New York WMU 9H: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 9H covers 981 square miles in Wyoming, Erie and Genesee counties, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 8,177 deer here in 2025 (4,136 adult bucks and 4,041 antlerless deer) and 4 bears. 0.9% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (4,218 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 9HNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 981 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Wyoming, Erie and Genesee |
| Public land | 0.9% (5,933 acres) |
| DEC land | 4,193 acres: multiple use area 3,043, wildlife management area 614 and unique area 510 |
| Wildlife management areas | Carlton Hill WMA, Clear Lake WMA, Hampton Brook Woods WMA, Silver Lake Outlet WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 8,177 (4,136 adult bucks, 4,041 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 4.3 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 4 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 9H?
DEC estimates 8,177 deer were taken in WMU 9H in 2025, up from 8,132 in 2024. 4,136 were adult bucks, 4.3 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,136 | 358 | 3,266 | 417 | 8,177 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| 2024 | 4,173 | 484 | 2,985 | 490 | 8,132 | 4.3 | 4.1 |
| 2023 | 3,676 | 571 | 2,647 | 500 | 7,394 | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| 2022 | 3,391 | 631 | 3,353 | 576 | 7,951 | 3.5 | 4.7 |
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 9H?
DEC estimates 4 bears were taken in WMU 9H in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2024 | 2 |
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 9H?
| 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 9H?
0.9% of WMU 9H is public land: 5,933 of its 627,163 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 4,218 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 9H |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 4,218 | 0.7% |
| Other state land | 933 | 0.1% |
| State park | 782 | 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 9H, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 9H |
|---|---|
| Multiple use area | 3,043 |
| Wildlife management area | 614 |
| Unique area | 510 |
| State forest | 26 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 9H
| WMA | Acres in WMU 9H |
|---|---|
| Carlton Hill WMA | 4,561 |
| Clear Lake WMA | 526 |
| Hampton Brook Woods WMA | 78 |
| Silver Lake Outlet WMA | 10 |
Which WMUs border WMU 9H?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 8G | Southern | 4.9% | 7,080 | 3,199 | 0 |
| WMU 8H | Southern | 0.6% | 5,850 | 2,594 | 0 |
| WMU 8M | Southern | 8.4% | 3,209 | 1,353 | 2 |
| WMU 9F | Southern | 0.7% | 2,631 | 1,333 | 0 |
| WMU 9G | Southern | 0.7% | 1,843 | 806 | 1 |
| WMU 9K | Southern | 3.5% | 3,953 | 1,939 | 14 |
| WMU 9M | Southern | 4.9% | 2,840 | 1,464 | 15 |
| WMU 9N | Southern | 2.8% | 1,614 | 761 | 7 |
Highways crossing WMU 9H: NY 39 (53 miles), US 219 (39 miles), NY 98 (31 miles), NY 78 (28 miles), NY 19 (26 miles) and NY 240 (23 miles). Towns inside: Warsaw, Springville, Alden and East Aurora.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 9H?
DEC estimates 8,177 deer were taken in WMU 9H in 2025: 4,136 adult bucks, 3,266 adult does and 775 fawns. In 2024 the total was 8,132. The 4-year average from 2022 is 7,914 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 9H in 2026?
WMU 9H 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 9H?
DEC estimates 4 bears were taken in WMU 9H in 2025, against 2 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 9H?
5,933 acres, 0.9% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 4,193 acres of DEC land here, the most of it multiple use area (3,043 acres). Wildlife management areas: Carlton Hill (4,561 acres here), Clear Lake (526 acres here), Hampton Brook Woods (78 acres here) and Silver Lake Outlet (10 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 9H?
No. WMU 9H 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.
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