WMU 4A, New York
Unit info
- Game species
- Deer, Turkey, Bear
- Group
- Zone 4
- Area
- 426 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 1,748
Draw odds for White-tailed Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Season & harvest data is published for White-tailed Deer so far. Deer, Turkey, Bear also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedWMU 4A sits in the Mohawk Valley and surrounding uplands of DEC Region 4, spanning parts of Schenectady, Montgomery, and Schoharie counties where agricultural fields, river bottomland, and transitional hardwood forest create solid whitetail habitat. Deer densities are moderate with limited DMP availability requiring a lottery application, and both wild turkey and occasional black bear round out the hunting opportunities. Public land is modest in this largely private-farm landscape, but state forests and scattered WMAs provide access for hunters willing to scout.
Mohawk Valley lowlands transitioning to rolling upland hardwood forest; a mix of dairy and row-crop agriculture, river floodplain, second-growth maple-beech-oak woodlots, and brushy fencerows. Elevation ranges from roughly 300 ft along the Mohawk River to 1,400 ft on the surrounding hills. Classic edge habitat where ag fields meet forest produce reliable deer sightings at dawn and dusk.
moderate
WMU 4A falls under the Southern Zone DMP (Deer Management Permit) lottery system for antlerless deer. DMPs are available but quotas are limited — hunters must apply by October 1 through the DEC online system. The 2026 season introduced new earn-a-second-buck rules: harvest an antlerless deer on a DMP and receive a second antlered tag. Early antlerless archery season runs September 12-20 in select WMUs; check DEC table annually for 4A inclusion. Archery: Oct 1 - Nov 20 and Dec 14-22; Regular Firearms: Nov 21 - Dec 13; Muzzleloader: Dec 14-22 and Dec 26 - Jan 1 (Holiday Hunt).
DEER: Southern Zone seasons — Archery Oct 1-Nov 20 and Dec 14-22; Youth Firearms Oct 10-12; Regular Firearms Nov 21-Dec 13; Muzzleloader Dec 14-22 and Dec 26-Jan 1 (Holiday Hunt). Antlerless by DMP lottery, apply by Oct 1. TURKEY: Spring season May 1-31 (youth weekend Apr 25-26), bag limit 2 bearded birds/season, 1/day; Fall season approximately Oct 17-30 (Southern Zone, dates vary by year — verify annually). BEAR: Southern Zone seasons — Early Season (archery/firearms) Sept 12-27 in green-shaded WMUs (verify 4A inclusion annually); Archery Oct 1-Nov 20 and Dec 14-22; Regular Firearms Nov 21-Dec 13; Muzzleloader Dec 14-22. Bear harvest in this unit is low relative to core Catskill WMUs but legal. No Long Island firearm restrictions apply.
Agricultural edge habitat supports a huntable deer population with mature bucks possible on private farms. Wild turkey is strong with excellent spring gobbler hunting in the hardwood ridges above the valley floor. Bear are present as a peripheral population from the Catskill range and are legally huntable under Southern Zone seasons, though encounters are uncommon compared to core Catskill units. The Mohawk Valley setting means access to private land is key — befriending local farmers pays dividends.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about WMU 4A— or drop a tip or trick: access points, where game holds, glassing spots, conditions, crowding, gear that worked. This is where the unit's species-specific intel gets built, hunter by hunter.
Nothing posted yet about WMU 4A.
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Boundaries: NYSDEC official Wildlife Management Units. Community info last updated 23d ago.