New York WMU 7J: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 7J covers 859 square miles, mostly in Onondaga, Madison, Cayuga and Cortland counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 5,438 deer here in 2025 (2,481 adult bucks and 2,957 antlerless deer) and no bears. 2.1% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (9,918 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 7JNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 859 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Onondaga, Madison, Cayuga, Cortland, Tompkins and Oneida |
| Public land | 2.1% (11,453 acres) |
| DEC land | 9,938 acres: state forest 9,657, unique area 143 and wildlife management area 138 |
| Wildlife management areas | Owasco Flats WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 5,438 (2,481 adult bucks, 2,957 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 3 (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 7J?
DEC estimates 5,438 deer were taken in WMU 7J in 2025, up from 5,351 in 2024. 2,481 were adult bucks, 3 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,481 | 256 | 2,399 | 302 | 5,438 | 3 | 3.5 |
| 2024 | 2,585 | 338 | 2,089 | 339 | 5,351 | 3.1 | 3.3 |
| 2023 | 2,470 | 427 | 2,230 | 368 | 5,495 | 2.9 | 3.6 |
| 2022 | 2,454 | 480 | 2,590 | 453 | 5,977 | 2.9 | 4.2 |
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 7J?
DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 7J.
| 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 7J?
| 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 7J?
2.1% of WMU 7J is public land: 11,453 of its 550,268 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 9,918 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 7J |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 9,918 | 1.8% |
| State park | 1,466 | 0.3% |
| Other state land | 69 | 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 7J, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 7J |
|---|---|
| State forest | 9,657 |
| Unique area | 143 |
| Wildlife management area | 138 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 7J
| WMA | Acres in WMU 7J |
|---|---|
| Owasco Flats WMA | 137 |
Which WMUs border WMU 7J?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 6P | Southern | 5.7% | 1,060 | 455 | 0 |
| WMU 6S | Southern | 2% | 2,239 | 1,215 | 0 |
| WMU 7F | Southern | 4.1% | 3,337 | 1,626 | 0 |
| WMU 7H | Southern | 0.2% | 1,951 | 960 | 0 |
| WMU 7M | Southern | 15.3% | 6,939 | 3,494 | 1 |
| WMU 7R | Southern | 12.1% | 5,114 | 2,438 | 4 |
Highways crossing WMU 7J: I-81 (46 miles), US 20 (45 miles), NY 41 (29 miles), NY 38 (29 miles), NY 13 (28 miles) and NY 80 (24 miles). Towns inside: Oneida, Sherrill, Homer and Groton.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 7J?
DEC estimates 5,438 deer were taken in WMU 7J in 2025: 2,481 adult bucks, 2,399 adult does and 558 fawns. In 2024 the total was 5,351. The 4-year average from 2022 is 5,565 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 7J in 2026?
WMU 7J 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 7J?
DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 7J.
How much public land is in WMU 7J?
11,453 acres, 2.1% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 9,938 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (9,657 acres). Wildlife management areas: Owasco Flats (137 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 7J?
Yes. WMU 7J 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.