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WMU 9M and more

Cattaraugus County Hunting

A county brief for Cattaraugus County: the units DEC uses to set deer and bear dates, 2026 DMP numbers, the duck zone, public tracts with acres, 2025 deer take and the nearest DEC office.

SouthernBig game
9M,​9T,​9R,​9K,​9W +WMUs
WesternDuck zone
9DEC region
9,661Deer 2025

Photo: seabamirum (CC BY 2.0)

Measured on Census maps, Cattaraugus County holds 1,308 square miles of land around its seat at Little Valley. Its population stood at 75,475 in 2024 (-2.0% on 2020). DEC manages wildlife here from its Region 9 office in Buffalo. DEC sets dates by unit; here that means 9M, 9T, 9R, 9K, 9W, 9S, 9X and 9N. About 37,626 acres of DEC ground lie within the line.

Little ValleyCounty seat
75,475Residents 2024
1,308Area (sq mi)
SouthernZone
37,626DEC land, ac
9,661Take 2025

Land area from the Census 2024 Gazetteer, population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates, DEC region and offices from the DEC office list, WMUs from the DEC WMU season layer, DEC acres from the NYS DEC Lands layer (GIS measure). Checked October 27, 2026.

Nearby

Places to hunt and shoot around Cattaraugus County

Rock City And McCarty Hill State Forests

Public land · 2 mi from Cattaraugus County

Directions
Allegany State Park

Public land · 14 mi from Cattaraugus County

Directions
Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area and Unique Area

Public land · 18 mi from Cattaraugus County

Directions
Hanging Bog Wildlife Management Area

Public land · 22 mi from Cattaraugus County

Directions
Clear Lake Wildlife Management Area

Public land · 24 mi from Cattaraugus County

Directions
Hartson Swamp Wildlife Management Area

Public land · 26 mi from Cattaraugus County

Directions

Cattaraugus County unit-by-unit rules

The largest unit here is 9M, about 25% of the county; 9T (19%), 9R (15%) and 9K (14%) follow. Expect the bow opener Oct. 1 and the gun opener Nov. 21, as set for the Southern Zone. For 2026 DEC offers capped DMPs across 9M, 9T, 9R, 9K, 9W, 9S, 9X and 9N. Leftover limited permits appear about Nov. 1 after the Oct 1, 2026 deadline. Junior hunters 12-15 get the youth firearms hunt Oct 10 to Oct 12, 2026 outside bowhunting-only units. New for 2026, filling an antlerless tag earns a second buck tag.

WMUCounty shareZoneEarly archeryRegular seasonMuzzleloading
9M25%SouthernOct. 1–Nov. 20Nov. 21–Dec. 13
Dec. 14–Dec. 22
Dec. 26–Jan. 1
9T19%SouthernOct. 1–Nov. 20Nov. 21–Dec. 13
Dec. 14–Dec. 22
Dec. 26–Jan. 1
9R15%SouthernOct. 1–Nov. 20Nov. 21–Dec. 13
Dec. 14–Dec. 22
Dec. 26–Jan. 1
9K14%SouthernOct. 1–Nov. 20Nov. 21–Dec. 13
Dec. 14–Dec. 22
Dec. 26–Jan. 1
9W8%SouthernOct. 1–Nov. 20Nov. 21–Dec. 13
Dec. 14–Dec. 22
Dec. 26–Jan. 1
9S8%SouthernOct. 1–Nov. 20Nov. 21–Dec. 13
Dec. 14–Dec. 22
Dec. 26–Jan. 1
9X4%SouthernOct. 1–Nov. 20Nov. 21–Dec. 13
Dec. 14–Dec. 22
Dec. 26–Jan. 1
9N4%SouthernOct. 1–Nov. 20Nov. 21–Dec. 13
Dec. 14–Dec. 22
Dec. 26–Jan. 1
Unit2026 DMPsAvg successResident 1stResident 2ndNonresidentBuck ruleBear areaFall turkey
9M6,30016.5%HighLowHighNoneSouthern ZoneOct. 17-30
9T2,29222.5%HighNoneHighNoneSouthern ZoneOct. 17-30
9R2,30320.2%HighNoneHighNoneSouthern ZoneOct. 17-30
9K7,00024.0%HighMedHighNoneSouthern ZoneOct. 17-30
9W2,60021.0%MedNoneNoneNoneSouthern ZoneOct. 17-30
9S1,20018.6%HighLowHighNoneSouthern ZoneOct. 17-30
9X2,60326.6%HighNoneMedNoneSouthern ZoneOct. 17-30
9N5,00015.8%HighMedHighNoneSouthern ZoneOct. 17-30

Share is the part of the county inside each unit, from the GIS overlay.

