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New York WMU 4S: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land

New York's WMU 4S covers 218 square miles in Greene and Albany counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 1,074 deer here in 2025 (590 adult bucks and 484 antlerless deer) and 10 bears. 1.7% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (1,151 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.

Map of New York WMU 4S: public land by manager, neighboring WMUs 3A, 3C, 3J, 4B, 4H, 4R, 4T and 4Y, highways I-87, NY 23, NY 32 and NY 385 and Athens and Coxsackie

DEC landState parkOther state landWMU 4SNeighboring WMUsHighway

WMU 4S at a glance
ZoneSouthern Zone
Size218 square miles (DEC)
CountiesGreene and Albany
Public land1.7% (2,402 acres)
DEC land1,090 acres: unique area 436, wildlife management area 312 and Forest Preserve 293
Wildlife management areasVosburgh Swamp WMA
Deer harvested, 20251,074 (590 adult bucks, 484 antlerless)
Bucks per square mile, 20252.7 (DEC)
Bears harvested, 202510
Regular firearms deer, 2026November 21 to December 13
Deer Management Permits, 2026By application (see DEC)

How many deer are harvested in WMU 4S?

DEC estimates 1,074 deer were taken in WMU 4S in 2025, up from 883 in 2024. 590 were adult bucks, 2.7 for every square mile.

YearAdult bucksBuck fawnsAdult doesDoe fawnsTotalBucks per sq miAntlerless per sq mi
202559044377631,0742.72.2
202451034303368832.31.7
202352140218408192.41.4
202256234293339222.61.6

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 4S?

DEC estimates 10 bears were taken in WMU 4S in 2025.

YearBears
202510
202419

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 4S?

SeasonDates, 2026
Deer, early bowhunting (most of the zone)October 1 to November 20
Deer, regular firearmsNovember 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 4S?

1.7% of WMU 4S is public land: 2,402 of its 139,478 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 1,151 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of WMU 4S
DEC land1,1510.8%
Other state land1,0900.8%
State park1610.1%

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 4S, by kind

Kind of DEC landAcres in WMU 4S
Unique area436
Wildlife management area312
Forest Preserve293
State forest49

Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.

Wildlife management areas in WMU 4S

WMAAcres in WMU 4S
Vosburgh Swamp WMA311

Which WMUs border WMU 4S?

WMUZonePublic landDeer, 2025Adult bucks, 2025Bears, 2025
WMU 3ASouthern50.4%97481895
WMU 3CSouthern14.4%1,10065966
WMU 3JSouthern11.5%1,41577423
WMU 4BSouthern1.8%8904641
WMU 4HSouthern7.3%1,7811,13920
WMU 4RSouthern9.4%1,08366857
WMU 4TSouthern5%6883291
WMU 4YSouthern1.6%7343964

Highways crossing WMU 4S: I-87 (39 miles), NY 23 (20 miles), NY 32 (19 miles), NY 385 (12 miles), NY 81 (12 miles) and NY 143 (9 miles). Towns inside: Athens and Coxsackie.

Questions hunters ask

How many deer are harvested in WMU 4S?

DEC estimates 1,074 deer were taken in WMU 4S in 2025: 590 adult bucks, 377 adult does and 107 fawns. In 2024 the total was 883. The 4-year average from 2022 is 925 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.

When is deer season in WMU 4S in 2026?

WMU 4S 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 4S?

DEC estimates 10 bears were taken in WMU 4S in 2025, against 19 in 2024.

How much public land is in WMU 4S?

2,402 acres, 1.7% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 1,090 acres of DEC land here, the most of it unique area (436 acres). Wildlife management areas: Vosburgh Swamp (311 acres here).

Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 4S?

No. WMU 4S 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

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 3A WMU 3C WMU 3J WMU 4B WMU 4H WMU 4R WMU 4T WMU 4Y