New York WMU 3C: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 3C covers 329 square miles in Ulster, Greene and Sullivan counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 1,100 deer here in 2025 (659 adult bucks and 441 antlerless deer) and 66 bears. 14.4% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (30,298 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 3CNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 329 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Ulster, Greene and Sullivan |
| Public land | 14.4% (30,298 acres) |
| DEC land | 31,468 acres: Forest Preserve 27,704, state forest 3,721 and multiple use area 43 |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 1,100 (659 adult bucks, 441 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 2.1 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 66 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 3C?
DEC estimates 1,100 deer were taken in WMU 3C in 2025, up from 1,090 in 2024. 659 were adult bucks, 2.1 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 659 | 37 | 349 | 55 | 1,100 | 2.1 | 1.4 |
| 2024 | 676 | 35 | 340 | 39 | 1,090 | 2.1 | 1.3 |
| 2023 | 717 | 36 | 258 | 30 | 1,041 | 2.3 | 1 |
| 2022 | 756 | 28 | 289 | 25 | 1,098 | 2.4 | 1.1 |
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 3C?
DEC estimates 66 bears were taken in WMU 3C in 2025. WMU 3C is one of the 11 Southern Zone WMUs with an early bear season, September 12 to 27, 2026.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 66 |
| 2024 | 45 |
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 3C?
| 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 3C?
14.4% of WMU 3C is public land: 30,298 of its 210,505 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 30,298 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 3C |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 30,298 | 14.4% |
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 3C, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 3C |
|---|---|
| Forest Preserve | 27,704 |
| State forest | 3,721 |
| Multiple use area | 43 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Which WMUs border WMU 3C?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 3A | Southern | 50.4% | 974 | 818 | 95 |
| WMU 3H | Southern | 0.9% | 3,144 | 1,795 | 52 |
| WMU 3J | Southern | 11.5% | 1,415 | 774 | 23 |
| WMU 4S | Southern | 1.7% | 1,074 | 590 | 10 |
Highways crossing WMU 3C: I-87 (21 miles), NY 28 (20 miles), US 209 (20 miles), NY 28A (18 miles), NY 55 (10 miles) and NY 213 (9 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 3C?
DEC estimates 1,100 deer were taken in WMU 3C in 2025: 659 adult bucks, 349 adult does and 92 fawns. In 2024 the total was 1,090. The 4-year average from 2022 is 1,082 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 3C in 2026?
WMU 3C 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 3C?
DEC estimates 66 bears were taken in WMU 3C in 2025, against 45 in 2024. WMU 3C has DEC's early bear season, September 12 to 27, 2026.
How much public land is in WMU 3C?
30,298 acres, 14.4% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 31,468 acres of DEC land here, the most of it Forest Preserve (27,704 acres).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 3C?
No. WMU 3C 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.