New York WMU 3F: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 3F covers 337 square miles in Dutchess County, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 735 deer here in 2025 (462 adult bucks and 273 antlerless deer) and 5 bears. 3.1% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (2,667 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 landMilitary (closed unless the base allows)WMU 3FNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 337 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Dutchess |
| Public land | 3.1% (6,717 acres) |
| DEC land | 1,867 acres: wildlife management area 1,867 |
| Wildlife management areas | Tivoli Bays WMA, Baxtertown Woods WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 735 (462 adult bucks, 273 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 1.4 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 5 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 3F?
DEC estimates 735 deer were taken in WMU 3F in 2025, up from 626 in 2024. 462 were adult bucks, 1.4 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 462 | 18 | 221 | 34 | 735 | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| 2024 | 410 | 19 | 177 | 20 | 626 | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| 2023 | 405 | 13 | 165 | 13 | 596 | 1.2 | 0.6 |
| 2022 | 349 | 13 | 179 | 13 | 554 | 1.1 | 0.6 |
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 3F?
DEC estimates 5 bears were taken in WMU 3F in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2024 | 2 |
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 3F?
| 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 |
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 3F?
3.1% of WMU 3F is public land: 6,717 of its 215,764 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 2,667 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 3F |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 2,667 | 1.2% |
| State park | 1,957 | 0.9% |
| National Park Service | 1,144 | 0.5% |
| Other state land | 949 | 0.4% |
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 3F, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 3F |
|---|---|
| Wildlife management area | 1,867 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 3F
| WMA | Acres in WMU 3F |
|---|---|
| Tivoli Bays WMA | 1,408 |
| Baxtertown Woods WMA | 249 |
Which WMUs border WMU 3F?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 3G | Southern | 3.6% | 1,133 | 669 | 18 |
| WMU 3J | Southern | 11.5% | 1,415 | 774 | 23 |
| WMU 3M | Southern | 6.7% | 4,862 | 2,435 | 93 |
| WMU 3N | Southern | 19.4% | 501 | 327 | 1 |
| WMU 4Y | Southern | 1.6% | 734 | 396 | 4 |
| WMU 4Z | Southern | 7.8% | 1,080 | 572 | 21 |
Highways crossing WMU 3F: US 9 (57 miles), US 44 (15 miles), NY 376 (15 miles), NY 55 (14 miles), NY 199 (13 miles) and NY 115 (12 miles). Towns inside: Poughkeepsie, Tivoli, Rhinebeck and Wappingers Falls.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 3F?
DEC estimates 735 deer were taken in WMU 3F in 2025: 462 adult bucks, 221 adult does and 52 fawns. In 2024 the total was 626. The 4-year average from 2022 is 628 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 3F in 2026?
WMU 3F 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 3F?
DEC estimates 5 bears were taken in WMU 3F in 2025, against 2 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 3F?
6,717 acres, 3.1% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 1,867 acres of DEC land here, the most of it wildlife management area (1,867 acres). Wildlife management areas: Tivoli Bays (1,408 acres here) and Baxtertown Woods (249 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 3F?
No. WMU 3F 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.