New York WMU 8P: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 8P covers 351 square miles in Steuben, Yates and Ontario counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 3,163 deer here in 2025 (1,733 adult bucks and 1,430 antlerless deer) and 11 bears. 1.9% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (3,830 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 parkWMU 8PNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 351 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Steuben, Yates and Ontario |
| Public land | 1.9% (4,330 acres) |
| DEC land | 3,844 acres: state forest 3,701 and wildlife management area 143 |
| Wildlife management areas | Cold Brook WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 3,163 (1,733 adult bucks, 1,430 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 4.9 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 11 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 8P?
DEC estimates 3,163 deer were taken in WMU 8P in 2025, up from 3,000 in 2024. 1,733 were adult bucks, 4.9 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,733 | 126 | 1,161 | 143 | 3,163 | 4.9 | 4 |
| 2024 | 1,576 | 167 | 1,088 | 169 | 3,000 | 4.4 | 4 |
| 2023 | 1,370 | 224 | 852 | 194 | 2,640 | 3.8 | 3.6 |
| 2022 | 1,504 | 160 | 878 | 144 | 2,686 | 4.2 | 3.3 |
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 8P?
DEC estimates 11 bears were taken in WMU 8P in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 11 |
| 2024 | 17 |
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 8P?
| 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 |
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 8P?
1.9% of WMU 8P is public land: 4,330 of its 224,486 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 3,830 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 8P |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 3,830 | 1.7% |
| State park | 500 | 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 8P, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 8P |
|---|---|
| State forest | 3,701 |
| Wildlife management area | 143 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 8P
| WMA | Acres in WMU 8P |
|---|---|
| Cold Brook WMA | 147 |
Which WMUs border WMU 8P?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 8M | Southern | 8.4% | 3,209 | 1,353 | 2 |
| WMU 8N | Southern | 9.3% | 4,121 | 1,942 | 4 |
| WMU 8R | Southern | 1.4% | 4,629 | 2,000 | 3 |
| WMU 8T | Southern | 2.8% | 4,401 | 2,148 | 37 |
| WMU 8W | Southern | 10.7% | 3,878 | 2,016 | 16 |
| WMU 8X | Southern | 2.2% | 5,696 | 2,524 | 40 |
| WMU 9P | Southern | 12.6% | 4,912 | 2,689 | 24 |
Highways crossing WMU 8P: I-390 (44 miles), NY 53 (21 miles), I-86 (20 miles), NY 17 (20 miles), NY 21 (19 miles) and NY 415 (18 miles). Towns inside: Cohocton, Avoca, Wayland and Arkport.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 8P?
DEC estimates 3,163 deer were taken in WMU 8P in 2025: 1,733 adult bucks, 1,161 adult does and 269 fawns. In 2024 the total was 3,000. The 4-year average from 2022 is 2,872 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 8P in 2026?
WMU 8P 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.
How many bears are taken in WMU 8P?
DEC estimates 11 bears were taken in WMU 8P in 2025, against 17 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 8P?
4,330 acres, 1.9% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 3,844 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (3,701 acres). Wildlife management areas: Cold Brook (147 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 8P?
No. WMU 8P is not among the 23 WMUs with unlimited DMPs in 2026; DMPs there are issued through DEC's application. A reported antlerless deer on any antlerless tag still earns a second antlered deer tag.
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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.
New York hunting WMU 8M WMU 8N WMU 8R WMU 8T WMU 8W WMU 8X WMU 9P