New York WMU 7M: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 7M covers 1,232 square miles, mostly in Chenango, Madison, Cortland and Broome counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 6,939 deer here in 2025 (3,494 adult bucks and 3,445 antlerless deer) and 1 bears. 15.3% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (117,631 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 7MNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,232 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Chenango, Madison, Cortland, Broome, Onondaga and Oneida |
| Public land | 15.3% (120,972 acres) |
| DEC land | 116,281 acres: state forest 105,123, wildlife management area 8,585 and unique area 2,382 |
| Wildlife management areas | Pharsalia WMA, Tioughnioga WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 6,939 (3,494 adult bucks, 3,445 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 2.8 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 1 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 7M?
DEC estimates 6,939 deer were taken in WMU 7M in 2025, down from 7,422 in 2024. 3,494 were adult bucks, 2.8 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,494 | 293 | 2,800 | 352 | 6,939 | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| 2024 | 3,900 | 421 | 2,672 | 429 | 7,422 | 3.1 | 2.8 |
| 2023 | 3,599 | 443 | 2,347 | 379 | 6,768 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
| 2022 | 3,675 | 538 | 2,948 | 505 | 7,666 | 3 | 3.2 |
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 7M?
DEC estimates 1 bears were taken in WMU 7M in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2024 | 8 |
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 7M?
| 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 7M?
15.3% of WMU 7M is public land: 120,972 of its 789,215 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 117,631 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 7M |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 117,631 | 14.9% |
| Other state land | 2,344 | 0.3% |
| State park | 997 | 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 7M, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 7M |
|---|---|
| State forest | 105,123 |
| Wildlife management area | 8,585 |
| Unique area | 2,382 |
| Multiple use area | 191 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 7M
| WMA | Acres in WMU 7M |
|---|---|
| Pharsalia WMA | 4,680 |
| Tioughnioga WMA | 3,906 |
Which WMUs border WMU 7M?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 4F | Southern | 4.1% | 5,439 | 3,143 | 16 |
| WMU 6S | Southern | 2% | 2,239 | 1,215 | 0 |
| WMU 7J | Southern | 2.1% | 5,438 | 2,481 | 0 |
| WMU 7P | Southern | 5.2% | 2,373 | 1,459 | 11 |
| WMU 7R | Southern | 12.1% | 5,114 | 2,438 | 4 |
| WMU 7S | Southern | 0.7% | 4,611 | 2,438 | 32 |
Highways crossing WMU 7M: NY 26 (54 miles), NY 80 (42 miles), NY 41 (33 miles), I-81 (31 miles), NY 13 (31 miles) and NY 12 (28 miles). Towns inside: Hamilton, Cazenovia, Sherburne and Earlville.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 7M?
DEC estimates 6,939 deer were taken in WMU 7M in 2025: 3,494 adult bucks, 2,800 adult does and 645 fawns. In 2024 the total was 7,422. The 4-year average from 2022 is 7,199 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 7M in 2026?
WMU 7M 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 7M?
DEC estimates 1 bears were taken in WMU 7M in 2025, against 8 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 7M?
120,972 acres, 15.3% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 116,281 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (105,123 acres). Wildlife management areas: Pharsalia (4,680 acres here) and Tioughnioga (3,906 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 7M?
No. WMU 7M 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.