New York WMU 8S: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 8S covers 280 square miles in Schuyler, Seneca, Tompkins and Yates counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 2,693 deer here in 2025 (1,236 adult bucks and 1,457 antlerless deer) and 1 bears. 11% of the WMU is public land, the largest share national forest (16,391 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 landNational forestState parkOther state landWMU 8SNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 280 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Schuyler, Seneca, Tompkins and Yates |
| Public land | 11% (19,712 acres) |
| DEC land | 2,208 acres: wildlife management area 1,222 and state forest 986 |
| Wildlife management areas | Catharine Creek WMA, Willard WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 2,693 (1,236 adult bucks, 1,457 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 4.8 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 1 |
| 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 8S?
DEC estimates 2,693 deer were taken in WMU 8S in 2025, up from 2,625 in 2024. 1,236 were adult bucks, 4.8 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,236 | 130 | 1,178 | 149 | 2,693 | 4.8 | 5.7 |
| 2024 | 1,189 | 178 | 1,077 | 181 | 2,625 | 4.6 | 5.6 |
| 2023 | 1,082 | 198 | 956 | 175 | 2,411 | 4.2 | 5.2 |
| 2022 | 1,074 | 192 | 1,027 | 177 | 2,470 | 4.2 | 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 8S?
DEC estimates 1 bears were taken in WMU 8S in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 |
| 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 8S?
| 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 8S?
11% of WMU 8S is public land: 19,712 of its 179,543 acres. The largest share is national forest, 16,391 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 8S |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 16,391 | 9.1% |
| DEC land | 1,925 | 1.1% |
| State park | 1,268 | 0.7% |
| Other state land | 128 | 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 8S, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 8S |
|---|---|
| Wildlife management area | 1,222 |
| State forest | 986 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 8S
| WMA | Acres in WMU 8S |
|---|---|
| Catharine Creek WMA | 784 |
| Willard WMA | 154 |
Which WMUs border WMU 8S?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 7H | Southern | 0.2% | 1,951 | 960 | 0 |
| WMU 7R | Southern | 12.1% | 5,114 | 2,438 | 4 |
| WMU 8J | Southern | 3.4% | 4,910 | 2,269 | 1 |
| WMU 8R | Southern | 1.4% | 4,629 | 2,000 | 3 |
| WMU 8W | Southern | 10.7% | 3,878 | 2,016 | 16 |
Highways crossing WMU 8S: NY 414 (23 miles), NY 96 (21 miles), NY 89 (20 miles), NY 79 (14 miles), NY 96A (10 miles) and NY 227 (10 miles). Towns inside: Watkins Glen, Trumansburg, Burdett and Lodi.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 8S?
DEC estimates 2,693 deer were taken in WMU 8S in 2025: 1,236 adult bucks, 1,178 adult does and 279 fawns. In 2024 the total was 2,625. The 4-year average from 2022 is 2,550 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 8S in 2026?
WMU 8S 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 8S?
DEC estimates 1 bears were taken in WMU 8S in 2025, against 1 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 8S?
19,712 acres, 11% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 2,208 acres of DEC land here, the most of it wildlife management area (1,222 acres). Wildlife management areas: Catharine Creek (784 acres here) and Willard (154 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 8S?
Yes. WMU 8S 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.