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Home › New York › Counties › Franklin County

WMU 6F and more

Franklin County Hunting

A county brief for Franklin 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.

Unit datesOpen groundHarvest by year
NorthernBig game
6F,​5C,​5F,​6A,​5A +WMUs
Northeastern +Duck zone
5DEC region
2,760Deer 2025

Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0)

Measured on Census maps, Franklin County holds 1,629 square miles of land around its seat at Malone. Its population stood at 47,086 in 2024 (-1.0% on 2020). DEC manages wildlife here from its Region 5 office in Ray Brook. DEC sets dates by unit; here that means 6F, 5C, 5F, 6A, 5A and 6C. About 300,694 acres of DEC ground lie within the line.

MaloneCounty seat
47,086Residents 2024
1,629Area (sq mi)
NorthernZone
300,694DEC land, ac
2,760Take 2025
ForestsFranklin open groundMapped and listedWhitetailsHarvest data2,760 in 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 Franklin County

Debar Mountain Wild Forest

Public land · 4 mi from Franklin County

Directions
Titusville Mountain State Forest

Public land · 9 mi from Franklin County

Directions
Hunting Near Paul Smiths, New York

Town · 12 mi from Franklin County

Directions
Chazy Highlands Wildlife Management Area

Public land · 19 mi from Franklin County

Directions
McKenzie Mountain Wilderness

Public land · 22 mi from Franklin County

Directions
Whiskey Flats State Forest

Public land · 23 mi from Franklin County

Directions

Franklin County unit-by-unit rules

The largest unit here is 6F, about 31% of the county; 5C (29%), 5F (16%) and 6A (12%) follow. Expect the bow opener Sept. 27 and the gun opener Oct. 24, as set for the Northern Zone. For 2026 DEC offers capped DMPs across 6A and 6C and none by law in 6F, 5C, 5F and 5A. 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
6F31%NorthernSept. 27–Oct. 23Oct. 24–Dec. 6Oct. 17–Oct. 23
5C29%NorthernSept. 27–Oct. 23Oct. 24–Dec. 6Oct. 17–Oct. 23
5F16%NorthernSept. 27–Oct. 23Oct. 24–Dec. 6Oct. 17–Oct. 23
6A12%NorthernSept. 27–Oct. 23Oct. 24–Dec. 6
Oct. 17–Oct. 23
Dec. 7–Dec. 13
5A8%NorthernSept. 27–Oct. 23Oct. 24–Dec. 6
Oct. 17–Oct. 23
Dec. 7–Dec. 13
6C3%NorthernSept. 27–Oct. 23Oct. 24–Dec. 6
Oct. 17–Oct. 23
Dec. 7–Dec. 13
Unit2026 DMPsAvg successResident 1stResident 2ndNonresidentBuck ruleBear areaFall turkey
6FNone by law————NoneAdirondacksOct. 1-14
5CNone by law————NoneAdirondacksOct. 1-14
5FNone by law————NoneAdirondacksOct. 1-14
6A2,300—PP ReqNoneNoneNoneWestern PeripheryOct. 1-14
5ANone by law————NoneAdirondacksOct. 1-14
6C3,80017.4%MedNoneNoneNoneAdirondacksOct. 1-14

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

WMU 6F · WMU 5C · WMU 5F · WMU 6A · WMU 5A · WMU 6C · 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.

Franklin County dates from September to May

Franklin County lies in the Northern Zone, and its WMUs (6F, 5C, 5F, 6A, 5A and 6C) decide the deer, bear, turkey and small game dates. The 60 rows below come from the 2026-27 guide.

