New York WMU 8N: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 8N covers 333 square miles in Ontario, Livingston, Yates and Steuben counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 4,121 deer here in 2025 (1,942 adult bucks and 2,179 antlerless deer) and 4 bears. 9.3% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (18,145 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 8NNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 333 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Ontario, Livingston, Yates and Steuben |
| Public land | 9.3% (19,771 acres) |
| DEC land | 18,466 acres: wildlife management area 10,844, state forest 7,058 and unique area 564 |
| Wildlife management areas | High Tor WMA, Honeoye Inlet WMA, Stid Hill WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 4,121 (1,942 adult bucks, 2,179 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 6.2 (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 8N?
DEC estimates 4,121 deer were taken in WMU 8N in 2025, up from 3,946 in 2024. 1,942 were adult bucks, 6.2 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,942 | 194 | 1,768 | 217 | 4,121 | 6.2 | 6.9 |
| 2024 | 1,737 | 282 | 1,640 | 287 | 3,946 | 5.5 | 7 |
| 2023 | 1,609 | 358 | 1,761 | 309 | 4,037 | 5.1 | 7.7 |
| 2022 | 1,803 | 434 | 2,258 | 412 | 4,907 | 5.7 | 9.9 |
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 8N?
DEC estimates 4 bears were taken in WMU 8N in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2024 | 1 |
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 8N?
| 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 8N?
9.3% of WMU 8N is public land: 19,771 of its 213,266 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 18,145 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 8N |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 18,145 | 8.5% |
| State park | 1,626 | 0.8% |
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 8N, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 8N |
|---|---|
| Wildlife management area | 10,844 |
| State forest | 7,058 |
| Unique area | 564 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 8N
| WMA | Acres in WMU 8N |
|---|---|
| High Tor WMA | 6,944 |
| Honeoye Inlet WMA | 2,721 |
| Stid Hill WMA | 1,034 |
Which WMUs border WMU 8N?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 8H | Southern | 0.6% | 5,850 | 2,594 | 0 |
| WMU 8J | Southern | 3.4% | 4,910 | 2,269 | 1 |
| WMU 8M | Southern | 8.4% | 3,209 | 1,353 | 2 |
| WMU 8P | Southern | 1.9% | 3,163 | 1,733 | 11 |
| WMU 8R | Southern | 1.4% | 4,629 | 2,000 | 3 |
Highways crossing WMU 8N: NY 21 (31 miles), NY 15 (18 miles), NY 64 (13 miles), NY 15A (11 miles), NY 245 (9 miles) and NY 364 (3 miles). Towns inside: Naples.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 8N?
DEC estimates 4,121 deer were taken in WMU 8N in 2025: 1,942 adult bucks, 1,768 adult does and 411 fawns. In 2024 the total was 3,946. The 4-year average from 2022 is 4,253 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 8N in 2026?
WMU 8N 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 8N?
DEC estimates 4 bears were taken in WMU 8N in 2025, against 1 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 8N?
19,771 acres, 9.3% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 18,466 acres of DEC land here, the most of it wildlife management area (10,844 acres). Wildlife management areas: High Tor (6,944 acres here), Honeoye Inlet (2,721 acres here) and Stid Hill (1,034 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 8N?
Yes. WMU 8N 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.