WMU 3C, New York

Mixed hardwood and conifer forest on rolling to steep Adirondack foothills, with wetland pockets, beaver flowages, and rocky ridgelines. Elevations range from 300 to 2,000 feet. The Lake George basin dominates the eastern edge; interior terrain is remote with limited road access. Habitat is classic whitetail edge country where mature hardwoods meet spruce-fir stands and regenerating cuts.

Moderate. The Lake George Wild Forest draws recreational pressure near road-accessible trailheads, but the interior becomes lightly hunted quickly. The Adirondack terrain self-selects for committed hunters. Pressure concentrates at the few paved access points during the regular firearms season.

WMU 3C falls under the Southern Zone DMP (Deer Management Permit) quota system — DMPs are available by lottery application and are not unlimited. A mandatory antler point restriction (APR) is in effect: a legal buck must have at least one antler with a minimum of three points each measuring at least one inch in length. Under the 2026 Earn-a-2nd-Buck system, hunters who harvest an antlerless deer via DMP, bow/muzzleloader antlerless tag, or DMAP tag become eligible for a second antlered deer tag. Hunters may apply for up to 2 DMPs in quota WMUs.

DEER: Southern Zone seasons — Archery: Oct 1 through Nov 14 and Dec 8 through Dec 16; Regular Firearms: Nov 15 through Dec 7 (rifle legal in this WMU); Muzzleloader: Dec 8 through Dec 16; Holiday Antlerless (bow and muzzleloader): Dec 26 through Jan 1. Mandatory 3-point-or-better APR on antlered deer. DMP lottery required for antlerless during firearms. BEAR: Black bear present and huntable; WMU 3C is open for bear during the regular big game season concurrent with deer season. Bear density is meaningful in the forested Adirondack terrain. TURKEY SPRING: Open statewide (Southern Zone) approximately May 1 through May 31; two bearded birds per season, one per day; legal hours one-half hour before sunrise to noon. TURKEY FALL: WMU 3C fall turkey season runs approximately Nov 1 through Nov 15 and Nov 26 through Nov 28; either-sex birds legal; sunrise to sunset hours. No firearm restrictions apply — this is not a Long Island WMU.

Access to 72,500 acres of Lake George Wild Forest with no permit required; active black bear population with harvestable density; mandatory 3-point APR protects young bucks and yields quality buck opportunities; fall turkey season layered on top of deer season; remote interior provides genuine wilderness hunting experience within a few hours of major population centers.