New York WMU 8G: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 8G covers 696 square miles, mostly in Genesee, Monroe, Orleans and Erie counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 7,080 deer here in 2025 (3,199 adult bucks and 3,881 antlerless deer) and no bears. 4.9% of the WMU is public land, the largest share national wildlife refuge (10,786 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 8GNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 696 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Genesee, Monroe, Orleans, Erie and Niagara |
| Public land | 4.9% (21,726 acres) |
| DEC land | 8,736 acres: wildlife management area 8,687 and unique area 49 |
| Wildlife management areas | Tonawanda WMA, Oak Orchard WMA, John White WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 7,080 (3,199 adult bucks, 3,881 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 4.7 (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 8G?
DEC estimates 7,080 deer were taken in WMU 8G in 2025, up from 6,957 in 2024. 3,199 were adult bucks, 4.7 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,199 | 343 | 3,141 | 397 | 7,080 | 4.7 | 5.7 |
| 2024 | 3,242 | 463 | 2,782 | 470 | 6,957 | 4.7 | 5.4 |
| 2023 | 2,803 | 577 | 2,696 | 503 | 6,579 | 4.1 | 5.5 |
| 2022 | 2,971 | 674 | 3,525 | 632 | 7,802 | 4.3 | 7 |
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 8G?
DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 8G.
| 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 8G?
| 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 8G?
4.9% of WMU 8G is public land: 21,726 of its 445,291 acres. The largest share is national wildlife refuge, 10,786 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 8G |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuge | 10,786 | 2.4% |
| DEC land | 8,817 | 2% |
| State park | 1,932 | 0.4% |
| Other state land | 191 | 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 8G, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 8G |
|---|---|
| Wildlife management area | 8,687 |
| Unique area | 49 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 8G
| WMA | Acres in WMU 8G |
|---|---|
| Tonawanda WMA | 5,636 |
| Oak Orchard WMA | 2,558 |
| John White WMA | 329 |
Which WMUs border WMU 8G?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 8A | Southern | 1.3% | 4,035 | 1,781 | 0 |
| WMU 8C | Southern | 3.6% | 290 | 161 | 0 |
| WMU 8F | Southern | 3.9% | 5,893 | 2,610 | 0 |
| WMU 8H | Southern | 0.6% | 5,850 | 2,594 | 0 |
| WMU 9A | Southern | 1.7% | 3,530 | 1,687 | 0 |
| WMU 9F | Southern | 0.7% | 2,631 | 1,333 | 0 |
| WMU 9H | Southern | 0.9% | 8,177 | 4,136 | 4 |
Highways crossing WMU 8G: I-90 (67 miles), NY 33 (45 miles), I-490 (39 miles), NY 63 (31 miles), NY 5 (26 miles) and NY 98 (22 miles). Towns inside: Batavia, Akron, Churchville and Elba.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 8G?
DEC estimates 7,080 deer were taken in WMU 8G in 2025: 3,199 adult bucks, 3,141 adult does and 740 fawns. In 2024 the total was 6,957. The 4-year average from 2022 is 7,105 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 8G in 2026?
WMU 8G 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 8G?
DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 8G.
How much public land is in WMU 8G?
21,726 acres, 4.9% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 8,736 acres of DEC land here, the most of it wildlife management area (8,687 acres). Wildlife management areas: Tonawanda (5,636 acres here), Oak Orchard (2,558 acres here) and John White (329 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 8G?
Yes. WMU 8G 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.
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