New York WMU 4W: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 4W covers 434 square miles in Delaware and Sullivan counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 1,471 deer here in 2025 (949 adult bucks and 522 antlerless deer) and 60 bears. 15.3% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (42,446 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 4WNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 434 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Delaware and Sullivan |
| Public land | 15.3% (42,452 acres) |
| DEC land | 42,124 acres: Forest Preserve 32,982, wildlife management area 6,699 and state forest 2,443 |
| Wildlife management areas | Bear Spring Mountain WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 1,471 (949 adult bucks, 522 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 2.1 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 60 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 4W?
DEC estimates 1,471 deer were taken in WMU 4W in 2025, up from 1,467 in 2024. 949 were adult bucks, 2.1 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 949 | 49 | 411 | 62 | 1,471 | 2.1 | 1.2 |
| 2024 | 965 | 47 | 405 | 50 | 1,467 | 2.2 | 1.1 |
| 2023 | 960 | 53 | 370 | 55 | 1,438 | 2.2 | 1.1 |
| 2022 | 1,044 | 55 | 449 | 50 | 1,598 | 2.4 | 1.3 |
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 4W?
DEC estimates 60 bears were taken in WMU 4W in 2025. WMU 4W is one of the 11 Southern Zone WMUs with an early bear season, September 12 to 27, 2026.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 60 |
| 2024 | 49 |
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 4W?
| 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 4W?
15.3% of WMU 4W is public land: 42,452 of its 277,741 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 42,446 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 4W |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 42,446 | 15.3% |
| Other state land | 6 | 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 4W, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 4W |
|---|---|
| Forest Preserve | 32,982 |
| Wildlife management area | 6,699 |
| State forest | 2,443 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 4W
| WMA | Acres in WMU 4W |
|---|---|
| Bear Spring Mountain WMA | 6,711 |
Which WMUs border WMU 4W?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 3A | Southern | 50.4% | 974 | 818 | 95 |
| WMU 3H | Southern | 0.9% | 3,144 | 1,795 | 52 |
| WMU 4O | Southern | 4.8% | 2,705 | 1,778 | 58 |
| WMU 4P | Southern | 2% | 1,338 | 837 | 30 |
Highways crossing WMU 4W: NY 17 (82 miles), NY 30 (29 miles), NY 206 (19 miles), NY 10 (14 miles), NY 268 (11 miles) and NY 97 (6 miles). Towns inside: Hancock.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 4W?
DEC estimates 1,471 deer were taken in WMU 4W in 2025: 949 adult bucks, 411 adult does and 111 fawns. In 2024 the total was 1,467. The 4-year average from 2022 is 1,494 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 4W in 2026?
WMU 4W 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 4W?
DEC estimates 60 bears were taken in WMU 4W in 2025, against 49 in 2024. WMU 4W has DEC's early bear season, September 12 to 27, 2026.
How much public land is in WMU 4W?
42,452 acres, 15.3% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 42,124 acres of DEC land here, the most of it Forest Preserve (32,982 acres). Wildlife management areas: Bear Spring Mountain (6,711 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 4W?
No. WMU 4W 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.