WMU 9M · WMU 9T · WMU 9R · WMU 9K · WMU 9W · WMU 9S · Permit table · Antler restrictions

Unit shares and dates from the DEC WMU season layer (2026-27); DMP targets and odds from the 2026 DMP table and the guide DMP page; antler, bow-only, bear and turkey units from the 2026-27 guide. Checked October 27, 2026.

Cattaraugus County dates from September to May

Cattaraugus County lies in the Southern Zone, and its WMUs (9M, 9T, 9R, 9K, 9W and 9S) decide the deer, bear, turkey and small game dates. The 48 rows below come from the 2026-27 guide.

GameSeasonAreaBeginsThroughRight now
White-tailed deerEarly BowhuntingAll WMUs hereOct 1, 2026Nov 20, 2026
White-tailed deerYouth deer weekendAll WMUs hereOct 10, 2026Oct 12, 2026
White-tailed deerRegular SeasonAll WMUs hereNov 21, 2026Dec 13, 2026
White-tailed deerLate BowhuntingAll WMUs hereDec 14, 2026Dec 22, 2026
White-tailed deerLate MuzzleloadingAll WMUs hereDec 14, 2026Dec 22, 2026
White-tailed deerLate Bowhunting (holidays)All WMUs hereDec 26, 2026Jan 1, 2027
White-tailed deerLate Muzzleloading (holidays)All WMUs hereDec 26, 2026Jan 1, 2027
Black bearEarly BowhuntingAll WMUs hereOct 1, 2026Nov 20, 2026
Black bearYouth Firearms Bear HuntAll WMUs hereOct 10, 2026Oct 12, 2026
Black bearRegular SeasonAll WMUs hereNov 21, 2026Dec 13, 2026
Black bearLate BowhuntingAll WMUs hereDec 14, 2026Dec 22, 2026
Black bearLate MuzzleloadingAll WMUs hereDec 14, 2026Dec 22, 2026
Wild turkeyFall SeasonAll WMUs hereOct 17, 2026Oct 30, 2026
Wild turkeyYouth Spring Turkey HuntAll WMUs hereApr 24, 2027Apr 25, 2027
Wild turkeySpring SeasonAll WMUs hereMay 1, 2027May 31, 2027
PheasantYouth Pheasant HuntAll WMUs hereOct 10, 2026Oct 11, 2026
PheasantRegular (either sex)All WMUs hereOct 17, 2026Feb 28, 2027
Ruffed grouseHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 1, 2026Feb 28, 2027
WoodcockHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 1, 2026Nov 14, 2026
CottontailHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 1, 2026Feb 28, 2027
Snowshoe hareHuntingAll WMUs hereJan 1, 2027Jan 31, 2027
Gray squirrelHuntingAll WMUs hereSep 1, 2026Feb 28, 2027
Black squirrelHuntingAll WMUs hereSep 1, 2026Feb 28, 2027
Fox squirrelHuntingAll WMUs hereSep 1, 2026Feb 28, 2027
DucksSplit 1Western ZoneOct 10, 2026Nov 1, 2026
DucksSplit 2Western ZoneDec 5, 2026Jan 10, 2027
Scaup2-scaup windowWestern ZoneDec 22, 2026Jan 10, 2027
Canada gooseSeptember seasonSouth goose areaSep 1, 2026Sep 25, 2026
Canada gooseRegular seasonSouth goose areaOct 24, 2026Jan 11, 2027
Snow gooseRegular seasonWestern ZoneNov 24, 2026Mar 10, 2027
BrantRegular seasonWestern ZoneOct 10, 2026Nov 8, 2026
Youth waterfowlYouth daysWestern ZoneSep 26, 2026Sep 27, 2026
Veteran waterfowlVeteran daysWestern ZoneNov 7, 2026Nov 8, 2026
SnipeHuntingAll WMUs hereSep 1, 2026Nov 9, 2026
RailsHuntingAll WMUs hereSep 1, 2026Nov 9, 2026
GallinuleHuntingAll WMUs hereSep 1, 2026Nov 9, 2026
CrowHuntingAll WMUs hereSep 1, 2026Mar 31, 2027
CoyoteHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 1, 2026Mar 28, 2027
RaccoonHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 25, 2026Feb 15, 2027
Red foxHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 25, 2026Feb 15, 2027
Gray foxHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 25, 2026Feb 15, 2027
BobcatHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 25, 2026Nov 20, 2026
SkunkHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 25, 2026Feb 15, 2027
OpossumHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 25, 2026Feb 15, 2027
WeaselHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 25, 2026Feb 15, 2027
MinkHunting (Southern Zone only)Southern ZoneNov 10, 2026Apr 7, 2027
Snapping turtleHuntingStatewideJul 15, 2026Sep 30, 2026
FrogsHuntingStatewideJun 15, 2026Sep 30, 2026

