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New York WMU 5R: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land

New York's WMU 5R covers 379 square miles in Saratoga and Schenectady counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 1,745 deer here in 2025 (850 adult bucks and 895 antlerless deer) and no bears. 3.3% of the WMU is public land, the largest share National Park Service (3,020 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.

Map of New York WMU 5R: public land by manager, neighboring WMUs 4A, 4B, 4C, 4J, 4K, 5J, 5S, 5T and 6R, highways I-87, NY 32, NY 67 and NY 50 and Saratoga Springs, Scotia and Ballston Spa

DEC landState parkNational Park ServiceOther state landMilitary (closed unless the base allows)WMU 5RNeighboring WMUsHighway

WMU 5R at a glance
ZoneSouthern Zone
Size379 square miles (DEC)
CountiesSaratoga and Schenectady
Public land3.3% (7,923 acres)
DEC land200 acres: state forest 153 and wildlife management area 47
Wildlife management areasVictory Mills WMA
Deer harvested, 20251,745 (850 adult bucks, 895 antlerless)
Bucks per square mile, 20252.3 (DEC)
Bears harvested, 2025None
Regular firearms deer, 2026November 21 to December 13
Deer Management Permits, 2026By application (see DEC)

How many deer are harvested in WMU 5R?

DEC estimates 1,745 deer were taken in WMU 5R in 2025, up from 1,649 in 2024. 850 were adult bucks, 2.3 for every square mile.

YearAdult bucksBuck fawnsAdult doesDoe fawnsTotalBucks per sq miAntlerless per sq mi
2025850856951151,7452.32.4
202476485710901,64922.4
202380271639701,5822.22.1
202285485779801,7982.32.5

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 5R?

DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 5R.

YearBears
20250
20240

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 5R?

SeasonDates, 2026
Deer, early bowhunting (most of the zone)October 1 to November 20
Deer, regular firearmsNovember 21 to December 13
Youth firearms big game hunt (ages 12 to 15)October 10 to 12
Bear, early bowhunting (most of the zone)October 1 to November 20

Sources: DEC, 2026-27 early big game hunting seasons in September; DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October. The Southern Zone regular season dates follow DEC's rule: it opens the third Saturday of November and runs 23 days. 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 5R?

3.3% of WMU 5R is public land: 7,923 of its 242,447 acres. The largest share is National Park Service, 3,020 acres.

ManagerAcresShare of WMU 5R
National Park Service3,0201.2%
State park2,2380.9%
Other state land2,2240.9%
DEC land4410.2%
Military (closed unless the base allows)1260.1%

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 5R, by kind

Kind of DEC landAcres in WMU 5R
State forest153
Wildlife management area47

Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.

Wildlife management areas in WMU 5R

WMAAcres in WMU 5R
Victory Mills WMA46

Which WMUs border WMU 5R?

WMUZonePublic landDeer, 2025Adult bucks, 2025Bears, 2025
WMU 4ASouthern3.1%1,8651,1443
WMU 4BSouthern1.8%8904641
WMU 4CSouthern0.6%9405209
WMU 4JSouthern3.5%5442962
WMU 4KSouthern0.1%1,21865115
WMU 5JNorthern10.7%1,4681,09720
WMU 5SSouthern1.8%1,9491,14616
WMU 5TSouthern1.6%5083302
WMU 6RSouthern0.7%1,9241,11019

Highways crossing WMU 5R: I-87 (43 miles), NY 32 (28 miles), NY 67 (23 miles), NY 50 (22 miles), US 9 (21 miles) and US 4 (17 miles). Towns inside: Saratoga Springs, Scotia, Ballston Spa and Stillwater.

Questions hunters ask

How many deer are harvested in WMU 5R?

DEC estimates 1,745 deer were taken in WMU 5R in 2025: 850 adult bucks, 695 adult does and 200 fawns. In 2024 the total was 1,649. The 4-year average from 2022 is 1,694 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.

When is deer season in WMU 5R in 2026?

WMU 5R is in the Southern Zone: early bowhunting October 1 to November 20 in most of the zone, then the regular firearms season from November 21 to December 13, 2026.

How many bears are taken in WMU 5R?

DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 5R.

How much public land is in WMU 5R?

7,923 acres, 3.3% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 200 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (153 acres). Wildlife management areas: Victory Mills (46 acres here).

Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 5R?

No. WMU 5R 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

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.

New York hunting WMU 4A WMU 4B WMU 4C WMU 4J WMU 4K WMU 5J WMU 5S WMU 5T WMU 6R