New York WMU 7F: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 7F covers 772 square miles, mostly in Onondaga, Cayuga, Madison and Oswego counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 3,337 deer here in 2025 (1,626 adult bucks and 1,711 antlerless deer) and no bears. 4.1% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (14,472 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 parkNational wildlife refugeOther state landMilitary (closed unless the base allows)WMU 7FNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 772 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Onondaga, Cayuga, Madison, Oswego and Oneida |
| Public land | 4.1% (20,358 acres) |
| DEC land | 14,015 acres: wildlife management area 13,641 and unique area 374 |
| Wildlife management areas | Cicero Swamp WMA, Three Mile Bay WMA, Three Rivers WMA, Stanley J. Hamlin Marsh WMA and 2 more |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 3,337 (1,626 adult bucks, 1,711 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 2.4 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | None |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | Unlimited, with a bonus permit for each reported antlerless deer |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 7F?
DEC estimates 3,337 deer were taken in WMU 7F in 2025, down from 3,445 in 2024. 1,626 were adult bucks, 2.4 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,626 | 149 | 1,394 | 168 | 3,337 | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| 2024 | 1,746 | 207 | 1,280 | 212 | 3,445 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 2023 | 1,567 | 225 | 1,199 | 196 | 3,187 | 2.3 | 2.4 |
| 2022 | 1,625 | 281 | 1,511 | 264 | 3,681 | 2.4 | 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 7F?
DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 7F.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
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 7F?
| 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 |
| Deer, early antlerless season (DMP or DMAP tags only) | September 12 to 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 7F?
4.1% of WMU 7F is public land: 20,358 of its 494,567 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 14,472 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 7F |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 14,472 | 2.9% |
| State park | 3,906 | 0.8% |
| Other state land | 1,565 | 0.3% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 611 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge | 415 | 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 7F, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 7F |
|---|---|
| Wildlife management area | 13,641 |
| Unique area | 374 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 7F
| WMA | Acres in WMU 7F |
|---|---|
| Cicero Swamp WMA | 5,042 |
| Three Mile Bay WMA | 3,919 |
| Three Rivers WMA | 2,935 |
| Stanley J. Hamlin Marsh WMA | 1,669 |
| Oneida Lake Islands WMA | 30 |
| Cross Lake Islands WMA | 27 |
Which WMUs border WMU 7F?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 6K | Northern | 13.2% | 4,282 | 2,413 | 18 |
| WMU 6P | Southern | 5.7% | 1,060 | 455 | 0 |
| WMU 7A | Southern | 1.5% | 2,949 | 1,589 | 0 |
| WMU 7H | Southern | 0.2% | 1,951 | 960 | 0 |
| WMU 7J | Southern | 2.1% | 5,438 | 2,481 | 0 |
| WMU 8F | Southern | 3.9% | 5,893 | 2,610 | 0 |
| WMU 8J | Southern | 3.4% | 4,910 | 2,269 | 1 |
Highways crossing WMU 7F: I-90 (107 miles), NY 31 (59 miles), NY 5 (58 miles), I-81 (43 miles), I-481 (30 miles) and I-690 (29 miles). Towns inside: Syracuse, Canastota, Baldwinsville and Chittenango.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 7F?
DEC estimates 3,337 deer were taken in WMU 7F in 2025: 1,626 adult bucks, 1,394 adult does and 317 fawns. In 2024 the total was 3,445. The 4-year average from 2022 is 3,413 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 7F in 2026?
WMU 7F 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. It also has the early antlerless season, September 12 to 20.
How many bears are taken in WMU 7F?
DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 7F.
How much public land is in WMU 7F?
20,358 acres, 4.1% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 14,015 acres of DEC land here, the most of it wildlife management area (13,641 acres). Wildlife management areas: Cicero Swamp (5,042 acres here), Three Mile Bay (3,919 acres here), Three Rivers (2,935 acres here) and Stanley J. Hamlin Marsh (1,669 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 7F?
Yes. WMU 7F is one of 23 WMUs with unlimited DMPs in 2026: anyone who applies gets one, and each reported antlerless deer brings a bonus DMP (DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October).
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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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