New York WMU 7R: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 7R covers 729 square miles, mostly in Tompkins, Tioga, Cortland and Broome counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 5,114 deer here in 2025 (2,438 adult bucks and 2,676 antlerless deer) and 4 bears. 12.1% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (51,573 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 landNational forestState parkOther state landWMU 7RNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 729 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Tompkins, Tioga, Cortland, Broome, Schuyler and Chemung |
| Public land | 12.1% (56,327 acres) |
| DEC land | 51,561 acres: state forest 39,646, wildlife management area 11,378 and multiple use area 537 |
| Wildlife management areas | Connecticut Hill WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 5,114 (2,438 adult bucks, 2,676 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 3.3 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 4 |
| 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 7R?
DEC estimates 5,114 deer were taken in WMU 7R in 2025, up from 5,005 in 2024. 2,438 were adult bucks, 3.3 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,438 | 236 | 2,167 | 273 | 5,114 | 3.3 | 3.6 |
| 2024 | 2,307 | 337 | 2,020 | 341 | 5,005 | 3.1 | 3.6 |
| 2023 | 2,146 | 355 | 1,838 | 306 | 4,645 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
| 2022 | 2,140 | 442 | 2,336 | 418 | 5,336 | 2.9 | 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 7R?
DEC estimates 4 bears were taken in WMU 7R in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2024 | 2 |
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 7R?
| 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 7R?
12.1% of WMU 7R is public land: 56,327 of its 467,078 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 51,573 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 7R |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 51,573 | 11% |
| Other state land | 2,749 | 0.6% |
| State park | 2,005 | 0.4% |
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 7R, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 7R |
|---|---|
| State forest | 39,646 |
| Wildlife management area | 11,378 |
| Multiple use area | 537 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 7R
| WMA | Acres in WMU 7R |
|---|---|
| Connecticut Hill WMA | 11,272 |
Which WMUs border WMU 7R?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 7H | Southern | 0.2% | 1,951 | 960 | 0 |
| WMU 7J | Southern | 2.1% | 5,438 | 2,481 | 0 |
| WMU 7M | Southern | 15.3% | 6,939 | 3,494 | 1 |
| WMU 7P | Southern | 5.2% | 2,373 | 1,459 | 11 |
| WMU 7S | Southern | 0.7% | 4,611 | 2,438 | 32 |
| WMU 8S | Southern | 11% | 2,693 | 1,236 | 1 |
| WMU 8W | Southern | 10.7% | 3,878 | 2,016 | 16 |
| WMU 8Y | Southern | 0.8% | 2,810 | 1,415 | 29 |
Highways crossing WMU 7R: NY 79 (38 miles), NY 38 (29 miles), I-81 (28 miles), NY 13 (24 miles), US 11 (23 miles) and NY 96 (20 miles). Towns inside: Cortland, Marathon, Spencer and Newark Valley.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 7R?
DEC estimates 5,114 deer were taken in WMU 7R in 2025: 2,438 adult bucks, 2,167 adult does and 509 fawns. In 2024 the total was 5,005. The 4-year average from 2022 is 5,025 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 7R in 2026?
WMU 7R 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 7R?
DEC estimates 4 bears were taken in WMU 7R in 2025, against 2 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 7R?
56,327 acres, 12.1% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 51,561 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (39,646 acres). Wildlife management areas: Connecticut Hill (11,272 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 7R?
Yes. WMU 7R 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.
New York hunting WMU 7H WMU 7J WMU 7M WMU 7P WMU 7S WMU 8S WMU 8W WMU 8Y