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New York WMU 3J: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land

New York's WMU 3J covers 368 square miles in Ulster, Greene and Orange counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 1,415 deer here in 2025 (774 adult bucks and 641 antlerless deer) and 23 bears. 11.5% of the WMU is public land, the largest share state park (24,347 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.

Map of New York WMU 3J: public land by manager, neighboring WMUs 3C, 3F, 3H, 3M, 4S, 4T and 4Y, highways I-87, NY 32, NY 55 and US 44 and Ellenville, Kingston and Catskill

DEC landState parkNational wildlife refugeNational Park ServiceOther state landWMU 3JNeighboring WMUsHighway

WMU 3J at a glance
ZoneSouthern Zone
Size368 square miles (DEC)
CountiesUlster, Greene and Orange
Public land11.5% (27,092 acres)
DEC land1,871 acres: state forest 1,374, wildlife management area 299 and Forest Preserve 198
Wildlife management areasGreat Vly WMA
Deer harvested, 20251,415 (774 adult bucks, 641 antlerless)
Bucks per square mile, 20252.2 (DEC)
Bears harvested, 202523
Regular firearms deer, 2026November 21 to December 13
Deer Management Permits, 2026By application (see DEC)

How many deer are harvested in WMU 3J?

DEC estimates 1,415 deer were taken in WMU 3J in 2025, down from 1,494 in 2024. 774 were adult bucks, 2.2 for every square mile.

YearAdult bucksBuck fawnsAdult doesDoe fawnsTotalBucks per sq miAntlerless per sq mi
202577457506781,4152.21.8
202482166537701,4942.31.9
202369142362401,1351.91.2
202269747450411,23521.5

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.

How many bears are taken in WMU 3J?

DEC estimates 23 bears were taken in WMU 3J in 2025. WMU 3J is one of the 11 Southern Zone WMUs with an early bear season, September 12 to 27, 2026.

YearBears
202523
202418

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 3J?

SeasonDates, 2026
Deer, early bowhunting (most of the zone)October 1 to November 20
Deer, regular firearmsNovember 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 seasonSeptember 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 3J?

11.5% of WMU 3J is public land: 27,092 of its 235,626 acres. The largest share is state park, 24,347 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of WMU 3J
State park24,34710.3%
DEC land2,0700.9%
National wildlife refuge5990.3%
Other state land76under 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 3J, by kind

Kind of DEC landAcres in WMU 3J
State forest1,374
Wildlife management area299
Forest Preserve198

Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.

Wildlife management areas in WMU 3J

WMAAcres in WMU 3J
Great Vly WMA202

Which WMUs border WMU 3J?

WMUZonePublic landDeer, 2025Adult bucks, 2025Bears, 2025
WMU 3CSouthern14.4%1,10065966
WMU 3FSouthern3.1%7354625
WMU 3HSouthern0.9%3,1441,79552
WMU 3MSouthern6.7%4,8622,43593
WMU 4SSouthern1.7%1,07459010
WMU 4TSouthern5%6883291
WMU 4YSouthern1.6%7343964

Highways crossing WMU 3J: I-87 (56 miles), NY 32 (35 miles), NY 55 (24 miles), US 44 (23 miles), NY 213 (18 miles) and US 209 (14 miles). Towns inside: Ellenville, Kingston, Catskill and Saugerties.

Questions hunters ask

How many deer are harvested in WMU 3J?

DEC estimates 1,415 deer were taken in WMU 3J in 2025: 774 adult bucks, 506 adult does and 135 fawns. In 2024 the total was 1,494. The 4-year average from 2022 is 1,320 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.

When is deer season in WMU 3J in 2026?

WMU 3J 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 3J?

DEC estimates 23 bears were taken in WMU 3J in 2025, against 18 in 2024. WMU 3J has DEC's early bear season, September 12 to 27, 2026.

How much public land is in WMU 3J?

27,092 acres, 11.5% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 1,871 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (1,374 acres). Wildlife management areas: Great Vly (202 acres here).

Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 3J?

No. WMU 3J 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

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.

New York hunting WMU 3C WMU 3F WMU 3H WMU 3M WMU 4S WMU 4T WMU 4Y