New York WMU 4G: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 4G covers 366 square miles in Schoharie and Albany counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 1,768 deer here in 2025 (1,018 adult bucks and 750 antlerless deer) and 22 bears. 12% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (27,481 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 parkWMU 4GNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 366 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Schoharie and Albany |
| Public land | 12% (28,016 acres) |
| DEC land | 27,435 acres: state forest 27,070, wildlife management area 226 and unique area 139 |
| Wildlife management areas | Franklinton Vlaie WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 1,768 (1,018 adult bucks, 750 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 2.7 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 22 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 4G?
DEC estimates 1,768 deer were taken in WMU 4G in 2025, up from 1,634 in 2024. 1,018 were adult bucks, 2.7 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,018 | 68 | 588 | 94 | 1,768 | 2.7 | 2 |
| 2024 | 939 | 65 | 563 | 67 | 1,634 | 2.5 | 1.9 |
| 2023 | 920 | 65 | 569 | 66 | 1,620 | 2.5 | 1.9 |
| 2022 | 1,028 | 72 | 685 | 70 | 1,855 | 2.8 | 2.2 |
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 4G?
DEC estimates 22 bears were taken in WMU 4G in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 22 |
| 2024 | 31 |
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 4G?
| 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 4G?
12% of WMU 4G is public land: 28,016 of its 234,291 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 27,481 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 4G |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 27,481 | 11.7% |
| State park | 535 | 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 4G, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 4G |
|---|---|
| State forest | 27,070 |
| Wildlife management area | 226 |
| Unique area | 139 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 4G
| WMA | Acres in WMU 4G |
|---|---|
| Franklinton Vlaie WMA | 226 |
Which WMUs border WMU 4G?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 4A | Southern | 3.1% | 1,865 | 1,144 | 3 |
| WMU 4F | Southern | 4.1% | 5,439 | 3,143 | 16 |
| WMU 4H | Southern | 7.3% | 1,781 | 1,139 | 20 |
| WMU 4O | Southern | 4.8% | 2,705 | 1,778 | 58 |
| WMU 4P | Southern | 2% | 1,338 | 837 | 30 |
| WMU 4R | Southern | 9.4% | 1,083 | 668 | 57 |
Highways crossing WMU 4G: I-88 (40 miles), NY 30 (29 miles), NY 10 (20 miles), NY 145 (14 miles), NY 7 (13 miles) and NY 443 (9 miles). Towns inside: Schoharie, Stamford and Middleburgh.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 4G?
DEC estimates 1,768 deer were taken in WMU 4G in 2025: 1,018 adult bucks, 588 adult does and 162 fawns. In 2024 the total was 1,634. The 4-year average from 2022 is 1,719 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 4G in 2026?
WMU 4G 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 4G?
DEC estimates 22 bears were taken in WMU 4G in 2025, against 31 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 4G?
28,016 acres, 12% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 27,435 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (27,070 acres). Wildlife management areas: Franklinton Vlaie (226 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 4G?
No. WMU 4G 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.