Youth, veteran and special permit hunts are on their own pages.

From the 2026-27 New York Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation), WMU lists as printed, checked October 27, 2026.

Cattaraugus County deer numbers since 2007

Cattaraugus County ranked 3rd of the 56 counties DEC reports, with 9,661 deer in 2025. Since 2007 (9,934) the county moved -3%, with 2007 on top at 9,934. Adult does numbered 3,586 against 5,225 adult bucks. DEC's last town breakdown (2019) has East Otto, Franklinville and Ashford as the top three.

Yearly deer take, Cattaraugus County03,0006,0009,00012,0002007: 9,9349,93420072008: 9,2849,28420082009: 9,5769,57620092010: 9,3249,32420102011: 8,6428,64220112012: 8,9318,93120122013: 8,2488,24820132014: 7,7777,77720142015: 7,3297,32920152016: 7,4677,46720162017: 7,3217,32120172018: 8,3828,38220182019: 8,5968,59620192020: 9,7559,75520202021: 7,7287,72820212022: 8,8448,84420222023: 7,7297,72920232024: 8,3378,33720242025: 9,6619,6612025
YearAdult bucksMale fawnsAdult doesFemale fawnsDeer
20255,2253903,5864609,661
20244,6724192,8224248,337
20233,8716332,6805457,729
20223,9946443,6095978,844
20214,1123742,9073357,728
20203,6767364,6746699,755
SeasonBucksAll deer
20194,6708,596
20184,4648,382
20174,2047,321
20163,9637,467
20153,8777,329
20143,7897,777
20134,0048,248
20124,5648,931
20114,1788,642
20104,3359,324
20094,3699,576
20083,8719,284
20074,4709,934

Unit numbers, 2022

UnitDeerAdult males/sq miDMPs issuedDMP harvestSuccess
9M2,7013.77,0001,27618.2%
9T1,2092.71,50035723.8%
9R1,0852.51,80040622.6%
9K4,1003.86,5001,97630.4%
9W1,4242.92,40051021.3%
9S3812.182116620.2%
9X1,4543.81,20032827.3%
9N1,7413.55,50089916.3%

Unit totals include land in neighbouring counties.

DEC calculated take: an estimate from reported harvest and the reporting rate, not a raw count.

DEC 2025 deer take by county, earlier Deer Take by Town and County reports and the DEC deer and bear page; WMU and DMP figures from DEC deer reports (2022). Checked October 27, 2026.

Cattaraugus County bear take, turkey dates and duck zones

Bears

DEC opens bear in 9M, 9T, 9R, 9K, 9W, 9S, 9X and 9N; the area is Southern Zone. Look for bear windows between Oct 1 and Dec 22, 2026. Across 14 years of county tables the total is 573 bears. The 2025 summary credits 9R with 22 bears, the most of the units here. The unit objective reads maintain low bear density and maintain moderate bear density.

