearby, as DEC names it: Cayuga Lake State Park, Galen WMA, Canoga Marsh WMA and Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge.
Which other WMAs are near Northern Montezuma?
| WMA | Miles away (straight line) | WMU | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galen WMA | 11 | 8J | 771 |
| Canoga Marsh WMA | 15 | 8J | 104 |
| Lake Shore Marshes WMA | 16 | 8F | 6,179 |
| Three Rivers WMA | 20 | 7F | 3,607 |
| Peter Scott Swamp WMA | 24 | 7A | 403 |
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Northern Montezuma WMA?
Yes. DEC's map of hunting on DEC-managed lands marks it open to hunting. Northern Montezuma WMA lies in WMUs 8F and 8J, and seasons follow the WMU's: in 2026 the regular firearms deer season there runs November 21 to December 13.
Where do you park at Northern Montezuma WMA?
DEC lists 17 parking areas: Morgan Road, at Northern Montezuma WMA field office (43.0679, -76.7188), Cotten Road, Turtle Pond (43.1161, -76.7632) and Route 89, Colvin East parking lot (43.0892, -76.7619), and more in the table on this page.
What WMU is Northern Montezuma WMA in?
Northern Montezuma WMA lies across WMU 8F (7,898 acres) and WMU 8J (184 acres).
What is the nearest town to Northern Montezuma WMA?
Savannah, next to the area, by the Census map of places. Cayuga is also next to it.
How big is Northern Montezuma WMA?
DEC gives 50,000 acres.
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Where these facts come from
- Area facts, habitat, parking and plans: DEC, Northern Montezuma WMA.
- Boundary: DEC Wildlife Management Areas. Public land around it: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1). Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
- WMU harvest: DEC 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; DEC 2025 Bear Harvest Summary. Seasons: DEC, 2026-27 early big game hunting seasons in September; DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October.
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