New York WMU 6N: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 6N covers 487 square miles in Lewis, Oswego and Jefferson counties, in DEC's Northern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 780 deer here in 2025 (627 adult bucks and 153 antlerless deer) and 15 bears. 18.8% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (57,006 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 parkWMU 6NNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Northern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 487 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Lewis, Oswego and Jefferson |
| Public land | 18.8% (58,768 acres) |
| DEC land | 57,219 acres: state forest 42,775, wildlife management area 12,818 and Forest Preserve 1,309 |
| Wildlife management areas | Little John WMA, Tug Hill WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 780 (627 adult bucks, 153 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 1.3 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 15 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | October 24 to December 6 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 6N?
DEC estimates 780 deer were taken in WMU 6N in 2025, down from 893 in 2024. 627 were adult bucks, 1.3 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 627 | 13 | 122 | 18 | 780 | 1.3 | 0.3 |
| 2024 | 778 | 10 | 96 | 9 | 893 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| 2023 | 676 | 39 | 51 | 37 | 803 | 1.4 | 0.3 |
| 2022 | 783 | 18 | 131 | 15 | 947 | 1.6 | 0.3 |
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 6N?
DEC estimates 15 bears were taken in WMU 6N in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2024 | 24 |
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 6N?
| 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 6N?
18.8% of WMU 6N is public land: 58,768 of its 312,244 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 57,006 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 6N |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 57,006 | 18.3% |
| State park | 1,762 | 0.6% |
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 6N, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 6N |
|---|---|
| State forest | 42,775 |
| Wildlife management area | 12,818 |
| Forest Preserve | 1,309 |
| Unique area | 317 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 6N
| WMA | Acres in WMU 6N |
|---|---|
| Little John WMA | 7,733 |
| Tug Hill WMA | 5,085 |
Which WMUs border WMU 6N?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 6C | Northern | 6.5% | 3,543 | 2,106 | 106 |
| WMU 6G | Northern | 4.7% | 5,715 | 2,737 | 5 |
| WMU 6J | Northern | 50.6% | 1,390 | 1,160 | 91 |
| WMU 6K | Northern | 13.2% | 4,282 | 2,413 | 18 |
Highways crossing WMU 6N: NY 26 (20 miles), NY 177 (8 miles) and NY 12 (3 miles). Towns inside: Constableville.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 6N?
DEC estimates 780 deer were taken in WMU 6N in 2025: 627 adult bucks, 122 adult does and 31 fawns. In 2024 the total was 893. The 4-year average from 2022 is 856 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 6N in 2026?
WMU 6N 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 6N?
DEC estimates 15 bears were taken in WMU 6N in 2025, against 24 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 6N?
58,768 acres, 18.8% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 57,219 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (42,775 acres). Wildlife management areas: Little John (7,733 acres here) and Tug Hill (5,085 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 6N?
No. WMU 6N 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.