New York WMU 6A: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 6A covers 1,516 square miles in St. Lawrence, Franklin and Jefferson counties, in DEC's Northern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 4,568 deer here in 2025 (3,132 adult bucks and 1,436 antlerless deer) and 10 bears. 6.7% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (58,122 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 parkOther state landMilitary (closed unless the base allows)WMU 6ANeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Northern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,516 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | St. Lawrence, Franklin and Jefferson |
| Public land | 6.7% (65,500 acres) |
| DEC land | 58,063 acres: state forest 39,141, wildlife management area 18,419 and Forest Preserve 503 |
| Wildlife management areas | Upper and Lower Lakes WMA, Fish Creek WMA, Wilson Hill WMA, Indian River WMA and 2 more |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 4,568 (3,132 adult bucks, 1,436 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 2.1 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 10 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | October 24 to December 6 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 6A?
DEC estimates 4,568 deer were taken in WMU 6A in 2025, down from 4,713 in 2024. 3,132 were adult bucks, 2.1 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,132 | 173 | 1,102 | 161 | 4,568 | 2.1 | 1 |
| 2024 | 3,422 | 102 | 1,095 | 94 | 4,713 | 2.3 | 0.9 |
| 2023 | 3,053 | 172 | 1,122 | 166 | 4,513 | 2.1 | 1 |
| 2022 | 3,173 | 165 | 1,025 | 138 | 4,501 | 2.2 | 0.9 |
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 6A?
DEC estimates 10 bears were taken in WMU 6A in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 |
| 2024 | 14 |
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 6A?
| 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, early bowhunting | September 19 to October 23 |
| Bear, early muzzleloading | October 17 to 23 |
| Bear, regular firearms | October 24 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 6A?
6.7% of WMU 6A is public land: 65,500 of its 971,369 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 58,122 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 6A |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 58,122 | 6% |
| State park | 6,887 | 0.7% |
| Other state land | 491 | 0.1% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 303 | 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 6A, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 6A |
|---|---|
| State forest | 39,141 |
| Wildlife management area | 18,419 |
| Forest Preserve | 503 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 6A
| WMA | Acres in WMU 6A |
|---|---|
| Upper and Lower Lakes WMA | 8,810 |
| Fish Creek WMA | 4,559 |
| Wilson Hill WMA | 4,039 |
| Indian River WMA | 943 |
| Swallow Bluffs WMA | 55 |
| Cranberry Creek WMA | 13 |
Which WMUs border WMU 6A?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 5A | Northern | 2.3% | 1,415 | 1,010 | 14 |
| WMU 5C | Northern | 26.1% | 1,252 | 1,016 | 46 |
| WMU 6C | Northern | 6.5% | 3,543 | 2,106 | 106 |
| WMU 6G | Northern | 4.7% | 5,715 | 2,737 | 5 |
| WMU 6H | Northern | 0.3% | 290 | 135 | 17 |
Highways crossing WMU 6A: NY 37 (122 miles), US 11 (38 miles), NY 310 (28 miles), NY 812 (28 miles), NY 12 (26 miles) and NY 58 (25 miles). Towns inside: Ogdensburg, Potsdam, Massena and Canton.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 6A?
DEC estimates 4,568 deer were taken in WMU 6A in 2025: 3,132 adult bucks, 1,102 adult does and 334 fawns. In 2024 the total was 4,713. The 4-year average from 2022 is 4,574 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 6A in 2026?
WMU 6A 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 6A?
DEC estimates 10 bears were taken in WMU 6A in 2025, against 14 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 6A?
65,500 acres, 6.7% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 58,063 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (39,141 acres). Wildlife management areas: Upper and Lower Lakes (8,810 acres here), Fish Creek (4,559 acres here), Wilson Hill (4,039 acres here) and Indian River (943 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 6A?
No. WMU 6A 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.
Get a New York hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for New York are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, New York included.
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.