New York WMU 4J: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 4J covers 146 square miles in Albany County, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 544 deer here in 2025 (296 adult bucks and 248 antlerless deer) and 2 bears. 3.5% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (1,925 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 4JNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 146 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Albany |
| Public land | 3.5% (3,229 acres) |
| DEC land | 1,480 acres: unique area 1,480 |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 544 (296 adult bucks, 248 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 2 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 2 |
| 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 4J?
DEC estimates 544 deer were taken in WMU 4J in 2025, up from 541 in 2024. 296 were adult bucks, 2 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 296 | 45 | 166 | 37 | 544 | 2 | 1.7 |
| 2024 | 251 | 33 | 198 | 59 | 541 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
| 2023 | 262 | 26 | 142 | 50 | 480 | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| 2022 | 305 | 53 | 178 | 56 | 592 | 2.1 | 1.9 |
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 4J?
DEC estimates 2 bears were taken in WMU 4J in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 |
| 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 4J?
| 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 4J?
3.5% of WMU 4J is public land: 3,229 of its 93,299 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 1,925 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 4J |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 1,925 | 2.1% |
| Other state land | 1,180 | 1.3% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 132 | 0.1% |
| State park | 124 | 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 4J, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 4J |
|---|---|
| Unique area | 1,480 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Which WMUs border WMU 4J?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 4B | Southern | 1.8% | 890 | 464 | 1 |
| WMU 4K | Southern | 0.1% | 1,218 | 651 | 15 |
| WMU 5R | Southern | 3.3% | 1,745 | 850 | 0 |
Highways crossing WMU 4J: I-87 (34 miles), I-90 (27 miles), I-787 (19 miles), US 9 (18 miles), NY 155 (18 miles) and NY 32 (14 miles). Towns inside: Albany, Cohoes, Colonie and Menands.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 4J?
DEC estimates 544 deer were taken in WMU 4J in 2025: 296 adult bucks, 166 adult does and 82 fawns. In 2024 the total was 541. The 4-year average from 2022 is 539 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 4J in 2026?
WMU 4J 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 4J?
DEC estimates 2 bears were taken in WMU 4J in 2025, against 0 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 4J?
3,229 acres, 3.5% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 1,480 acres of DEC land here, the most of it unique area (1,480 acres).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 4J?
Yes. WMU 4J 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.