New York WMU 8C: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 8C covers 145 square miles in Monroe County, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 290 deer here in 2025 (161 adult bucks and 129 antlerless deer) and no bears. 3.6% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (2,072 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 8CNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 145 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Monroe |
| Public land | 3.6% (3,303 acres) |
| DEC land | 2,066 acres: wildlife management area 2,066 |
| Wildlife management areas | Braddock Bay WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 290 (161 adult bucks, 129 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 1.2 (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 8C?
DEC estimates 290 deer were taken in WMU 8C in 2025, level from 290 in 2024. 161 were adult bucks, 1.2 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 161 | 21 | 89 | 19 | 290 | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| 2024 | 127 | 18 | 113 | 32 | 290 | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| 2023 | 121 | 19 | 106 | 41 | 287 | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| 2022 | 173 | 40 | 132 | 47 | 392 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
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 8C?
DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 8C.
| 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 8C?
| 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), bows and crossbows 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 8C?
3.6% of WMU 8C is public land: 3,303 of its 92,492 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 2,072 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 8C |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 2,072 | 2.2% |
| Other state land | 811 | 0.9% |
| State park | 420 | 0.5% |
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 8C, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 8C |
|---|---|
| Wildlife management area | 2,066 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 8C
| WMA | Acres in WMU 8C |
|---|---|
| Braddock Bay WMA | 2,444 |
Which WMUs border WMU 8C?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 8A | Southern | 1.3% | 4,035 | 1,781 | 0 |
| WMU 8F | Southern | 3.9% | 5,893 | 2,610 | 0 |
| WMU 8G | Southern | 4.9% | 7,080 | 3,199 | 0 |
Highways crossing WMU 8C: I-490 (25 miles), NY 104 (23 miles), NY 390 (14 miles), NY 31 (13 miles), I-590 (10 miles) and NY 590 (10 miles). Towns inside: Rochester and Pittsford.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 8C?
DEC estimates 290 deer were taken in WMU 8C in 2025: 161 adult bucks, 89 adult does and 40 fawns. In 2024 the total was 290. The 4-year average from 2022 is 315 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 8C in 2026?
WMU 8C 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 8C?
DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 8C.
How much public land is in WMU 8C?
3,303 acres, 3.6% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 2,066 acres of DEC land here, the most of it wildlife management area (2,066 acres). Wildlife management areas: Braddock Bay (2,444 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 8C?
Yes. WMU 8C 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.