New York WMU 9J: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 9J covers 717 square miles in Chautauqua County, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 6,909 deer here in 2025 (3,278 adult bucks and 3,631 antlerless deer) and 43 bears. 3.1% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (13,589 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 9JNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 717 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Chautauqua |
| Public land | 3.1% (14,217 acres) |
| DEC land | 13,509 acres: state forest 10,298, wildlife management area 2,766 and multiple use area 445 |
| Wildlife management areas | Watts WMA, Alder Bottom WMA, Clay Pond WMA, Hartson Swamp WMA and 3 more |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 6,909 (3,278 adult bucks, 3,631 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 4.7 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 43 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 9J?
DEC estimates 6,909 deer were taken in WMU 9J in 2025, up from 6,107 in 2024. 3,278 were adult bucks, 4.7 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,278 | 332 | 2,929 | 370 | 6,909 | 4.7 | 5.2 |
| 2024 | 2,987 | 382 | 2,350 | 388 | 6,107 | 4.3 | 4.5 |
| 2023 | 2,627 | 501 | 2,478 | 437 | 6,043 | 3.8 | 4.9 |
| 2022 | 2,854 | 538 | 2,817 | 499 | 6,708 | 4.1 | 5.6 |
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 9J?
DEC estimates 43 bears were taken in WMU 9J in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 43 |
| 2024 | 33 |
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 9J?
| 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 9J?
3.1% of WMU 9J is public land: 14,217 of its 458,049 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 13,589 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 9J |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 13,589 | 3% |
| State park | 627 | 0.1% |
| Other state land | 1 | 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 9J, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 9J |
|---|---|
| State forest | 10,298 |
| Wildlife management area | 2,766 |
| Multiple use area | 445 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 9J
| WMA | Acres in WMU 9J |
|---|---|
| Watts WMA | 1,392 |
| Alder Bottom WMA | 818 |
| Clay Pond WMA | 217 |
| Hartson Swamp WMA | 140 |
| Chautauqua Lake WMA | 134 |
| Kabob WMA | 37 |
| Jacquins Pond WMA | 30 |
Which WMUs border WMU 9J?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 9G | Southern | 0.7% | 1,843 | 806 | 1 |
| WMU 9K | Southern | 3.5% | 3,953 | 1,939 | 14 |
| WMU 9R | Southern | 9.6% | 1,337 | 834 | 22 |
Highways crossing WMU 9J: NY 17 (64 miles), I-86 (64 miles), I-90 (56 miles), NY 430 (40 miles), NY 5 (28 miles) and US 20 (28 miles). Towns inside: Jamestown, Fredonia, Dunkirk and Westfield.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 9J?
DEC estimates 6,909 deer were taken in WMU 9J in 2025: 3,278 adult bucks, 2,929 adult does and 702 fawns. In 2024 the total was 6,107. The 4-year average from 2022 is 6,442 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 9J in 2026?
WMU 9J 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 9J?
DEC estimates 43 bears were taken in WMU 9J in 2025, against 33 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 9J?
14,217 acres, 3.1% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 13,509 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (10,298 acres). Wildlife management areas: Watts (1,392 acres here), Alder Bottom (818 acres here), Clay Pond (217 acres here) and Hartson Swamp (140 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 9J?
No. WMU 9J 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.