New York WMU 8H: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 8H covers 569 square miles, mostly in Livingston, Ontario, Monroe and Genesee counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 5,850 deer here in 2025 (2,594 adult bucks and 3,256 antlerless deer) and no bears. 0.6% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (1,286 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 8HNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 569 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Livingston, Ontario, Monroe, Genesee and Wyoming |
| Public land | 0.6% (2,271 acres) |
| DEC land | 1,032 acres: wildlife management area 792 and unique area 240 |
| Wildlife management areas | Honeoye Creek WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 5,850 (2,594 adult bucks, 3,256 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 4.5 (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 8H?
DEC estimates 5,850 deer were taken in WMU 8H in 2025, down from 5,892 in 2024. 2,594 were adult bucks, 4.5 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,594 | 293 | 2,639 | 324 | 5,850 | 4.5 | 5.7 |
| 2024 | 2,629 | 402 | 2,453 | 408 | 5,892 | 4.6 | 5.7 |
| 2023 | 2,512 | 570 | 2,608 | 500 | 6,190 | 4.4 | 6.4 |
| 2022 | 2,690 | 560 | 2,935 | 523 | 6,708 | 4.7 | 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 8H?
DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 8H.
| 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 8H?
| 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 8H?
0.6% of WMU 8H is public land: 2,271 of its 364,223 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 1,286 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 8H |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 1,286 | 0.4% |
| State park | 983 | 0.3% |
| Other state land | 2 | 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 8H, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 8H |
|---|---|
| Wildlife management area | 792 |
| Unique area | 240 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 8H
| WMA | Acres in WMU 8H |
|---|---|
| Honeoye Creek WMA | 749 |
Which WMUs border WMU 8H?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 8F | Southern | 3.9% | 5,893 | 2,610 | 0 |
| WMU 8G | Southern | 4.9% | 7,080 | 3,199 | 0 |
| WMU 8J | Southern | 3.4% | 4,910 | 2,269 | 1 |
| WMU 8M | Southern | 8.4% | 3,209 | 1,353 | 2 |
| WMU 8N | Southern | 9.3% | 4,121 | 1,942 | 4 |
| WMU 9H | Southern | 0.9% | 8,177 | 4,136 | 4 |
Highways crossing WMU 8H: NY 5 (38 miles), US 20 (38 miles), I-390 (34 miles), I-90 (28 miles), NY 39 (19 miles) and NY 36 (19 miles). Towns inside: Avon, Geneseo, Le Roy and Honeoye Falls.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 8H?
DEC estimates 5,850 deer were taken in WMU 8H in 2025: 2,594 adult bucks, 2,639 adult does and 617 fawns. In 2024 the total was 5,892. The 4-year average from 2022 is 6,160 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 8H in 2026?
WMU 8H 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 8H?
DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 8H.
How much public land is in WMU 8H?
2,271 acres, 0.6% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 1,032 acres of DEC land here, the most of it wildlife management area (792 acres). Wildlife management areas: Honeoye Creek (749 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 8H?
Yes. WMU 8H 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.