New York WMU 6K: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 6K covers 1,149 square miles in Oneida, Oswego, Lewis and Jefferson counties, in DEC's Northern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 4,282 deer here in 2025 (2,413 adult bucks and 1,869 antlerless deer) and 18 bears. 13.2% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (96,345 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 6KNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Northern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,149 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Oneida, Oswego, Lewis and Jefferson |
| Public land | 13.2% (97,467 acres) |
| DEC land | 95,798 acres: state forest 82,733, wildlife management area 9,160 and unique area 2,480 |
| Wildlife management areas | Happy Valley WMA, Little John WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 4,282 (2,413 adult bucks, 1,869 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 2.1 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 18 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | October 24 to December 6 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 6K?
DEC estimates 4,282 deer were taken in WMU 6K in 2025, down from 5,104 in 2024. 2,413 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 | 2,413 | 215 | 1,476 | 178 | 4,282 | 2.1 | 1.6 |
| 2024 | 3,217 | 163 | 1,590 | 134 | 5,104 | 2.8 | 1.6 |
| 2023 | 3,066 | 125 | 1,451 | 128 | 4,770 | 2.6 | 1.5 |
| 2022 | 2,892 | 291 | 1,636 | 253 | 5,072 | 2.5 | 1.9 |
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 6K?
DEC estimates 18 bears were taken in WMU 6K in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 18 |
| 2024 | 17 |
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 6K?
| 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 6K?
13.2% of WMU 6K is public land: 97,467 of its 736,009 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 96,345 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 6K |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 96,345 | 13.1% |
| State park | 976 | 0.1% |
| Other state land | 129 | under 0.1% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 104 | under 0.1% |
| National Park Service | 17 | 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 6K, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 6K |
|---|---|
| State forest | 82,733 |
| Wildlife management area | 9,160 |
| Unique area | 2,480 |
| Forest Preserve | 1,425 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 6K
| WMA | Acres in WMU 6K |
|---|---|
| Happy Valley WMA | 8,904 |
| Little John WMA | 193 |
Which WMUs border WMU 6K?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 5H | Northern | 60.5% | 2,517 | 2,154 | 93 |
| WMU 6G | Northern | 4.7% | 5,715 | 2,737 | 5 |
| WMU 6J | Northern | 50.6% | 1,390 | 1,160 | 91 |
| WMU 6N | Northern | 18.8% | 780 | 627 | 15 |
| WMU 6P | Southern | 5.7% | 1,060 | 455 | 0 |
| WMU 6R | Southern | 0.7% | 1,924 | 1,110 | 19 |
| WMU 7A | Southern | 1.5% | 2,949 | 1,589 | 0 |
| WMU 7F | Southern | 4.1% | 3,337 | 1,626 | 0 |
Highways crossing WMU 6K: I-81 (56 miles), NY 69 (40 miles), NY 13 (34 miles), NY 46 (29 miles), US 11 (25 miles) and NY 26 (24 miles). Towns inside: Pulaski, Camden, Central Square and Boonville.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 6K?
DEC estimates 4,282 deer were taken in WMU 6K in 2025: 2,413 adult bucks, 1,476 adult does and 393 fawns. In 2024 the total was 5,104. The 4-year average from 2022 is 4,807 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 6K in 2026?
WMU 6K 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 6K?
DEC estimates 18 bears were taken in WMU 6K in 2025, against 17 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 6K?
97,467 acres, 13.2% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 95,798 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (82,733 acres). Wildlife management areas: Happy Valley (8,904 acres here) and Little John (193 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 6K?
No. WMU 6K 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.
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