Cattaraugus County: bears per year0204060802007: 232320072008: 303020082009: 181820092010: 222220102011: 696920112012: 595920122013: 585820132016: 333320162017: 464620172018: 252520182019: 525220192020: 474720202021: 454520212022: 46462022
UnitEarlyBowMLRegularJuniorBearsPer 100 sq mi
9M—50100154.5
9T—5090145.6
9R—811302210.1
9K—8060143.1
9W—6040104.0
9S—101301415.3
9X—10050156.8
9N—403073.4

Cattaraugus wild turkey

DEC sets fall turkey here as 9M, 9T, 9R, 9K, 9W, 9S, 9X and 9N Oct. 17-30. Bearded birds only in spring, May 1 to May 31, 2027; shooting stops at noon. The nearest spring figures are DEC's aggregates: West Appalachian Plateau came in near 3,897 for 2026.

DEC turkey areaWMUsSpring 2024Spring 2025Spring 2026
West Appalachian Plateau9J,​9K,​9M,​9N,​9P,​9R,​9S,​9T,​9W,​9X,​9Y3,7283,5863,897
North Appalachian Hills8M,​8N,​8P,​8R,​8S,​9G,​9H2,0102,0442,025

Duck and goose areas

Ducks follow the Western zone dates here. Canada geese follow the South area dates.

AreaDatesPer day
SouthSep 1–Sep 25, 202615
SouthOct 24–Jan 11, 20275

Bear area rules · Fall and spring turkey · Zone descriptions

Bear areas and dates from the guide bear page; county bear take from DEC Bear Take by Town and County tables; 2025 by WMU and heaviest bears from the 2025 Bear Harvest Summary; turkey dates from the guide turkey page and spring take from the DEC turkey harvest page; waterfowl from the guide migratory bird pages. Checked October 27, 2026.

Cattaraugus County: forests, WMAs and other land

The 24 Cattaraugus County listings break down as 17 state forests, 3 wildlife management areas, 2 multiple use areas and 1 fish and wildlife management area. State parks listed here allow hunting only under the park's own permit or rules; other parks are closed. Look for DEC pheasant release sites in Cattaraugus County in the fall. The DEC places-to-hunt-waterfowl program lists Cattaraugus County.

24Places listed
37,626DEC ground
33,124SF land
2,277WMA, ac
2,226Other DEC ac

* Multi-county tract, total acreage shown.

DEC Pheasant Release Sites (statewide program) · DEC Places to Hunt Waterfowl (statewide map)

Tracts in bordering counties

The closed list for Cattaraugus County: Allegany State Park – Allegheny Reservoir State Boat Launch and Pat McGee Trail.

Land by type · Wildlife management areas · State forests

Tracts from our New York land list (DEC property pages, OPRHP, USFWS, USFS and DEP records); acres by kind from the NYS DEC Lands layer and the USFS ownership layer (GIS measures, not official acreages). Checked October 27, 2026.

Cattaraugus County legal implements and disease rules

Nothing in the guide's no-rifle list covers Cattaraugus County. State setbacks: guns 500 ft, crossbows 250 ft, bows 150 ft from homes and schools. Junior hunters and their mentors must wear orange or pink with a firearm or crossbow. Scents and lures are fine; bait and feed for deer or bear are not. You may hunt on Sundays in all areas.

CWD rules

No wild deer has tested positive since 2005; 71,973 have been tested in all. Importing an intact head or whole carcass of any deer from another state is illegal.

YearTestedCWD found
2021-20222,9670
2022-20232,7270
2023-20242,7130
2024-20253,1890
2025-20263,0500

Whether 12- and 13-year-olds can hunt deer with a gun here depends on a local opt-in law shown on DEC's map. Junior hunting

State law summary · CWD details · Youth hunts

Rifle areas and setbacks from the guide legal implements map; orange from the guide big game rules; baiting from the general regulations; Sunday hunting from the guide; CWD from the DEC CWD page and the CWD surveillance plan. Checked October 27, 2026.

Cattaraugus County DEC offices, processors and shops

Businesses in Cattaraugus County come first; the nearest in bordering counties fill each group. Licensed guides based in Cattaraugus County: 4, per DEC. DEC lists 26 municipal license agents in Cattaraugus County.

