New York WMU 8Y: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 8Y covers 352 square miles in Chemung, Steuben and Tioga counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 2,810 deer here in 2025 (1,415 adult bucks and 1,395 antlerless deer) and 29 bears. 0.8% of the WMU is public land, the largest share state park (1,138 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 8YNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 352 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Chemung, Steuben and Tioga |
| Public land | 0.8% (1,880 acres) |
| DEC land | 1,056 acres: state forest 596 and wildlife management area 460 |
| Wildlife management areas | Big Flats WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 2,810 (1,415 adult bucks, 1,395 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 4 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 29 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 8Y?
DEC estimates 2,810 deer were taken in WMU 8Y in 2025, down from 2,856 in 2024. 1,415 were adult bucks, 4 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,415 | 119 | 1,136 | 140 | 2,810 | 4 | 3.9 |
| 2024 | 1,428 | 174 | 1,076 | 178 | 2,856 | 4 | 4 |
| 2023 | 1,252 | 187 | 861 | 167 | 2,467 | 3.5 | 3.4 |
| 2022 | 1,389 | 172 | 916 | 156 | 2,633 | 3.9 | 3.5 |
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 8Y?
DEC estimates 29 bears were taken in WMU 8Y in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 29 |
| 2024 | 37 |
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 8Y?
| 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 8Y?
0.8% of WMU 8Y is public land: 1,880 of its 225,171 acres. The largest share is state park, 1,138 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 8Y |
|---|---|---|
| State park | 1,138 | 0.5% |
| DEC land | 725 | 0.3% |
| Other state land | 17 | 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 8Y, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 8Y |
|---|---|
| State forest | 596 |
| Wildlife management area | 460 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 8Y
| WMA | Acres in WMU 8Y |
|---|---|
| Big Flats WMA | 459 |
Which WMUs border WMU 8Y?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 7R | Southern | 12.1% | 5,114 | 2,438 | 4 |
| WMU 7S | Southern | 0.7% | 4,611 | 2,438 | 32 |
| 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 |
Highways crossing WMU 8Y: NY 17 (57 miles), I-86 (57 miles), NY 352 (22 miles), NY 14 (18 miles), NY 225 (16 miles) and NY 427 (12 miles). Towns inside: Elmira, Corning, Waverly and Elmira Heights.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 8Y?
DEC estimates 2,810 deer were taken in WMU 8Y in 2025: 1,415 adult bucks, 1,136 adult does and 259 fawns. In 2024 the total was 2,856. The 4-year average from 2022 is 2,692 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 8Y in 2026?
WMU 8Y 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 8Y?
DEC estimates 29 bears were taken in WMU 8Y in 2025, against 37 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 8Y?
1,880 acres, 0.8% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 1,056 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (596 acres). Wildlife management areas: Big Flats (459 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 8Y?
No. WMU 8Y 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.