New York WMU 5T: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 5T covers 226 square miles in Washington County, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 508 deer here in 2025 (330 adult bucks and 178 antlerless deer) and 2 bears. 1.6% of the WMU is public land, the largest share other state land (1,815 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 5TNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 226 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Washington |
| Public land | 1.6% (2,326 acres) |
| DEC land | 507 acres: wildlife management area 507 |
| Wildlife management areas | Washington County Grasslands WMA, East Bay WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 508 (330 adult bucks, 178 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 1.5 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 2 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 5T?
DEC estimates 508 deer were taken in WMU 5T in 2025, down from 573 in 2024. 330 were adult bucks, 1.5 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 330 | 15 | 139 | 24 | 508 | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| 2024 | 373 | 18 | 165 | 17 | 573 | 1.7 | 0.9 |
| 2023 | 370 | 22 | 138 | 18 | 548 | 1.7 | 0.8 |
| 2022 | 441 | 22 | 184 | 19 | 666 | 2 | 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 5T?
DEC estimates 2 bears were taken in WMU 5T in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
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 5T?
| Season | Dates, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Deer, early bowhunting (most of the zone) | October 1 to November 20 |
| Deer, regular firearms | November 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 5T?
1.6% of WMU 5T is public land: 2,326 of its 144,805 acres. The largest share is other state land, 1,815 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 5T |
|---|---|---|
| Other state land | 1,815 | 1.3% |
| DEC land | 511 | 0.4% |
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 5T, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 5T |
|---|---|
| Wildlife management area | 507 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 5T
| WMA | Acres in WMU 5T |
|---|---|
| Washington County Grasslands WMA | 468 |
| East Bay WMA | 38 |
Which WMUs border WMU 5T?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 5G | Northern | 23.2% | 1,604 | 1,194 | 43 |
| WMU 5J | Northern | 10.7% | 1,468 | 1,097 | 20 |
| WMU 5R | Southern | 3.3% | 1,745 | 850 | 0 |
| WMU 5S | Southern | 1.8% | 1,949 | 1,146 | 16 |
Highways crossing WMU 5T: US 4 (28 miles), NY 22 (16 miles), NY 22A (11 miles), NY 40 (10 miles), NY 196 (10 miles) and NY 149 (10 miles). Towns inside: Hudson Falls, Fort Edward and Granville.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 5T?
DEC estimates 508 deer were taken in WMU 5T in 2025: 330 adult bucks, 139 adult does and 39 fawns. In 2024 the total was 573. The 4-year average from 2022 is 574 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 5T in 2026?
WMU 5T 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 5T?
DEC estimates 2 bears were taken in WMU 5T in 2025, against 0 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 5T?
2,326 acres, 1.6% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 507 acres of DEC land here, the most of it wildlife management area (507 acres). Wildlife management areas: Washington County Grasslands (468 acres here) and East Bay (38 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 5T?
No. WMU 5T 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.