DEC offices for Cattaraugus County

The Region 9 headquarters in Buffalo answers at (716) 851-7165. Drive about 14 miles to reach NYSDEC Region 9 Allegany Sub-Office. These Region 9 numbers reach the permit staff.

Region 9 Headquarters (Buffalo)Head office, Region 9 · 700 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, 14209
Region 9 Allegany Sub-OfficeNearest sub-office · 182 East Union Street, Allegany, 14706

Meat processing

John's Deer ProcessingAllegany, Cattaraugus County · roughly 9 mi off
Bond's Meat Inc.West Valley, Cattaraugus County · roughly 17 mi off · takes donated venison
Kerr's Custom ButcheringSouth Dayton, Cattaraugus County · roughly 22 mi off
S&S Taxidermy Studio & Archery Pro Shop, LLCSpringville, Erie County · roughly 18 mi off

Taxidermists

R & R TaxidermyRandolph, Cattaraugus County · roughly 16 mi off
Blood Trail TaxidermyOlean, Cattaraugus County · roughly 18 mi off
S&S Taxidermy Studio & Archery Pro Shop, LLCSpringville, Erie County · roughly 18 mi off
Ken's Taxidermy & CompetitionSpringville, Erie County · roughly 21 mi off

Hunting shops

Forest Bows Traditional ArcheryGowanda, Cattaraugus County
Hideaway ArcherySouth Dayton, Cattaraugus County
Marten's OutdoorsGreat Valley, Cattaraugus County
Auge's ArcheryGreat Valley, Cattaraugus County · roughly 3 mi off

Licensed guide data

Offices from the DEC office list; processors from the DEC 2026 processor list and directories; guides and clerks from DEC data.ny.gov lists; shops from directories and store locators. Checked October 27, 2026; call ahead. All New York hunting services.

Cattaraugus County town guides and neighbours

Use a Cattaraugus County town page to see the closest public land by distance.

  • Little Valleyseat of government · 1,073 people · 12,080 ac of hunting ground near
  • Allegany1,608 people · 4,633 ac of hunting ground near
  • Ellicottville282 people · 17,011 ac of hunting ground near
  • Franklinville1,644 people · 9,456 ac of hunting ground near
  • Gowanda2,474 people · 5,528 ac of hunting ground near
  • Salamanca5,757 people · 14,819 ac of hunting ground near

The Census adjacency file pairs Cattaraugus County with 4 New York neighbours and McKean (PA) and Warren (PA) out of state.

Towns from the Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.

Cattaraugus County legal hunting light

The DEC guide prints sunrise and sunset for Albany only. The times here are worked out for the centre of Cattaraugus County and match the Albany table within four minutes.

DayHuntFirst sunLast sunBig game windowBird window
Sep 27, 2026Northern bow opener7:06 a.m.7:05 p.m.6:36 a.m. to 7:35 p.m.6:36 a.m. to 7:05 p.m.
Oct 1, 2026Southern bow opener7:10 a.m.6:58 p.m.6:40 a.m. to 7:28 p.m.6:40 a.m. to 6:58 p.m.
Oct 24, 2026Northern regular opener7:37 a.m.6:21 p.m.7:07 a.m. to 6:51 p.m.7:07 a.m. to 6:21 p.m.
Nov 21, 2026Southern regular opener7:12 a.m.4:50 p.m.6:42 a.m. to 5:20 p.m.6:42 a.m. to 4:50 p.m.
Dec 14, 2026Southern late season7:35 a.m.4:43 p.m.7:05 a.m. to 5:13 p.m.7:05 a.m. to 4:43 p.m.
Jan 1, 2027Late season close7:43 a.m.4:52 p.m.7:13 a.m. to 5:22 p.m.7:13 a.m. to 4:52 p.m.
May 1, 2027Spring turkey opener6:11 a.m.8:12 p.m.5:41 a.m. to 8:42 p.m.5:41 a.m. to 8:12 p.m.

September Canada goose seasons run to 30 minutes after sunset.

Hours rule from the DEC guide sunrise and sunset page; sun times calculated for the county centre (NOAA method), checked against the guide’s Albany table; checked October 27, 2026. Legal hours for every county.

