New York WMU 5H: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 5H covers 3,086 square miles, mostly in Hamilton, Herkimer, Warren and Essex counties, in DEC's Northern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 2,517 deer here in 2025 (2,154 adult bucks and 363 antlerless deer) and 93 bears. 60.5% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (1,196,498 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 parkNational Park ServiceOther state landWMU 5HNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Northern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 3,086 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Hamilton, Herkimer, Warren, Essex, Fulton, Saratoga and Oneida |
| Public land | 60.5% (1,196,747 acres) |
| DEC land | 1,193,841 acres: Forest Preserve 1,187,286 and state forest 6,555 |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 2,517 (2,154 adult bucks, 363 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 0.7 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 93 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | October 24 to December 6 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 5H?
DEC estimates 2,517 deer were taken in WMU 5H in 2025, down from 2,668 in 2024. 2,154 were adult bucks, 0.7 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,154 | 47 | 279 | 37 | 2,517 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| 2024 | 2,276 | 20 | 352 | 20 | 2,668 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| 2023 | 2,232 | 37 | 270 | 28 | 2,567 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| 2022 | 2,244 | 60 | 440 | 50 | 2,794 | 0.7 | 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 5H?
DEC estimates 93 bears were taken in WMU 5H in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 93 |
| 2024 | 143 |
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 5H?
| 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 5H?
60.5% of WMU 5H is public land: 1,196,747 of its 1,976,719 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 1,196,498 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 5H |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 1,196,498 | 60.5% |
| Other state land | 249 | 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 5H, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 5H |
|---|---|
| Forest Preserve | 1,187,286 |
| State forest | 6,555 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Which WMUs border WMU 5H?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 5F | Northern | 58.1% | 972 | 838 | 15 |
| WMU 5G | Northern | 23.2% | 1,604 | 1,194 | 43 |
| WMU 5J | Northern | 10.7% | 1,468 | 1,097 | 20 |
| WMU 6J | Northern | 50.6% | 1,390 | 1,160 | 91 |
| WMU 6K | Northern | 13.2% | 4,282 | 2,413 | 18 |
| WMU 6R | Southern | 0.7% | 1,924 | 1,110 | 19 |
Highways crossing WMU 5H: NY 8 (86 miles), NY 28 (75 miles), NY 30 (70 miles), NY 28N (35 miles), NY 10 (21 miles) and NY 12 (16 miles). Towns inside: Speculator, Northville, Cold Brook and Remsen.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 5H?
DEC estimates 2,517 deer were taken in WMU 5H in 2025: 2,154 adult bucks, 279 adult does and 84 fawns. In 2024 the total was 2,668. The 4-year average from 2022 is 2,637 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 5H in 2026?
WMU 5H 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 5H?
DEC estimates 93 bears were taken in WMU 5H in 2025, against 143 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 5H?
1,196,747 acres, 60.5% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 1,193,841 acres of DEC land here, the most of it Forest Preserve (1,187,286 acres).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 5H?
No. WMU 5H 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.