New York WMU 3S: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 3S covers 475 square miles in Westchester County, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 859 deer here in 2025 (507 adult bucks and 352 antlerless deer) and 1 bears. 1.5% of the WMU is public land, the largest share state park (3,890 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 3SNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 475 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Westchester |
| Public land | 1.5% (4,599 acres) |
| DEC land | 342 acres: state forest 323 and unique area 19 |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 859 (507 adult bucks, 352 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 1.2 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 1 |
| 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 3S?
DEC estimates 859 deer were taken in WMU 3S in 2025, up from 850 in 2024. 507 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 | 507 | 60 | 245 | 47 | 859 | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| 2024 | 490 | 37 | 257 | 66 | 850 | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| 2023 | 501 | 47 | 206 | 76 | 830 | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| 2022 | 526 | 57 | 201 | 57 | 841 | 1.2 | 0.7 |
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 3S?
DEC estimates 1 bears were taken in WMU 3S in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
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 3S?
| 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), bows and crossbows only | September 12 to 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 3S?
1.5% of WMU 3S is public land: 4,599 of its 304,546 acres. The largest share is state park, 3,890 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 3S |
|---|---|---|
| State park | 3,890 | 1.3% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 1,560 | 0.5% |
| DEC land | 453 | 0.1% |
| Other state land | 250 | 0.1% |
| National Park Service | 6 | 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 3S, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 3S |
|---|---|
| State forest | 323 |
| Unique area | 19 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Which WMUs border WMU 3S?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 2A | Southern | 4.3% | |||
| WMU 3N | Southern | 19.4% | 501 | 327 | 1 |
| WMU 3P | Southern | 33.4% | 427 | 254 | 9 |
| WMU 3R | Southern | 36.6% | 364 | 255 | 2 |
Highways crossing WMU 3S: I-684 (48 miles), NY 22 (45 miles), US 9 (33 miles), NY 100 (32 miles), I-87 (30 miles) and I-287 (29 miles). Towns inside: Yonkers, Harrison, New Rochelle and White Plains.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 3S?
DEC estimates 859 deer were taken in WMU 3S in 2025: 507 adult bucks, 245 adult does and 107 fawns. In 2024 the total was 850. The 4-year average from 2022 is 845 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 3S in 2026?
WMU 3S 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 3S?
DEC estimates 1 bears were taken in WMU 3S in 2025, against 0 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 3S?
4,599 acres, 1.5% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 342 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (323 acres).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 3S?
Yes. WMU 3S 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.