New York WMU 5C: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 5C covers 1,121 square miles in Clinton, Franklin and Essex counties, in DEC's Northern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 1,252 deer here in 2025 (1,016 adult bucks and 236 antlerless deer) and 46 bears. 26.1% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (182,137 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 5CNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Northern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,121 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Clinton, Franklin and Essex |
| Public land | 26.1% (187,341 acres) |
| DEC land | 179,025 acres: Forest Preserve 151,773, state forest 24,922 and wildlife management area 2,330 |
| Wildlife management areas | Lewis Preserve WMA, Chazy Highlands WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 1,252 (1,016 adult bucks, 236 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 0.9 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 46 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | October 24 to December 6 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 5C?
DEC estimates 1,252 deer were taken in WMU 5C in 2025, up from 1,212 in 2024. 1,016 were adult bucks, 0.9 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,016 | 32 | 175 | 29 | 1,252 | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| 2024 | 1,000 | 10 | 192 | 10 | 1,212 | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| 2023 | 892 | 16 | 127 | 13 | 1,048 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| 2022 | 955 | 26 | 209 | 20 | 1,210 | 0.9 | 0.2 |
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 5C?
DEC estimates 46 bears were taken in WMU 5C in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 46 |
| 2024 | 58 |
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 5C?
| 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 5C?
26.1% of WMU 5C is public land: 187,341 of its 717,797 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 182,137 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 5C |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 182,137 | 25.4% |
| Other state land | 4,616 | 0.6% |
| State park | 588 | 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 5C, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 5C |
|---|---|
| Forest Preserve | 151,773 |
| State forest | 24,922 |
| Wildlife management area | 2,330 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 5C
| WMA | Acres in WMU 5C |
|---|---|
| Lewis Preserve WMA | 1,324 |
| Chazy Highlands WMA | 1,004 |
Which WMUs border WMU 5C?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 5A | Northern | 2.3% | 1,415 | 1,010 | 14 |
| WMU 5F | Northern | 58.1% | 972 | 838 | 15 |
| WMU 5G | Northern | 23.2% | 1,604 | 1,194 | 43 |
| WMU 6A | Northern | 6.7% | 4,568 | 3,132 | 10 |
| WMU 6C | Northern | 6.5% | 3,543 | 2,106 | 106 |
| WMU 6F | Northern | 18.1% | 1,171 | 1,035 | 64 |
Highways crossing WMU 5C: NY 3 (37 miles), NY 374 (32 miles), NY 30 (21 miles), NY 190 (12 miles), NY 86 (7 miles) and NY 22 (5 miles). Towns inside: Malone and Dannemora.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 5C?
DEC estimates 1,252 deer were taken in WMU 5C in 2025: 1,016 adult bucks, 175 adult does and 61 fawns. In 2024 the total was 1,212. The 4-year average from 2022 is 1,181 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 5C in 2026?
WMU 5C 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 5C?
DEC estimates 46 bears were taken in WMU 5C in 2025, against 58 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 5C?
187,341 acres, 26.1% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 179,025 acres of DEC land here, the most of it Forest Preserve (151,773 acres). Wildlife management areas: Lewis Preserve (1,324 acres here) and Chazy Highlands (1,004 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 5C?
No. WMU 5C 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.