WMU 1C, New York

Tug Hill Plateau and Northern Adirondacks fringe — mixed northern hardwood (maple, beech, yellow birch) uplands transitioning to spruce-fir wetlands and coniferous swamps. Elevation ranges from roughly 700 to 1,800 feet. Dense second-growth forest with pockets of abandoned farm fields provides strong edge habitat for deer and turkey. Drainages feeding the Black and Oswegatchie rivers create classic Adirondack swamp-and-ridge topography.

Substantial public hunting access across multiple land types. Key areas include: Tug Hill WMA (5,100 acres, Town of Montague, Lewis County) with hardwood uplands, spruce-fir wetlands, and a 65-acre impoundment; Tug Hill State Forest (additional thousands of acres surrounding the WMA, accessible via Parker Road and Running George Truck Trail); Aldrich Pond Wild Forest (24,773 acres in St. Lawrence County, Adirondack Forest Preserve); Bog River Complex/Horseshoe Lake Wild Forest (~25,000 acres, SW St. Lawrence County, Adirondack Forest Preserve — note heavier pressure near road-accessible campsites); Upper and Lower Lakes WMA (8,770 acres, Canton-area St. Lawrence County, upland-wetland complex between Grasse and Oswegatchie rivers); Wilson Hill WMA (northern St. Lawrence County, near Massena, 4,000 acres of marsh and upland). Conservation easement lands administered by DEC add further walk-in acreage. No fees to access WMAs or Forest Preserve.

low to moderate

WMU 1C is a no-quota DMP unit for 2026 — hunters may apply for up to 2 DMPs in no-quota WMUs (part of the new statewide 4-DMP cap: 2 quota + 2 no-quota). Harvested DMPs in no-quota units are automatically replaced upon reporting, allowing multiple antlerless opportunities. A September archery-only antlerless season (9 days, mid-September) is available. Statewide Earn-a-2nd-Buck system requires antlerless harvest before taking a second antlered deer. All hunters receive one Antlered Deer Tag valid for any season.

DEER: Northern Zone seasons — Archery: Sept. 27 – Oct. 23; Regular Firearms: Oct. 24 – Dec. 6; Muzzleloader: Oct. 17 – Oct. 23. Youth Firearms Weekend: Oct. 10-12. No shotgun-only restriction (full-bore rifles legal in northern NY). Earn-a-2nd-Buck: second antlered tag requires prior antlerless harvest and reporting. DMPs (antlerless): no-quota unit, auto-replaced on reporting. BEAR: Northern Zone bear season runs concurrent with regular deer season Oct. 24 – Dec. 6; archery bear available Sept. 27 – Oct. 23 (Adirondack WMUs). WMU 6C (overlapping area) reported 106 bears in 2025, highest in state — strong regional bear population. One bear per license year. TURKEY — SPRING: Statewide season May 1 – May 31; Youth weekend April 25-26; shooting hours ½ hour before sunrise to noon; limit 2 bearded birds (1/day); no electronic calls. TURKEY — FALL: Northern Zone archery Oct. 4-24 statewide; shotgun/archery season available in applicable WMUs (verify exact dates for 1C); 1 bird either sex; dogs permitted in fall; no restriction to shotgun-only (not a Long Island unit). No firearm restrictions — WMU 1C is a mainland northern zone unit, not subject to Long Island shotgun/archery-only safety zone rules.

Large contiguous blocks of public land on the Tug Hill Plateau and Adirondack fringe. No-quota antlerless DMPs with automatic replacement mean determined hunters can fill multiple doe tags. Bear hunting is open throughout the Northern Zone regular season. Low pressure relative to downstate — interior Tug Hill parcels see minimal hunting competition. Strong ruffed grouse and wild turkey populations as bonus upland species. Access to 600,000+ acres of Adirondack Park land in St. Lawrence County.