Willard Wildlife Management Area: hunting, parking and access
Willard Wildlife Management Area is 154 acres (DEC) managed by DEC in the town of Ovid, Seneca County, in WMU 8S (Southern Zone). DEC lists 2 parking areas with coordinates.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: DEC's page for Willard WMA, read 2026-10-18. Boundary: DEC GIS.
DEC landState parkWillard WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 154 acres (DEC) |
|---|---|
| Location (DEC) | Town of Ovid, Seneca County |
| WMU | WMU 8S |
| Zone | Southern Zone |
| DEC region | Region 8 |
| Open | Year-round |
| Fee | Free |
| Parking areas (DEC) | 2 |
| Activities DEC lists | Hiking, Hunting, Trapping, Freshwater Fishing and Watchable Wildlife |
| Nearest towns | Ovid (2 mi), Lodi (3 mi) and Dresden (5 mi) |
Where do you park at Willard WMA?
DEC lists 2 parking areas for Willard WMA:
| DEC's description | Latitude, longitude |
|---|---|
| Willard WMA west parking lot | 42.66020, -76.86780 |
| Willard WMA east parking lot | 42.66200, -76.84970 |
From DEC's page for Willard WMA.
What can you hunt on Willard 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 8S, the 2026 regular firearms deer season runs November 21 to December 13. WMU 8S 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 8S | 154 | 2,693 (2025) | 1,236 | 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 December 2020.
What DEC says about each activity here
- Hiking. "Please stay on the designated trails to protect the diversity and richness of the plant communities found within this area."
- Hunting. "Deer, cottontail rabbit, and squirrel are the main wildlife game species on the WMA."
- Trapping. "Deer, cottontail rabbit, and squirrel are the main wildlife game species on the WMA."
- Watchable Wildlife. "Willard WMA supports grassland-dependent birds, including breeding songbirds and wintering raptors such as Northern Harrier and Short-eared Owl."
From DEC's page for Willard WMA.
How do you get to Willard WMA?
Highways within five miles: NY 96A, NY 414, NY 96 and NY 14. Nearest towns: Ovid (2 miles), Lodi (3 miles), Dresden (5 miles) and Romulus (6 miles).
Which other WMAs are near Willard?
| WMA | Miles away (straight line) | WMU | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cayuga Shores WMA | 12 | 7H | 287 |
| Canoga Marsh WMA | 15 | 8J | 104 |
| Waneta-Lamoka WMA | 20 | 8W | 165 |
| Catharine Creek WMA | 20 | 8S | 1,000 |
| Connecticut Hill WMA | 23 | 7R | 11,237 |
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Willard WMA?
Yes. DEC's map of hunting on DEC-managed lands marks it open to hunting. Willard WMA lies in WMU 8S, 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 Willard WMA?
DEC lists 2 parking areas: Willard WMA west parking lot (42.6602, -76.8678) and Willard WMA east parking lot (42.6620, -76.8497).
What WMU is Willard WMA in?
All of Willard WMA is in WMU 8S. DEC estimates 2,693 deer were taken in the whole WMU in 2025.
What is the nearest town to Willard WMA?
Ovid, about 2 miles away, by the Census map of places. Lodi is 3 miles away.
How big is Willard WMA?
DEC gives 154 acres.
Get a New York hunt plan when they open
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Where these facts come from
- Area facts, habitat, parking and plans: DEC, Willard 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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