WMU 3H, New York

Upper Adirondack boreal fringe — dense mixed conifer and hardwood forest (spruce, fir, northern hardwoods), rolling terrain, wetlands, beaver flows, and river drainages of the St. Lawrence and Salmon River watersheds. Cold winters, heavy snowpack, and a short growing season produce lower deer densities than southern New York WMUs but excellent habitat for bear and furbearers.

Low. Sparse human population, road-limited interior terrain, and cold conditions keep pressure well below state averages. Bears and turkeys can be found with minimal competition. Deer hunting draws more local interest but remains far below the pressure seen in Southern Zone WMUs.

WMU 3H uses the Northern Zone season framework. Archery season runs late September through late October, concurrent with the early muzzleloader segment. Regular firearm season runs late October through early December. Antlerless access via Deer Management Permits (DMPs) — 3H is not on the no-quota exempt list, meaning DMP allocations are set annually by DEC based on herd objectives; availability is typically moderate given modest deer density. The 2026 Earn-a-2nd-Buck system allows hunters who harvest an antlerless deer to earn a second antlered tag statewide. Hunters may apply for up to 4 DMPs (2 in quota WMUs, 2 in no-quota WMUs).

DEER: Northern Zone archery opens late September; early muzzleloader segment overlaps archery in October; regular firearm season runs late October to early December; late muzzleloader segment available in select WMUs. Deer density is below state average due to boreal habitat and severe winters — manage expectations accordingly. BEAR: Open during the Northern Zone regular season (concurrent with deer, late October through early December); no early bear season in the Northern Zone. Black bear population is healthy in the Adirondack region. Bag limit is one bear per year. TURKEY (Spring): Statewide season May 1-31; youth weekend April 25-26; bag limit 2 bearded birds (no more than 1 per day); hunting hours 30 minutes before sunrise to noon. TURKEY (Fall): Northern Zone October 1-14; one bird of either sex; sunrise to sunset. No Long Island shotgun-only restriction applies — WMU 3H is a Northern Zone unit where all legal firearms are permitted during regular seasons.

Remote Adirondack wilderness hunting with minimal competition; black bear hunting during the Northern Zone regular season (late October through early December) concurrent with deer; fall turkey October 1-14 in the Northern Zone; spring turkey May 1-31 statewide; vast forever-wild Forest Preserve tracts with no permission required; excellent habitat for snowshoe hare, grouse, and furbearer trapping seasons.