WMU 4F, New York
Unit info
- Game species
- Deer, Turkey, Bear
- Group
- Zone 4
- Area
- 1,157 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
Black Bear — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 17
Draw odds for Black Beararen't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 5,600
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 Black Bear, 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 4F covers the central Catskills across Greene, Ulster, and Schoharie counties, encompassing some of the most rugged terrain in the Southern Zone with elevations topping 3,500 feet, extensive state Forest Preserve land, and well-established populations of whitetail deer, black bear, and wild turkey. Public access is exceptional thanks to hundreds of thousands of acres of Catskill Forest Preserve wild forests and wilderness areas including Hunter Mountain, Windham-Blackhead Range, Kaaterskill, North Point, and Blackhead wild forests, all open to hunting. Deer and bear hunting are solid here, with DMPs available on a limited quota basis and the Southern Zone regular firearms season running November 15 through December 7.
Rugged central Catskill Mountains with elevations reaching 3,500+ feet; dominated by northern hardwood-hemlock forest with beech, maple, birch, and cherry on ridges transitioning to hemlock and mixed conifers in drainages; steep hollows and creek bottoms (Schoharie Kill, Esopus Creek headwaters) provide travel corridors for deer and bear; large unbroken forest blocks with minimal agricultural edge
Moderate — large state land blocks and rugged terrain disperse hunters effectively; some pressure concentrates near road-accessible trailheads and during the regular firearms season opener, but interior ridges and remote drainages see light use; bear hunting pressure increases during November regular season overlap
WMU 4F operates under limited Deer Management Permit (DMP) quota — not on the unlimited DMP list; hunters may apply for up to 2 DMPs in limited-quota WMUs with applications due October 1; antlerless harvest is modest relative to private-land units given the steep terrain and large forest blocks; earn-a-buck system in effect statewide — harvesting and reporting an antlerless deer with a DMP unlocks a second antlered deer tag
DEER: Southern Zone archery October 1 - November 14 (crossbow legal November 1-14); regular firearms November 15 - December 7; late archery December 8-16 and December 26 - January 1; muzzleloader December 8-16 and December 26 - January 1. BEAR: Open to black bear hunting; early bear season (archery/firearms) runs September 6-21 in select WMUs — WMU 4F is not listed in the early season; regular bear season runs concurrent with Southern Zone deer firearms season approximately November 21 - December 13; legal methods include firearms, archery, and muzzleloader. TURKEY: Spring season May 1-31 statewide (shooting hours one-half hour before sunrise to noon; 2-bird limit, 1 per day, bearded birds only); fall season mid-October through late November in Southern Zone (either sex, 1 bird). No firearm restrictions apply — WMU 4F is not a Long Island shotgun/archery-only zone; centerfire rifles are legal for big game subject to county-level implement rules (verify Greene/Ulster/Schoharie county restrictions on DEC implement map).
One of New York's premier bear hunting units in the Catskills; wild turkey populations strong in the mixed hardwood ridges; exceptional roadless public land access across Forest Preserve; dramatic topography creates quality solitude hunting; good fall foliage-season archery overlap attracts hunters statewide; Schoharie Kill corridor holds mature bucks
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about WMU 4F— 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 4F.
Be the first — ask a question (“Best public access on the north end?”) or share a tip (“Glass the burn scars off the main ridge at first light”).
Boundaries: NYSDEC official Wildlife Management Units. Community info last updated 23d ago.