New York WMU 5J: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 5J covers 711 square miles, mostly in Saratoga, Fulton, Warren and Washington counties, in DEC's Northern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 1,468 deer here in 2025 (1,097 adult bucks and 371 antlerless deer) and 20 bears. 10.7% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (41,349 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 5JNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Northern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 711 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Saratoga, Fulton, Warren, Washington and Herkimer |
| Public land | 10.7% (48,561 acres) |
| DEC land | 41,464 acres: Forest Preserve 31,095, state forest 9,170 and wildlife management area 1,199 |
| Wildlife management areas | Saratoga Sand Plains WMA, Saratoga Sand Plains Archery Range WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 1,468 (1,097 adult bucks, 371 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 1.6 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 20 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | October 24 to December 6 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 5J?
DEC estimates 1,468 deer were taken in WMU 5J in 2025, up from 1,414 in 2024. 1,097 were adult bucks, 1.6 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,097 | 41 | 281 | 49 | 1,468 | 1.6 | 0.6 |
| 2024 | 1,107 | 17 | 272 | 18 | 1,414 | 1.6 | 0.5 |
| 2023 | 1,050 | 20 | 210 | 12 | 1,292 | 1.6 | 0.4 |
| 2022 | 1,114 | 42 | 305 | 33 | 1,494 | 1.7 | 0.6 |
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 5J?
DEC estimates 20 bears were taken in WMU 5J in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2024 | 22 |
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 5J?
| 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 5J?
10.7% of WMU 5J is public land: 48,561 of its 455,454 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 41,349 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 5J |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 41,349 | 9.1% |
| State park | 6,688 | 1.5% |
| Other state land | 524 | 0.1% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 22 | 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 5J, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 5J |
|---|---|
| Forest Preserve | 31,095 |
| State forest | 9,170 |
| Wildlife management area | 1,199 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 5J
| WMA | Acres in WMU 5J |
|---|---|
| Saratoga Sand Plains WMA | 2,333 |
| Saratoga Sand Plains Archery Range WMA | 51 |
Which WMUs border WMU 5J?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 5G | Northern | 23.2% | 1,604 | 1,194 | 43 |
| WMU 5H | Northern | 60.5% | 2,517 | 2,154 | 93 |
| WMU 5R | Southern | 3.3% | 1,745 | 850 | 0 |
| WMU 5T | Southern | 1.6% | 508 | 330 | 2 |
| WMU 6R | Southern | 0.7% | 1,924 | 1,110 | 19 |
Highways crossing WMU 5J: I-87 (47 miles), NY 29A (32 miles), US 9 (27 miles), NY 29 (24 miles), NY 32 (19 miles) and NY 9 (18 miles). Towns inside: Gloversville, Glens Falls, South Glens Falls and Broadalbin.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 5J?
DEC estimates 1,468 deer were taken in WMU 5J in 2025: 1,097 adult bucks, 281 adult does and 90 fawns. In 2024 the total was 1,414. The 4-year average from 2022 is 1,417 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 5J in 2026?
WMU 5J 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 5J?
DEC estimates 20 bears were taken in WMU 5J in 2025, against 22 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 5J?
48,561 acres, 10.7% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 41,464 acres of DEC land here, the most of it Forest Preserve (31,095 acres). Wildlife management areas: Saratoga Sand Plains (2,333 acres here) and Saratoga Sand Plains Archery Range (51 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 5J?
No. WMU 5J 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.