WMU 9W, New York
Unit info
- Game species
- Deer, Turkey, Bear
- Group
- Zone 9
- Area
- 249 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
Black Bear — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 6
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
- 1,521
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 9W covers approximately 250 square miles of Allegany County in western New York, centered on the towns of Caneadea, Allen, Birdsall, Fremont, Urbana, and Reading — a landscape of steep hardwood ridges, creek hollows, and mixed conifer-hardwood state forests. The unit sits in the heart of New York's Southern Zone with a robust deer herd, strong public land access through the 46,000-acre Allegany Unit State Forests, and legitimate opportunities for bear and turkey alongside white-tailed deer.
Steep dissected plateau of the Allegheny Hills; mixed hardwood (maple, beech, oak) and planted conifer state forests; creek drainages and agricultural hollows between ridges; elevation 1,400-2,200 ft. Classic western NY big-woods hill country.
moderate
2025 DMP target: 2,500 antlerless permits for 250 sq mi (10 DMPs/sq mi). Resident 1st DMP: Medium odds. Resident 2nd DMP and non-resident DMPs: None (quota unit). Apply by October 1. DMP harvest success rate ~10.0%, reporting rate ~21.0%. Antlerless deer also available via Bow/Muzzleloader Antlerless Tag included with those privileges.
DEER: Southern Zone seasons — Early Antlerless: Sept 12-20 (firearms and bow); 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. All implements legal including centerfire rifle. BEAR: Season mirrors deer — Regular Firearms Nov 21-Dec 13, Archery Oct 1-Nov 20, Muzzleloader Dec 14-22; early season Sept 12-27 in select units (verify annually). TURKEY: Spring season approx. May 1-31 (half-hour before sunrise to noon); Fall Southern Zone approx. Oct 17-30. Bear population present in Allegany hills — annual harvest reported in region.
Large contiguous blocks of public state forest make this one of the more accessible units in Region 9. Agricultural edges in creek hollows adjacent to forested ridges create excellent deer habitat. Bear are present and huntable. Fall turkey season offers outstanding mixed-habitat hunting. No rifle restrictions — centerfire rifles and shotguns both legal.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about WMU 9W— 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 9W.
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.