Cattaraugus County hunting dates and results

Listed for this county: 2 printed results (UKC bench show day and UKC club nite hunt).

Latest winners

HeldEventResultSource
Jul 18, 2026Cattaraugus Co Houndsmen & Conservation Club Inc UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 1) · UKC club nite hunt
Top hound of the cast: NITECH CH'PR'West Ky Plt Maggie HTX PLT, Eddie Anderson, Dwayne Emke 125+
Source, checked 10/27/2026
Jun 27, 2026Cattaraugus Co Houndsmen & Conservation Club Inc UKC Event · UKC bench show day
Show, trial and water race placings: (GF) GRCH'PR'Mest's Ugly Little Swamp Lilly B&T, Matthew J Mest
(SM) CH'PR'Emkes Solo Redwood Beam PLT, Dwayne Emke
(M) 'PR'Sundowns Duke TW, Mathew Halsted
Source, checked 10/27/2026

Your chapter or club hosting soon? List it free.

Cattaraugus County ranges and match dates

The guide counts 5 ranges in Cattaraugus County, from rod and gun clubs to indoor bays and archery.

Auge's Archery (an archery range)

Great Valley, Cattaraugus County

Shoot here with archery

Access not stated · source: findarcheryranges.com

Hideaway Archery (an archery range)

South Dayton, Cattaraugus County

Shoot here with archery, 3D archery

Access not stated · source: findarcheryranges.com

Lake Lane Fishing & Hunting Resort (an outdoor range)

Olean, Cattaraugus County

Shoot here with rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, archery, muzzleloader

Access not stated · source: boisegunclub.com

Lime Lake Sportsman Club (a trap and skeet club)

Machias, Cattaraugus County

Shoot here with trap, skeet, shotgun

Members only · source: boisegunclub.com

Limestone Sportsmen Club (a rod and gun club)

Limestone, Cattaraugus County

Shoot here with rifle

Members only · source: boisegunclub.com

Cattaraugus County has no public range within 60 miles of its center; club memberships fill the gap.

43 more across the county line.

Cattaraugus County match dates

Date and matchCategoryDetails
Nov 7, 2026 / Cattaraugus Gun ShowGun showDetails

Ranges from DEC, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 27, 2026.

Cattaraugus County hunters ask

Can I get a DMP in Cattaraugus County?

In 9M, 9T, 9R, 9K, 9W, 9S, 9X and 9N, yes, with a 2026 target; apply through DECALS or HuntFishNY.

Can I use a crossbow in Cattaraugus County?

Yes, during the whole bowhunting season wherever vertical bows are legal, with bowhunter education.

Where does Cattaraugus County rank for deer?

It placed 3rd among the 56 counties DEC reports for 2025, with 9,661 deer.

Is there an early bear season in Cattaraugus County?

No early firearms bear season here.

How many spring gobblers can I take in Cattaraugus County?

Two bearded birds, no more than one a day.

Can I hunt brant in Cattaraugus County?

Yes, Oct 10 to Nov 8, 2026 (Western Zone).

How many state forest acres are in Cattaraugus County?

About 33,124 acres by GIS.

How far from a house can I shoot in Cattaraugus County?

500 feet with a firearm, 250 with a crossbow and 150 with a bow, unless the owner consents.

What is the DEC phone for Cattaraugus County?

(716) 851-7165.

Which processors take deer from Cattaraugus County?

John's Deer Processing, Bond's Meat Inc. and Kerr's Custom Butchering, sorted by distance from mid-county.

Answers from the 2026-27 New York Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide, the DMP pages, harvest reporting rules, DEC harvest data and the sources above. Checked October 27, 2026.

Cattaraugus County checks before the drive

Get permission before hunting private land in Cattaraugus County, and know where the 500-foot setback starts.

Sources: 2026-27 New York Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide, DEC hunting, Census and the agencies linked in each section. Checked October 27, 2026.

Other photos on this page: andyarthur (CC BY 2.0); The Cornell IPM Image Gallery (CC BY 2.0); andyarthur (CC BY 2.0); andyarthur (CC BY 2.0); Ryan Hallock (CC BY 2.0); andyarthur (CC BY 2.0).