New York WMU 5F: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 5F covers 1,330 square miles in Essex, Franklin and Hamilton counties, in DEC's Northern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 972 deer here in 2025 (838 adult bucks and 134 antlerless deer) and 15 bears. 58.1% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (495,229 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 landOther state landWMU 5FNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Northern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,330 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Essex, Franklin and Hamilton |
| Public land | 58.1% (495,523 acres) |
| DEC land | 492,571 acres: Forest Preserve 492,498 and wildlife management area 73 |
| Wildlife management areas | Pauline Murdock WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 972 (838 adult bucks, 134 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 0.6 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 15 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | October 24 to December 6 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 5F?
DEC estimates 972 deer were taken in WMU 5F in 2025, up from 836 in 2024. 838 were adult bucks, 0.6 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 838 | 16 | 103 | 15 | 972 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| 2024 | 702 | 6 | 122 | 6 | 836 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| 2023 | 693 | 8 | 87 | 5 | 793 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| 2022 | 703 | 12 | 123 | 8 | 846 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
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 5F?
DEC estimates 15 bears were taken in WMU 5F in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2024 | 27 |
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 5F?
| 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 5F?
58.1% of WMU 5F is public land: 495,523 of its 852,245 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 495,229 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 5F |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 495,229 | 58.1% |
| Other state land | 291 | under 0.1% |
| State park | 3 | 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 5F, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 5F |
|---|---|
| Forest Preserve | 492,498 |
| Wildlife management area | 73 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 5F
| WMA | Acres in WMU 5F |
|---|---|
| Pauline Murdock WMA | 73 |
Which WMUs border WMU 5F?
| 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 5H | Northern | 60.5% | 2,517 | 2,154 | 93 |
| WMU 6F | Northern | 18.1% | 1,171 | 1,035 | 64 |
| WMU 6J | Northern | 50.6% | 1,390 | 1,160 | 91 |
Highways crossing WMU 5F: I-87 (71 miles), NY 86 (32 miles), NY 73 (28 miles), NY 3 (28 miles), NY 30 (25 miles) and NY 28N (11 miles). Towns inside: Saranac Lake and Lake Placid.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 5F?
DEC estimates 972 deer were taken in WMU 5F in 2025: 838 adult bucks, 103 adult does and 31 fawns. In 2024 the total was 836. The 4-year average from 2022 is 862 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 5F in 2026?
WMU 5F 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 5F?
DEC estimates 15 bears were taken in WMU 5F in 2025, against 27 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 5F?
495,523 acres, 58.1% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 492,571 acres of DEC land here, the most of it Forest Preserve (492,498 acres). Wildlife management areas: Pauline Murdock (73 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 5F?
No. WMU 5F 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.