New York WMU 6S: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 6S covers 579 square miles, mostly in Herkimer, Oneida, Montgomery and Otsego counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 2,239 deer here in 2025 (1,215 adult bucks and 1,024 antlerless deer) and no bears. 2% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (4,569 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 landWMU 6SNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 579 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Herkimer, Oneida, Montgomery, Otsego and Schoharie |
| Public land | 2% (7,272 acres) |
| DEC land | 4,634 acres: state forest 3,743, Forest Preserve 461 and wildlife management area 430 |
| Wildlife management areas | Plantation Island WMA, Utica Marsh WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 2,239 (1,215 adult bucks, 1,024 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 2.1 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | None |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 6S?
DEC estimates 2,239 deer were taken in WMU 6S in 2025, down from 2,429 in 2024. 1,215 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 | 1,215 | 85 | 824 | 115 | 2,239 | 2.1 | 1.7 |
| 2024 | 1,378 | 108 | 833 | 110 | 2,429 | 2.3 | 1.8 |
| 2023 | 1,390 | 107 | 792 | 96 | 2,385 | 2.4 | 1.7 |
| 2022 | 1,366 | 136 | 985 | 120 | 2,607 | 2.3 | 2.1 |
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 6S?
DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 6S.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2024 | 6 |
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 6S?
| Season | Dates, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Deer, early bowhunting (most of the zone) | October 1 to November 20 |
| Deer, regular firearms | November 21 to December 13 |
| Youth firearms big game hunt (ages 12 to 15) | October 10 to 12 |
| Bear, early bowhunting (most of the zone) | October 1 to November 20 |
Sources: DEC, 2026-27 early big game hunting seasons in September; DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October. The Southern Zone regular season dates follow DEC's rule: it opens the third Saturday of November and runs 23 days. 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 6S?
2% of WMU 6S is public land: 7,272 of its 371,238 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 4,569 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 6S |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 4,569 | 1.2% |
| Other state land | 2,525 | 0.7% |
| State park | 178 | 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 6S, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 6S |
|---|---|
| State forest | 3,743 |
| Forest Preserve | 461 |
| Wildlife management area | 430 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 6S
| WMA | Acres in WMU 6S |
|---|---|
| Plantation Island WMA | 215 |
| Utica Marsh WMA | 49 |
Which WMUs border WMU 6S?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 4A | Southern | 3.1% | 1,865 | 1,144 | 3 |
| WMU 4F | Southern | 4.1% | 5,439 | 3,143 | 16 |
| WMU 6P | Southern | 5.7% | 1,060 | 455 | 0 |
| WMU 6R | Southern | 0.7% | 1,924 | 1,110 | 19 |
| WMU 7J | Southern | 2.1% | 5,438 | 2,481 | 0 |
| WMU 7M | Southern | 15.3% | 6,939 | 3,494 | 1 |
Highways crossing WMU 6S: I-90 (65 miles), NY 5 (62 miles), NY 8 (27 miles), US 20 (21 miles), NY 12 (20 miles) and NY 167 (20 miles). Towns inside: Utica, Ilion, Waterville and Fort Plain.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 6S?
DEC estimates 2,239 deer were taken in WMU 6S in 2025: 1,215 adult bucks, 824 adult does and 200 fawns. In 2024 the total was 2,429. The 4-year average from 2022 is 2,415 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 6S in 2026?
WMU 6S is in the Southern Zone: early bowhunting October 1 to November 20 in most of the zone, then the regular firearms season from November 21 to December 13, 2026.
How many bears are taken in WMU 6S?
DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 6S.
How much public land is in WMU 6S?
7,272 acres, 2% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 4,634 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (3,743 acres). Wildlife management areas: Plantation Island (215 acres here) and Utica Marsh (49 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 6S?
No. WMU 6S 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.