WMU 5C, New York
Unit info
- Game species
- Deer, Turkey, Bear
- Group
- Zone 5
- Area
- 1,121 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
Black Bear — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 58
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
- 1,212
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 5C covers the Allegany/Cattaraugus hill country of southwestern New York, centered on Allegany State Park and the surrounding Allegany Unit State Forests — one of the largest contiguous public forest blocks in western New York at over 46,000 acres. The unit holds strong whitetail deer densities, a huntable black bear population, and excellent wild turkey numbers buoyed by a mix of hardwood ridges, agricultural edges, and deep forested hollows.
Rolling Allegheny Plateau with steep forested ridges, deep ravines, and creek bottoms draining into the Allegheny River. Elevations typically 1,400–2,500 ft. Hardwood mix of oak, maple, beech, and cherry with interspersed agricultural fields in the valley bottoms. Heavy forest cover creates classic big-woods deer habitat with good mast production most years.
moderate
WMU 5C is in New York Southern Zone. Antlerless tags issued via Deer Management Permits (DMPs) — apply in August for limited-quota WMUs; bonus/unlimited DMPs available throughout season where applicable. 2026 regulations introduced Earn-a-2nd-Buck system statewide (first antlered tag included with license; second antlered deer requires harvesting a doe first in designated WMUs). Check DEC DMP availability for 5C each license year as quotas adjust annually.
DEER: Southern Zone seasons — Archery: Oct. 1–Nov. 14, Dec. 8–16, Dec. 26–Jan. 1; Regular Firearms: Nov. 15–Dec. 7; Muzzleloader: Dec. 8–16, Dec. 26–Jan. 1 (Holiday Deer Hunt). Antlerless by DMP only outside of special antlerless seasons. BEAR: WMU 5C open to bear hunting in the Southern Zone. Early bear archery season opens Oct. 1; regular firearms bear season runs concurrent with regular deer firearms season (approx. Nov. 21–Dec. 13). Note: bear hunting is prohibited inside Allegany State Park boundaries. TURKEY (Spring): Regular season opens May 1 statewide through May 31; shooting hours half-hour before sunrise to noon; up to 2 bearded birds per season, 1 per day. TURKEY (Fall): Fall turkey season is CLOSED in WMUs 5C and 5D — no fall turkey hunting in this unit. No Long Island firearm restrictions apply (5C is interior Southern Zone — all legal firearms permitted on eligible public lands).
One of the best big-woods deer and bear destinations in western New York. Allegany State Park alone covers most of a WMU and offers solitude rarely found on public land in the Northeast. Turkey densities are high thanks to abundant mast and agricultural edges. Bear population is present and huntable — early archery bear season opens Oct. 1 in the Southern Zone. Large contiguous tracts of DEC state forest offer hunters the ability to get away from pressure.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about WMU 5C— 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 5C.
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Boundaries: NYSDEC official Wildlife Management Units. Community info last updated 23d ago.