WMU 8F, New York
Unit info
- Game species
- Deer, Turkey, Bear
- Group
- Zone 8
- Area
- 736 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 5,932
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 8F covers the Lake Ontario plain in Niagara, Orleans, and Wayne counties — a fertile agricultural corridor of apple orchards, vineyards, grain fields, and woodlot edges that supports a dense whitetail population and growing wild turkey numbers. Deer hunting is the primary draw, with unlimited antlerless tags (DMPs), a special September antlerless season, and consistently high buck quality produced by rich farm-country forage. Public land is limited but the adjacent Oak Orchard/Tonawanda WMA complex and Iroquois NWR provide a notable wetland-edge hunting option.
Lake Ontario plain — flat to gently rolling glacial lake bed with rich loam soils. Dominated by apple orchards, vineyards, grain and vegetable farms (the Great Lakes Fruit Belt), interspersed with hardwood woodlots, shrubby fencerows, and wetland drainages. Lake Ontario moderates the climate, extending the growing season and producing exceptional mast and forage for deer.
moderate-to-high
WMU 8F has unlimited DMPs (no quota) for 2026 — all applicants receive tags and can harvest an unlimited number of antlerless deer. Bonus DMPs are issued upon reporting harvested deer. A special 9-day early antlerless season (Sept 12-20) is open in 8F using firearms, crossbow, and vertical bow. Earn-a-2nd-Buck: harvesting and reporting an antlerless deer on any valid tag earns a second antlered deer tag.
DEER: Southern Zone seasons — Early Antlerless (Sept 12-20, firearms/bow/crossbow, WMU 8F eligible); Archery (Oct 1 - Nov 20, Dec 14-22, Dec 26 - Jan 1); Youth Firearms (Oct 10-12); Regular Firearms (Nov 21 - Dec 13); Muzzleloader (Dec 14-22, Dec 26 - Jan 1). Unlimited DMPs. No firearm restrictions (not a Long Island shotgun-only unit — rifles legal). BEAR: WMU 8F is open for black bear hunting in the Southern Zone. Regular Firearms (Nov 21 - Dec 13) concurrent with deer season; Archery (Oct 1 - Nov 20, Dec 14-22); Muzzleloader (Dec 14-22). Bear population present in the region. TURKEY (Spring): Southern Zone season May 1 - May 31; Youth weekend April 25-26; hunting hours 30 min before sunrise to noon; limit 2 bearded birds, 1 per day. TURKEY (Fall): Southern Zone season Oct 17-30; either-sex; sunrise to sunset; 1 bird per fall tag.
Exceptional farm-country whitetails with strong buck quality driven by agricultural forage; unlimited antlerless opportunity with September opener; growing wild turkey population in woodlot-farm mosaics; black bear present and open to hunting under regular Southern Zone seasons; one of New York's top WMUs for large-bodied deer; proximity to Oak Orchard/Tonawanda WMA/Iroquois NWR for waterfowl and upland combination hunts.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about WMU 8F— 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 8F.
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Boundaries: NYSDEC official Wildlife Management Units. Community info last updated 23d ago.