New York WMU 6H: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 6H covers 169 square miles in Jefferson and Lewis counties, in DEC's Northern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 290 deer here in 2025 (135 adult bucks and 155 antlerless deer) and 17 bears. 0.3% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (307 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 parkMilitary (closed unless the base allows)WMU 6HNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Northern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 169 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Jefferson and Lewis |
| Public land | 0.3% (307 acres) |
| DEC land | 306 acres: state forest 306 |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 290 (135 adult bucks, 155 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 0.8 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 17 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | October 24 to December 6 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 6H?
DEC estimates 290 deer were taken in WMU 6H in 2025, down from 299 in 2024. 135 were adult bucks, 0.8 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 135 | 17 | 124 | 14 | 290 | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| 2024 | 160 | 11 | 117 | 11 | 299 | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| 2023 | 165 | 4 | 89 | 5 | 263 | 1 | 0.6 |
| 2022 | 192 | 27 | 148 | 25 | 392 | 1.1 | 1.2 |
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 6H?
DEC estimates 17 bears were taken in WMU 6H in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 17 |
| 2024 | 18 |
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 6H?
| 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 6H?
0.3% of WMU 6H is public land: 307 of its 108,503 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 307 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 6H |
|---|---|---|
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 107,703 | 99.3% |
| DEC land | 307 | 0.3% |
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 6H, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 6H |
|---|---|
| State forest | 306 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Which WMUs border WMU 6H?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 6A | Northern | 6.7% | 4,568 | 3,132 | 10 |
| WMU 6C | Northern | 6.5% | 3,543 | 2,106 | 106 |
| WMU 6G | Northern | 4.7% | 5,715 | 2,737 | 5 |
Highways crossing WMU 6H: NY 26 (4 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 6H?
DEC estimates 290 deer were taken in WMU 6H in 2025: 135 adult bucks, 124 adult does and 31 fawns. In 2024 the total was 299. The 4-year average from 2022 is 311 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 6H in 2026?
WMU 6H 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 6H?
DEC estimates 17 bears were taken in WMU 6H in 2025, against 18 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 6H?
307 acres, 0.3% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 306 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (306 acres).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 6H?
No. WMU 6H 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.