New York WMU 6J: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 6J covers 1,632 square miles, mostly in Lewis, Herkimer, Hamilton and St. Lawrence counties, in DEC's Northern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 1,390 deer here in 2025 (1,160 adult bucks and 230 antlerless deer) and 91 bears. 50.6% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (527,881 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 6JNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Northern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,632 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Lewis, Herkimer, Hamilton, St. Lawrence, Oneida and Franklin |
| Public land | 50.6% (528,880 acres) |
| DEC land | 519,738 acres: Forest Preserve 493,657 and state forest 26,081 |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 1,390 (1,160 adult bucks, 230 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 0.7 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 91 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | October 24 to December 6 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 6J?
DEC estimates 1,390 deer were taken in WMU 6J in 2025, up from 1,363 in 2024. 1,160 were adult bucks, 0.7 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,160 | 29 | 175 | 26 | 1,390 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| 2024 | 1,131 | 14 | 204 | 14 | 1,363 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| 2023 | 1,121 | 26 | 104 | 24 | 1,275 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| 2022 | 1,075 | 25 | 185 | 19 | 1,304 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
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 6J?
DEC estimates 91 bears were taken in WMU 6J in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 91 |
| 2024 | 63 |
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 6J?
| 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 6J?
50.6% of WMU 6J is public land: 528,880 of its 1,045,055 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 527,881 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 6J |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 527,881 | 50.5% |
| Other state land | 999 | 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 6J, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 6J |
|---|---|
| Forest Preserve | 493,657 |
| State forest | 26,081 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Which WMUs border WMU 6J?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 5F | Northern | 58.1% | 972 | 838 | 15 |
| WMU 5H | Northern | 60.5% | 2,517 | 2,154 | 93 |
| WMU 6C | Northern | 6.5% | 3,543 | 2,106 | 106 |
| WMU 6F | Northern | 18.1% | 1,171 | 1,035 | 64 |
| WMU 6K | Northern | 13.2% | 4,282 | 2,413 | 18 |
| WMU 6N | Northern | 18.8% | 780 | 627 | 15 |
Highways crossing WMU 6J: NY 28 (45 miles), NY 3 (39 miles), NY 30 (19 miles), NY 12 (15 miles), NY 812 (7 miles) and NY 12D (7 miles). Towns inside: Lyons Falls and Port Leyden.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 6J?
DEC estimates 1,390 deer were taken in WMU 6J in 2025: 1,160 adult bucks, 175 adult does and 55 fawns. In 2024 the total was 1,363. The 4-year average from 2022 is 1,333 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 6J in 2026?
WMU 6J 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 6J?
DEC estimates 91 bears were taken in WMU 6J in 2025, against 63 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 6J?
528,880 acres, 50.6% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 519,738 acres of DEC land here, the most of it Forest Preserve (493,657 acres).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 6J?
No. WMU 6J 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.