New York WMU 3A: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 3A covers 691 square miles in Ulster, Greene, Sullivan and Delaware counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 974 deer here in 2025 (818 adult bucks and 156 antlerless deer) and 95 bears. 50.4% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (223,011 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 Park ServiceOther state landWMU 3ANeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 691 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Ulster, Greene, Sullivan and Delaware |
| Public land | 50.4% (223,045 acres) |
| DEC land | 222,855 acres: Forest Preserve 222,808 and wildlife management area 47 |
| Wildlife management areas | Vinegar Hill WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 974 (818 adult bucks, 156 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 1.2 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 95 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 3A?
DEC estimates 974 deer were taken in WMU 3A in 2025, up from 953 in 2024. 818 were adult bucks, 1.2 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 818 | 14 | 128 | 14 | 974 | 1.2 | 0.2 |
| 2024 | 797 | 9 | 138 | 9 | 953 | 1.1 | 0.2 |
| 2023 | 783 | 10 | 102 | 6 | 901 | 1.1 | 0.2 |
| 2022 | 715 | 15 | 169 | 16 | 915 | 1 | 0.3 |
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.
How many bears are taken in WMU 3A?
DEC estimates 95 bears were taken in WMU 3A in 2025. WMU 3A is one of the 11 Southern Zone WMUs with an early bear season, September 12 to 27, 2026.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 95 |
| 2024 | 56 |
Sources: DEC 2025 Bear Harvest Summary; DEC 2024 Bear Harvest Summary. DEC's 2023 summary is not online, and its earlier tables are laid out too differently to read reliably, so they are left out.
When are the 2026 seasons in WMU 3A?
| 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 |
| Bear, early season | September 12 to 27 |
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 3A?
50.4% of WMU 3A is public land: 223,045 of its 442,280 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 223,011 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 3A |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 223,011 | 50.4% |
| Other state land | 34 | 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 3A, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 3A |
|---|---|
| Forest Preserve | 222,808 |
| Wildlife management area | 47 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 3A
| WMA | Acres in WMU 3A |
|---|---|
| Vinegar Hill WMA | 46 |
Which WMUs border WMU 3A?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 3C | Southern | 14.4% | 1,100 | 659 | 66 |
| WMU 3H | Southern | 0.9% | 3,144 | 1,795 | 52 |
| WMU 4P | Southern | 2% | 1,338 | 837 | 30 |
| WMU 4R | Southern | 9.4% | 1,083 | 668 | 57 |
| WMU 4S | Southern | 1.7% | 1,074 | 590 | 10 |
| WMU 4W | Southern | 15.3% | 1,471 | 949 | 60 |
Highways crossing WMU 3A: NY 28 (17 miles), NY 23A (16 miles), NY 214 (12 miles), NY 212 (12 miles), NY 42 (7 miles) and NY 296 (3 miles). Towns inside: Hunter and Tannersville.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 3A?
DEC estimates 974 deer were taken in WMU 3A in 2025: 818 adult bucks, 128 adult does and 28 fawns. In 2024 the total was 953. The 4-year average from 2022 is 936 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 3A in 2026?
WMU 3A 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.
How many bears are taken in WMU 3A?
DEC estimates 95 bears were taken in WMU 3A in 2025, against 56 in 2024. WMU 3A has DEC's early bear season, September 12 to 27, 2026.
How much public land is in WMU 3A?
223,045 acres, 50.4% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 222,855 acres of DEC land here, the most of it Forest Preserve (222,808 acres). Wildlife management areas: Vinegar Hill (46 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 3A?
No. WMU 3A is not among the 23 WMUs with unlimited DMPs in 2026; DMPs there are issued through DEC's application. A reported antlerless deer on any antlerless tag still earns a second antlered deer tag.
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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.