New York WMU 1C: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 1C covers 919 square miles in Suffolk County, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 3,765 deer here in 2025 (1,761 adult bucks and 2,004 antlerless deer). 7.9% of the WMU is public land, the largest share state park (21,392 acres), by the USGS Protected Areas Database.
Data updated October 2026. Deer: DEC 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Bears: DEC 2025 Bear Harvest Summary. Seasons: DEC's September and October 2026 releases. Land: PAD-US 4.1 and DEC Lands.
DEC landState parkNational wildlife refugeNational Park ServiceOther state landWMU 1CNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 919 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Suffolk |
| Public land | 7.9% (46,182 acres) |
| DEC land | 16,073 acres: state forest 15,266 and unique area 807 |
| Wildlife management areas | Otis Pike Preserve WMA, David A. Sarnoff Preserve WMA, Henry's Hollow WMA, Kings Park WMA and 1 more |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 3,765 (1,761 adult bucks, 2,004 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 1.9 (DEC) |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | Unlimited, with a bonus permit for each reported antlerless deer |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 1C?
DEC estimates 3,765 deer were taken in WMU 1C in 2025, up from 2,973 in 2024. 1,761 were adult bucks, 1.9 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,761 | 363 | 1,296 | 345 | 3,765 | 1.9 | 2.2 |
| 2024 | 1,426 | 180 | 1,049 | 318 | 2,973 | 1.6 | 1.7 |
| 2023 | 1,190 | 221 | 871 | 355 | 2,637 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
| 2022 | 1,310 | 254 | 862 | 274 | 2,700 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
Sources: DEC 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; DEC 2024 Deer Harvest Summary; DEC 2023 Deer Harvest Summary; DEC 2022 Deer Harvest Summary. DEC adds the harvest reports hunters file to its checks of deer at processors; these are its estimates.
When are the 2026 seasons in WMU 1C?
| Season | Dates, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Deer, early bowhunting (most of the zone) | October 1 to November 20 |
| Deer, regular firearms | November 21 to December 13 |
| Youth firearms big game hunt (ages 12 to 15) | October 10 to 12 |
| Bear, early bowhunting (most of the zone) | October 1 to November 20 |
| Deer, early antlerless season (DMP or DMAP tags only), bows and crossbows only | September 12 to 20 |
Sources: DEC, 2026-27 early big game hunting seasons in September; DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October. The Southern Zone regular season dates follow DEC's rule: it opens the third Saturday of November and runs 23 days. DEC's 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Guide has every late bow and muzzleloader season; check DEC's seasons page before you go.
How much public land is in WMU 1C?
7.9% of WMU 1C is public land: 46,182 of its 588,036 acres. The largest share is state park, 21,392 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 1C |
|---|---|---|
| State park | 21,392 | 3.6% |
| DEC land | 18,224 | 3.1% |
| National wildlife refuge | 3,020 | 0.5% |
| National Park Service | 2,721 | 0.5% |
| Other state land | 825 | 0.1% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 89 | under 0.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside DEC's WMU boundary from USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1). DEC land takes in the Forest Preserve, state forests and WMAs. Hunting is allowed on most of it; state parks, refuges and Park Service land allow it only in places.
DEC land in WMU 1C, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 1C |
|---|---|
| State forest | 15,266 |
| Unique area | 807 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 1C
| WMA | Acres in WMU 1C |
|---|---|
| Otis Pike Preserve WMA | 7,215 |
| David A. Sarnoff Preserve WMA | 3,808 |
| Henry's Hollow WMA | 277 |
| Kings Park WMA | 85 |
| Havens Point WMA | 72 |
Which WMUs border WMU 1C?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 1A | Southern | 3% |
Highways crossing WMU 1C: NY 27 (149 miles), NY 25 (81 miles), I-495 (80 miles), NY 25A (51 miles), NY 454 (28 miles) and NY 110 (27 miles). Towns inside: Lloyd Harbor, Southampton, East Hampton and Sagaponack.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 1C?
DEC estimates 3,765 deer were taken in WMU 1C in 2025: 1,761 adult bucks, 1,296 adult does and 708 fawns. In 2024 the total was 2,973. The 4-year average from 2022 is 3,019 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 1C in 2026?
WMU 1C is in the Southern Zone: early bowhunting October 1 to November 20 in most of the zone, then the regular firearms season from November 21 to December 13, 2026. It also has the early antlerless season, September 12 to 20.
How much public land is in WMU 1C?
46,182 acres, 7.9% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 16,073 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (15,266 acres). Wildlife management areas: Otis Pike Preserve (7,215 acres here), David A. Sarnoff Preserve (3,808 acres here), Henry's Hollow (277 acres here) and Kings Park (85 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 1C?
Yes. WMU 1C is one of 23 WMUs with unlimited DMPs in 2026: anyone who applies gets one, and each reported antlerless deer brings a bonus DMP (DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October).
Get a New York hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for New York are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, New York included.
Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: DEC 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; DEC 2024 Deer Harvest Summary; DEC 2023 Deer Harvest Summary; DEC 2022 Deer Harvest Summary. Bears: DEC 2025 Bear Harvest Summary; DEC 2024 Bear Harvest Summary.
- Seasons, DMPs and Earn-a-2nd-Buck: DEC, 2026-27 early big game hunting seasons in September; DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October.
- WMU boundary: DEC Wildlife Management Units. DEC land: DEC Lands. WMAs: DEC Wildlife Management Areas. Public land: 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.
FilledTag is not part of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Numbers are copied from DEC and federal sources, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.