New York WMU 4U: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 4U covers 126 square miles in Columbia and Rensselaer counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 424 deer here in 2025 (284 adult bucks and 140 antlerless deer) and 11 bears. 4.3% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (3,497 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 landWMU 4UNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 126 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Columbia and Rensselaer |
| Public land | 4.3% (3,497 acres) |
| DEC land | 3,488 acres: state forest 2,031 and multiple use area 1,457 |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 424 (284 adult bucks, 140 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 2.2 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 11 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 4U?
DEC estimates 424 deer were taken in WMU 4U in 2025, up from 422 in 2024. 284 were adult bucks, 2.2 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 284 | 11 | 112 | 17 | 424 | 2.2 | 1.1 |
| 2024 | 289 | 11 | 111 | 11 | 422 | 2.3 | 1 |
| 2023 | 287 | 12 | 99 | 9 | 407 | 2.3 | 0.9 |
| 2022 | 381 | 23 | 175 | 17 | 596 | 3 | 1.7 |
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 4U?
DEC estimates 11 bears were taken in WMU 4U in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 11 |
| 2024 | 1 |
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 4U?
| 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 4U?
4.3% of WMU 4U is public land: 3,497 of its 80,453 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 3,497 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 4U |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 3,497 | 4.3% |
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 4U, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 4U |
|---|---|
| State forest | 2,031 |
| Multiple use area | 1,457 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Which WMUs border WMU 4U?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 4K | Southern | 0.1% | 1,218 | 651 | 15 |
| WMU 4T | Southern | 5% | 688 | 329 | 1 |
| WMU 4Y | Southern | 1.6% | 734 | 396 | 4 |
| WMU 4Z | Southern | 7.8% | 1,080 | 572 | 21 |
Highways crossing WMU 4U: I-90 (30 miles), NY 295 (13 miles), NY 66 (12 miles), NY 22 (11 miles), US 20 (10 miles) and NY 203 (6 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 4U?
DEC estimates 424 deer were taken in WMU 4U in 2025: 284 adult bucks, 112 adult does and 28 fawns. In 2024 the total was 422. The 4-year average from 2022 is 462 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 4U in 2026?
WMU 4U 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 4U?
DEC estimates 11 bears were taken in WMU 4U in 2025, against 1 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 4U?
3,497 acres, 4.3% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 3,488 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (2,031 acres).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 4U?
No. WMU 4U 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.