New York WMU 9A: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 9A covers 466 square miles in Niagara and Erie counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 3,530 deer here in 2025 (1,687 adult bucks and 1,843 antlerless deer) and no bears. 1.7% of the WMU is public land, the largest share state park (3,987 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 parkNational wildlife refugeOther state landMilitary (closed unless the base allows)WMU 9ANeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 466 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Niagara and Erie |
| Public land | 1.7% (5,073 acres) |
| DEC land | 434 acres: wildlife management area 434 |
| Wildlife management areas | Hartland Swamp WMA, Spicer Creek WMA, Motor Island WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 3,530 (1,687 adult bucks, 1,843 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 3.7 (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 9A?
DEC estimates 3,530 deer were taken in WMU 9A in 2025, down from 3,571 in 2024. 1,687 were adult bucks, 3.7 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,687 | 164 | 1,491 | 188 | 3,530 | 3.7 | 4 |
| 2024 | 1,792 | 221 | 1,336 | 222 | 3,571 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
| 2023 | 1,276 | 213 | 1,102 | 193 | 2,784 | 2.8 | 3.3 |
| 2022 | 1,365 | 217 | 1,137 | 199 | 2,918 | 3 | 3.4 |
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 9A?
DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 9A.
| 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 9A?
| 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 9A?
1.7% of WMU 9A is public land: 5,073 of its 298,092 acres. The largest share is state park, 3,987 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 9A |
|---|---|---|
| State park | 3,987 | 1.3% |
| Military (closed unless the base allows) | 1,489 | 0.5% |
| Other state land | 652 | 0.2% |
| DEC land | 434 | 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 9A, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 9A |
|---|---|
| Wildlife management area | 434 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 9A
| WMA | Acres in WMU 9A |
|---|---|
| Hartland Swamp WMA | 401 |
| Spicer Creek WMA | 25 |
| Motor Island WMA | 7 |
Which WMUs border WMU 9A?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 8A | Southern | 1.3% | 4,035 | 1,781 | 0 |
| WMU 8G | Southern | 4.9% | 7,080 | 3,199 | 0 |
| WMU 9C | Southern | 1.4% | |||
| WMU 9F | Southern | 0.7% | 2,631 | 1,333 | 0 |
Highways crossing WMU 9A: NY 104 (38 miles), NY 18 (37 miles), NY 31 (30 miles), I-190 (25 miles), NY 93 (24 miles) and NY 425 (23 miles). Towns inside: Niagara Falls, North Tonawanda, Lockport and Lewiston.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 9A?
DEC estimates 3,530 deer were taken in WMU 9A in 2025: 1,687 adult bucks, 1,491 adult does and 352 fawns. In 2024 the total was 3,571. The 4-year average from 2022 is 3,201 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 9A in 2026?
WMU 9A 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 9A?
DEC's 2025 summary shows no bears taken in WMU 9A.
How much public land is in WMU 9A?
5,073 acres, 1.7% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 434 acres of DEC land here, the most of it wildlife management area (434 acres). Wildlife management areas: Hartland Swamp (401 acres here), Spicer Creek (25 acres here) and Motor Island (7 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 9A?
Yes. WMU 9A 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.