WMU 8X, New York
Unit info
- Game species
- Deer, Turkey, Bear
- Group
- Zone 8
- Area
- 393 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
Black Bear — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 24
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
- 5,463
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 8X covers the Allegany foothills of Cattaraugus and Allegany counties in southwestern New York, a region defined by rolling hardwood ridges, hemlock ravines, and extensive DEC state forest interspersed with agricultural valleys. The unit supports a healthy whitetail herd with consistent antlerless tag (DMP) availability, solid black bear numbers centered around Allegany State Park, and excellent spring and fall turkey hunting across a largely rural, lower-pressure landscape.
Rolling Allegany Plateau foothills with mixed hardwood forests (oak, maple, beech), hemlock-lined ravines, scattered agricultural bottomlands, and second-growth woodlots. Elevations range roughly 1,200-2,200 ft. Terrain is moderately rugged with numerous creek drainages feeding the Allegheny and Genesee river systems.
low to moderate
DMPs (Deer Management Permits) for antlerless deer are issued by WMU. WMU 8X historically receives a meaningful DMP allocation reflecting a productive herd and DEC antlerless harvest goals. Applications open August 1, close October 1 each year; $10 fee. One additional antlerless deer per DMP, valid only in the issuing WMU. Multiple DMPs may be available in productive years.
DEER: Southern Zone seasons — Archery Oct 1–Nov 14; Youth Big Game Hunt mid-Oct; Firearms (regular) Nov 15–Dec 7; Late Bow/Muzzleloader Dec 8–16 and Dec 26–Jan 1 (Holiday Deer Hunt). No Long Island shotgun-only restriction — all legal firearms permitted. BEAR: Open to bear hunting; early bear archery season opens Sept 12 in Southern Zone, bowhunting for bear opens Oct 1 with regular season, regular firearms bear season opens Nov 15 concurrent with deer. Allegany State Park has marked bear hunting zones. TURKEY: Spring season May 1–May 31, shooting hours half-hour before sunrise to noon, bag limit 2 bearded birds per season (1/day). Fall turkey season open to either-sex hunting in all counties north of Bronx/Westchester line; shotgun, archery, and crossbow legal. No special firearm restrictions (not a Long Island WMU).
Allegany State Park anchors the unit with exceptional bear and turkey habitat. The Allegany Unit State Forests provide over 46,000 acres of walk-in hunting with minimal pressure. Rut activity on agricultural edges in the hollows can be productive during the firearms season. Spring turkey hunting in this corner of the Southern Tier has strong historical tradition dating to NY's first spring turkey seasons in the 1960s.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about WMU 8X— 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 8X.
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.