New York WMU 4B: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 4B covers 162 square miles in Albany and Schenectady counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 890 deer here in 2025 (464 adult bucks and 426 antlerless deer) and 1 bears. 1.8% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (1,015 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 parkOther state landMilitary (closed unless the base allows)WMU 4BNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 162 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Albany and Schenectady |
| Public land | 1.8% (1,845 acres) |
| DEC land | 1,128 acres: wildlife management area 1,128 |
| Wildlife management areas | Black Creek Marsh WMA, Coeymans Creek WMA, Louise E. Keir WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 890 (464 adult bucks, 426 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 2.9 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 1 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 4B?
DEC estimates 890 deer were taken in WMU 4B in 2025, up from 788 in 2024. 464 were adult bucks, 2.9 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 464 | 39 | 331 | 56 | 890 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
| 2024 | 439 | 32 | 282 | 35 | 788 | 2.7 | 2.2 |
| 2023 | 344 | 31 | 252 | 32 | 659 | 2.1 | 2 |
| 2022 | 419 | 37 | 326 | 32 | 814 | 2.6 | 2.4 |
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 4B?
DEC estimates 1 bears were taken in WMU 4B in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2024 | 3 |
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 4B?
| 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 4B?
1.8% of WMU 4B is public land: 1,845 of its 103,730 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 1,015 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 4B |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 1,015 | 1% |
| Other state land | 645 | 0.6% |
| State park | 185 | 0.2% |
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 4B, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 4B |
|---|---|
| Wildlife management area | 1,128 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 4B
| WMA | Acres in WMU 4B |
|---|---|
| Black Creek Marsh WMA | 632 |
| Coeymans Creek WMA | 363 |
| Louise E. Keir WMA | 188 |
Which WMUs border WMU 4B?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 4A | Southern | 3.1% | 1,865 | 1,144 | 3 |
| WMU 4H | Southern | 7.3% | 1,781 | 1,139 | 20 |
| WMU 4J | Southern | 3.5% | 544 | 296 | 2 |
| WMU 4K | Southern | 0.1% | 1,218 | 651 | 15 |
| WMU 4S | Southern | 1.7% | 1,074 | 590 | 10 |
| WMU 4T | Southern | 5% | 688 | 329 | 1 |
| WMU 5R | Southern | 3.3% | 1,745 | 850 | 0 |
Highways crossing WMU 4B: I-87 (20 miles), NY 7 (16 miles), I-890 (16 miles), NY 146 (13 miles), I-90 (13 miles) and NY 144 (10 miles). Towns inside: Schenectady, Voorheesville, Ravena and Altamont.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 4B?
DEC estimates 890 deer were taken in WMU 4B in 2025: 464 adult bucks, 331 adult does and 95 fawns. In 2024 the total was 788. The 4-year average from 2022 is 788 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 4B in 2026?
WMU 4B 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 4B?
DEC estimates 1 bears were taken in WMU 4B in 2025, against 3 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 4B?
1,845 acres, 1.8% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 1,128 acres of DEC land here, the most of it wildlife management area (1,128 acres). Wildlife management areas: Black Creek Marsh (632 acres here), Coeymans Creek (363 acres here) and Louise E. Keir (188 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 4B?
No. WMU 4B 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.
New York hunting WMU 4A WMU 4H WMU 4J WMU 4K WMU 4S WMU 4T WMU 5R