New York WMU 9M: deer and bear hunting, harvest and public land
New York's WMU 9M covers 329 square miles in Cattaraugus County, in DEC's Southern Zone. DEC estimates hunters took 2,840 deer here in 2025 (1,464 adult bucks and 1,376 antlerless deer) and 15 bears. 4.9% of the WMU is public land, the largest share DEC land (8,601 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 9MNeighboring WMUsHighway
| Zone | Southern Zone |
|---|---|
| Size | 329 square miles (DEC) |
| Counties | Cattaraugus |
| Public land | 4.9% (10,295 acres) |
| DEC land | 10,513 acres: state forest 7,624, unique area 984 and wildlife management area 969 |
| Wildlife management areas | Poverty Hill WMA |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 2,840 (1,464 adult bucks, 1,376 antlerless) |
| Bucks per square mile, 2025 | 4.4 (DEC) |
| Bears harvested, 2025 | 15 |
| Regular firearms deer, 2026 | November 21 to December 13 |
| Deer Management Permits, 2026 | By application (see DEC) |
How many deer are harvested in WMU 9M?
DEC estimates 2,840 deer were taken in WMU 9M in 2025, up from 2,522 in 2024. 1,464 were adult bucks, 4.4 for every square mile.
| Year | Adult bucks | Buck fawns | Adult does | Doe fawns | Total | Bucks per sq mi | Antlerless per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,464 | 128 | 1,104 | 144 | 2,840 | 4.4 | 4.2 |
| 2024 | 1,402 | 133 | 852 | 135 | 2,522 | 4.3 | 3.4 |
| 2023 | 1,146 | 184 | 861 | 156 | 2,347 | 3.5 | 3.6 |
| 2022 | 1,206 | 209 | 1,093 | 193 | 2,701 | 3.7 | 4.5 |
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 9M?
DEC estimates 15 bears were taken in WMU 9M in 2025.
| Year | Bears |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2024 | 3 |
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 9M?
| 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 9M?
4.9% of WMU 9M is public land: 10,295 of its 210,114 acres. The largest share is DEC land, 8,601 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of WMU 9M |
|---|---|---|
| DEC land | 8,601 | 4.1% |
| Other state land | 1,665 | 0.8% |
| State park | 29 | 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 9M, by kind
| Kind of DEC land | Acres in WMU 9M |
|---|---|
| State forest | 7,624 |
| Unique area | 984 |
| Wildlife management area | 969 |
| Multiple use area | 936 |
Measured by FilledTag from DEC Lands.
Wildlife management areas in WMU 9M
| WMA | Acres in WMU 9M |
|---|---|
| Poverty Hill WMA | 969 |
Which WMUs border WMU 9M?
| WMU | Zone | Public land | Deer, 2025 | Adult bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 9G | Southern | 0.7% | 1,843 | 806 | 1 |
| WMU 9H | Southern | 0.9% | 8,177 | 4,136 | 4 |
| WMU 9K | Southern | 3.5% | 3,953 | 1,939 | 14 |
| WMU 9N | Southern | 2.8% | 1,614 | 761 | 7 |
| WMU 9R | Southern | 9.6% | 1,337 | 834 | 22 |
| WMU 9T | Southern | 4.7% | 1,542 | 894 | 14 |
| WMU 9W | Southern | 9.1% | 1,663 | 996 | 10 |
Highways crossing WMU 9M: US 219 (21 miles), NY 242 (16 miles), NY 240 (13 miles), NY 16 (9 miles) and NY 98 (7 miles). Towns inside: Cattaraugus and Ellicottville.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in WMU 9M?
DEC estimates 2,840 deer were taken in WMU 9M in 2025: 1,464 adult bucks, 1,104 adult does and 272 fawns. In 2024 the total was 2,522. The 4-year average from 2022 is 2,603 a year, worked out from DEC's figures.
When is deer season in WMU 9M in 2026?
WMU 9M 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 9M?
DEC estimates 15 bears were taken in WMU 9M in 2025, against 3 in 2024.
How much public land is in WMU 9M?
10,295 acres, 4.9% of the WMU, by PAD-US 4.1. DEC's own land map shows 10,513 acres of DEC land here, the most of it state forest (7,624 acres). Wildlife management areas: Poverty Hill (969 acres here).
Are Deer Management Permits unlimited in WMU 9M?
No. WMU 9M 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.
New York hunting WMU 9G WMU 9H WMU 9K WMU 9N WMU 9R WMU 9T WMU 9W