New York WMU 5A: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 5A covers 645 square miles in Clinton and Franklin counties, in DEC's Northern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 1,415 deer here in 2025 (1,010 adult bucks and 405 antlerless deer) and 14 bears. 2.3% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (8,144 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 5ANeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Northern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 645 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Clinton and Franklin |
| Public land | 2.3% (9,330 acres) |
| DEC land | 7,821 acres: state forest 2,650, wildlife management area 2,486 and Forest Preserve 2,086 |
| Wildlife management areas | Lake Alice WMA, Kings Bay WMA, Montys Bay WMA, Ausable Marsh WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 1,415 (1,010 adult bucks, 405 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 1.7 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 14 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | October 24 to December 6 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 5A?
DEC estimates 1,415 deer were taken in WMU 5A in 2025, up from 1,398 in 2024. 1,010 were adult bucks, 1.7 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,010 | 52 | 304 | 49 | 1,415 | 1.7 | 0.7 |
| 2024 | 1,051 | 24 | 300 | 23 | 1,398 | 1.7 | 0.6 |
| 2023 | 878 | 34 | 194 | 29 | 1,135 | 1.4 | 0.4 |
| 2022 | 787 | 36 | 255 | 30 | 1,108 | 1.3 | 0.5 |
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 5A?
DEC estimates 14 bears were taken in WMU 5A in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 14 |
| 2024 | 18 |
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 5A?
| Season | Dates, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Deer, early bowhunting | September 27 to October 23 |
| Deer, early muzzleloading | October 17 to 23 |
| Deer, regular firearms | October 24 to December 6 |
| Youth firearms big game hunt (ages 12 to 15) | October 10 to 12 |
| Bear, regular firearms | September 19 to December 6 |
Sources: DEC, 2026-27 early big game hunting seasons in September; DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October. 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 5A?
2.3% of WMU 5A is public land: 9,330 of its 413,314 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 8,144 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 5A |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 8,144 | 2% |
| State park | 1,182 | 0.3% |
| Other state land | 4 | 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 5A, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 5A |
|---|---|
| State forest | 2,650 |
| Wildlife management area | 2,486 |
| Forest Preserve | 2,086 |
| Unique area | 599 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 5A
| WMA | Acres in WMU 5A |
|---|---|
| Lake Alice WMA | 1,489 |
| Kings Bay WMA | 685 |
| Montys Bay WMA | 318 |
| Ausable Marsh WMA | 51 |
Which WMUs border WMU 5A?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 5C | Northern | 26.1% | 1,252 | 1,016 | 46 |
| WMU 5G | Northern | 23.2% | 1,604 | 1,194 | 43 |
| WMU 6A | Northern | 6.7% | 4,568 | 3,132 | 10 |
Highways crossing WMU 5A: I-87 (72 miles), US 11 (52 miles), NY 22 (37 miles), US 9 (35 miles), NY 190 (21 miles) and NY 374 (16 miles). Towns inside: Plattsburgh, Rouses Point, Champlain and Chateaugay.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 5A?
DEC estimates 1,415 deer were taken in WMU 5A in 2025: 1,010 adult bucks, 304 adult does and 101 fawns. In 2024 the total was 1,398. The 4-year average from 2022 is 1,264 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 5A in 2026?
WMU 5A is in the Northern Zone: early bowhunting September 27 to October 23, early muzzleloading October 17 to 23, and the regular firearms season October 24 to December 6, 2026 (DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October).
How many bears are taken in WMU 5A?
DEC estimates 14 bears were taken in WMU 5A in 2025, against 18 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 5A?
9,330 acres, 2.3% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 7,821 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (2,650 acres). Wildlife management areas: Lake Alice (1,489 acres here), Kings Bay (685 acres here), Montys Bay (318 acres here) and Ausable Marsh (51 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 5A?
No. WMU 5A 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.
Get a New York hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for New York are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, New York included.
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.