New York WMU 8F: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 8F covers 736 square miles in Wayne, Monroe, Cayuga and Ontario counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 5,893 deer here in 2025 (2,610 adult bucks and 3,283 antlerless deer) and no bears. 3.9% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (13,840 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 landWMU 8FNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 736 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Wayne, Monroe, Cayuga and Ontario |
| Public land | 3.9% (18,181 acres) |
| DEC land | 13,970 acres: wildlife management area 13,970 |
| Wildlife management areas | Northern Montezuma WMA, Lake Shore Marshes WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 5,893 (2,610 adult bucks, 3,283 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 3.6 (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 8F?
DEC estimates 5,893 deer were taken in WMU 8F in 2025, down from 5,932 in 2024. 2,610 were adult bucks, 3.6 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,610 | 281 | 2,666 | 336 | 5,893 | 3.6 | 4.5 |
| 2024 | 2,677 | 403 | 2,447 | 405 | 5,932 | 3.7 | 4.4 |
| 2023 | 2,502 | 457 | 2,243 | 388 | 5,590 | 3.4 | 4.2 |
| 2022 | 2,769 | 548 | 2,904 | 508 | 6,729 | 3.8 | 5.4 |
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 8F?
DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 8F.
| 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 8F?
| 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 8F?
3.9% of WMU 8F is public land: 18,181 of its 471,017 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 13,840 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 8F |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 13,840 | 2.9% |
| Other state land | 2,723 | 0.6% |
| National wildlife refuge | 896 | 0.2% |
| State park | 722 | 0.2% |
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 8F, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 8F |
|---|---|
| Wildlife management area | 13,970 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 8F
| WMA | Acres in WMU 8F |
|---|---|
| Northern Montezuma WMA | 7,898 |
| Lake Shore Marshes WMA | 6,340 |
Which WMUs border WMU 8F?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 7A | Southern | 1.5% | 2,949 | 1,589 | 0 |
| WMU 7F | Southern | 4.1% | 3,337 | 1,626 | 0 |
| WMU 8C | Southern | 3.6% | 290 | 161 | 0 |
| WMU 8G | Southern | 4.9% | 7,080 | 3,199 | 0 |
| WMU 8H | Southern | 0.6% | 5,850 | 2,594 | 0 |
| WMU 8J | Southern | 3.4% | 4,910 | 2,269 | 1 |
Highways crossing WMU 8F: NY 104 (64 miles), I-90 (36 miles), NY 31 (31 miles), NY 21 (17 miles), NY 14 (16 miles) and NY 250 (15 miles). Towns inside: Webster, Wolcott, Fairport and Sodus Point.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 8F?
DEC estimates 5,893 deer were taken in WMU 8F in 2025: 2,610 adult bucks, 2,666 adult does and 617 fawns. In 2024 the total was 5,932. The 4-year average from 2022 is 6,036 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 8F in 2026?
WMU 8F 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 8F?
DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 8F.
How much public land is in WMU 8F?
18,181 acres, 3.9% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 13,970 acres of DEC land here, the most of it wildlife management area (13,970 acres). Wildlife management areas: Northern Montezuma (7,898 acres here) and Lake Shore Marshes (6,340 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 8F?
Yes. WMU 8F 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.