New York WMU 3M: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 3M covers 742 square miles in Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 4,862 deer here in 2025 (2,435 adult bucks and 2,427 antlerless deer) and 93 bears. 6.7% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (16,578 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 3MNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 742 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Orange, Ulster and Sullivan |
| Public land | 6.7% (31,637 acres) |
| DEC land | 16,814 acres: state forest 13,368, wildlife management area 3,086 and unique area 159 |
| Wildlife management areas | Bashakill WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 4,862 (2,435 adult bucks, 2,427 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 3.3 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 93 |
| 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 3M?
DEC estimates 4,862 deer were taken in WMU 3M in 2025, down from 4,931 in 2024. 2,435 were adult bucks, 3.3 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,435 | 230 | 1,903 | 294 | 4,862 | 3.3 | 3.2 |
| 2024 | 2,570 | 239 | 1,872 | 250 | 4,931 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
| 2023 | 2,190 | 202 | 1,759 | 208 | 4,359 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| 2022 | 2,199 | 271 | 2,180 | 237 | 4,887 | 2.9 | 3.6 |
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 3M?
DEC estimates 93 bears were taken in WMU 3M in 2025. WMU 3M is one of the 11 Southern Zone WMUs with an early bear season, September 12 to 27, 2026.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 93 |
| 2024 | 92 |
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 3M?
| 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) | September 12 to 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 3M?
6.7% of WMU 3M is public land: 31,637 of its 475,384 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 16,578 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 3M |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 16,578 | 3.5% |
| State park | 9,168 | 1.9% |
| Other state land | 3,737 | 0.8% |
| National Park Service | 1,844 | 0.4% |
| National wildlife refuge | 310 | 0.1% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 270 | 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 3M, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 3M |
|---|---|
| State forest | 13,368 |
| Wildlife management area | 3,086 |
| Unique area | 159 |
| Forest Preserve | 118 |
| Multiple use area | 83 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 3M
| WMA | Acres in WMU 3M |
|---|---|
| Bashakill WMA | 3,086 |
Which WMUs border WMU 3M?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 3F | Southern | 3.1% | 735 | 462 | 5 |
| WMU 3H | Southern | 0.9% | 3,144 | 1,795 | 52 |
| WMU 3J | Southern | 11.5% | 1,415 | 774 | 23 |
| WMU 3K | Southern | 6.7% | 1,394 | 869 | 60 |
| WMU 3N | Southern | 19.4% | 501 | 327 | 1 |
| WMU 3P | Southern | 33.4% | 427 | 254 | 9 |
Highways crossing WMU 3M: I-84 (81 miles), NY 17 (57 miles), I-86 (48 miles), US 6 (45 miles), I-87 (44 miles) and NY 94 (33 miles). Towns inside: Middletown, South Blooming Grove, Newburgh and Goshen.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 3M?
DEC estimates 4,862 deer were taken in WMU 3M in 2025: 2,435 adult bucks, 1,903 adult does and 524 fawns. In 2024 the total was 4,931. The 4-year average from 2022 is 4,760 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 3M in 2026?
WMU 3M 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 many bears are taken in WMU 3M?
DEC estimates 93 bears were taken in WMU 3M in 2025, against 92 in 2024. WMU 3M has DEC's early bear season, September 12 to 27, 2026.
How much public land is in WMU 3M?
31,637 acres, 6.7% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 16,814 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (13,368 acres). Wildlife management areas: Bashakill (3,086 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 3M?
Yes. WMU 3M 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).
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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.