New York WMU 4R: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 4R covers 290 square miles in Greene, Delaware, Schoharie and Ulster counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 1,083 deer here in 2025 (668 adult bucks and 415 antlerless deer) and 57 bears. 9.4% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (17,545 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 landWMU 4RNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 290 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Greene, Delaware, Schoharie and Ulster |
| Public land | 9.4% (17,546 acres) |
| DEC land | 17,544 acres: Forest Preserve 9,062, state forest 8,122 and wildlife management area 360 |
| Wildlife management areas | Vinegar Hill WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 1,083 (668 adult bucks, 415 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 2.3 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 57 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 4R?
DEC estimates 1,083 deer were taken in WMU 4R in 2025, up from 1,060 in 2024. 668 were adult bucks, 2.3 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 668 | 35 | 325 | 55 | 1,083 | 2.3 | 1.4 |
| 2024 | 667 | 31 | 328 | 34 | 1,060 | 2.3 | 1.4 |
| 2023 | 667 | 28 | 295 | 30 | 1,020 | 2.3 | 1.2 |
| 2022 | 622 | 42 | 397 | 38 | 1,099 | 2.1 | 1.6 |
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 4R?
DEC estimates 57 bears were taken in WMU 4R in 2025. WMU 4R is one of the 11 Southern Zone WMUs with an early bear season, September 12 to 27, 2026.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 57 |
| 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 4R?
| 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 |
| 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 4R?
9.4% of WMU 4R is public land: 17,546 of its 185,686 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 17,545 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 4R |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 17,545 | 9.4% |
| Other state land | 1 | 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 4R, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 4R |
|---|---|
| Forest Preserve | 9,062 |
| State forest | 8,122 |
| Wildlife management area | 360 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 4R
| WMA | Acres in WMU 4R |
|---|---|
| Vinegar Hill WMA | 361 |
Which WMUs border WMU 4R?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 3A | Southern | 50.4% | 974 | 818 | 95 |
| WMU 4G | Southern | 12% | 1,768 | 1,018 | 22 |
| WMU 4H | Southern | 7.3% | 1,781 | 1,139 | 20 |
| WMU 4P | Southern | 2% | 1,338 | 837 | 30 |
| WMU 4S | Southern | 1.7% | 1,074 | 590 | 10 |
Highways crossing WMU 4R: NY 23 (29 miles), NY 30 (13 miles), NY 23A (13 miles), NY 28 (10 miles), NY 42 (5 miles) and NY 296 (5 miles). Towns inside: Margaretville and Fleischmanns.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 4R?
DEC estimates 1,083 deer were taken in WMU 4R in 2025: 668 adult bucks, 325 adult does and 90 fawns. In 2024 the total was 1,060. The 4-year average from 2022 is 1,066 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 4R in 2026?
WMU 4R 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 4R?
DEC estimates 57 bears were taken in WMU 4R in 2025, against 31 in 2024. WMU 4R has DEC's early bear season, September 12 to 27, 2026.
How much public land is in WMU 4R?
17,546 acres, 9.4% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 17,544 acres of DEC land here, the most of it Forest Preserve (9,062 acres). Wildlife management areas: Vinegar Hill (361 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 4R?
No. WMU 4R 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.