GameSeasonAreaBeginsThroughRight now
White-tailed deerEarly BowhuntingAll WMUs hereSep 27, 2026Oct 23, 2026
White-tailed deerYouth deer weekendAll WMUs hereOct 10, 2026Oct 12, 2026
White-tailed deerEarly Muzzleloading (deer of either sex)All WMUs hereOct 17, 2026Oct 23, 2026
White-tailed deerRegular SeasonAll WMUs hereOct 24, 2026Dec 6, 2026
White-tailed deerLate BowhuntingWMUs 5A, 6A, 6CDec 7, 2026Dec 13, 2026
White-tailed deerLate MuzzleloadingWMUs 5A, 6A, 6CDec 7, 2026Dec 13, 2026
Black bearEarly BowhuntingWMU 6ASep 19, 2026Oct 23, 2026
Black bearRegular Season (Adirondacks)WMUs 5A, 5C, 5F, 6C, 6FSep 19, 2026Dec 6, 2026
Black bearYouth Firearms Bear HuntAll WMUs hereOct 10, 2026Oct 12, 2026
Black bearEarly MuzzleloadingWMU 6AOct 17, 2026Oct 23, 2026
Black bearRegular Season (Western Periphery)WMU 6AOct 24, 2026Dec 6, 2026
Wild turkeyFall SeasonAll WMUs hereOct 1, 2026Oct 14, 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 hereSep 26, 2026Sep 27, 2026
PheasantRegular (either sex)All WMUs hereOct 1, 2026Feb 28, 2027
Ruffed grouseHuntingAll WMUs hereSep 20, 2026Feb 28, 2027
WoodcockHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 1, 2026Nov 14, 2026
CottontailHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 1, 2026Mar 21, 2027
Snowshoe hareHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 1, 2026Mar 21, 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 1Northeastern ZoneOct 10, 2026Nov 29, 2026
DucksSplit 1Lake Champlain ZoneOct 10, 2026Nov 1, 2026
DucksSplit 2Lake Champlain ZoneNov 21, 2026Dec 27, 2026
DucksSplit 2Northeastern ZoneDec 12, 2026Dec 20, 2026
Scaup2-scaup windowNortheastern ZoneNov 19, 2026Nov 29, 2026
Scaup2-scaup windowLake Champlain ZoneDec 8, 2026Dec 27, 2026
Scaup2-scaup windowNortheastern ZoneDec 12, 2026Dec 20, 2026
Canada gooseSeptember seasonLake Champlain goose areaSep 1, 2026Sep 25, 2026
Canada gooseSeptember seasonNortheast goose areaSep 1, 2026Sep 25, 2026
Canada gooseRegular seasonLake Champlain goose areaOct 10, 2026Nov 23, 2026
Canada gooseRegular seasonNortheast goose areaOct 24, 2026Nov 29, 2026
Canada gooseRegular seasonLake Champlain goose areaDec 1, 2026Jan 4, 2027
Canada gooseRegular seasonNortheast goose areaDec 12, 2026Dec 19, 2026
Snow gooseRegular seasonNortheastern ZoneOct 1, 2026Dec 31, 2026
Snow gooseRegular seasonLake Champlain ZoneOct 1, 2026Dec 31, 2026
Snow gooseRegular seasonNortheastern ZoneFeb 26, 2027Mar 10, 2027
Snow gooseRegular seasonLake Champlain ZoneFeb 26, 2027Mar 10, 2027
BrantRegular seasonNortheastern ZoneOct 10, 2026Nov 8, 2026
BrantRegular seasonLake Champlain ZoneOct 10, 2026Nov 8, 2026
Youth waterfowlYouth daysNortheastern ZoneSep 26, 2026Sep 27, 2026
Youth waterfowlYouth daysLake Champlain ZoneSep 26, 2026Sep 27, 2026
Veteran waterfowlVeteran daysNortheastern ZoneSep 26, 2026Sep 27, 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, 2026Feb 15, 2027
SkunkHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 25, 2026Feb 15, 2027
OpossumHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 25, 2026Feb 15, 2027
WeaselHuntingAll WMUs hereOct 25, 2026Feb 15, 2027
MuskratHunting (Lake Champlain only)Lake ChamplainNov 1, 2026Apr 15, 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.

Franklin County bucks, does and fawns

Franklin County ranked 39th of the 56 counties DEC reports, with 2,760 deer in 2025. Since 2007 (2,313) the county moved +19%, with 2024 on top at 2,836. Adult does numbered 559 against 2,041 adult bucks. DEC's last town breakdown (2019) has Bangor, Malone and Moira as the top three.

Yearly deer take, Franklin County01,0002,0003,0004,0002007: 2,3132,31320072008: 2,0902,09020082009: 1,7241,72420092010: 1,7771,77720102011: 1,4691,46920112012: 1,6341,63420122013: 1,6171,61720132014: 1,5121,51220142015: 1,3041,30420152016: 1,2051,20520162017: 1,4701,47020172018: 1,7291,72920182019: 2,1182,11820192020: 2,1522,15220202021: 2,1372,13720212022: 2,3932,39320222023: 2,2962,29620232024: 2,8362,83620242025: 2,7602,7602025
YearAdult bucksMale fawnsAdult doesFemale fawnsDeer
20252,04182559782,760
20242,16448582422,836
20231,66094455872,296
20221,75569513562,393
20211,66331424192,137
20201,37738701362,152
SeasonBucksAll deer
20191,6102,118
20181,2811,729
20171,1881,470
20169321,205
20158921,304
20149811,512
20131,1261,617
20121,1081,634
20119741,469
20101,0991,777
20091,0271,724
20081,3982,090
20071,5052,313

Unit numbers, 2022

UnitDeerAdult males/sq miDMPs issuedDMP harvestSuccess
6F1,0520.8———
5C1,2100.9———
5F8460.5———
6A4,5012.21,49840026.7%
5A1,1081.3———
6C3,5872.23,60076021.1%

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.

Franklin County bear take, turkey dates and duck zones

Bears

DEC opens bear in 6F, 5C, 5F, 6A, 5A and 6C; the area is Adirondacks and Western Periphery. Look for bear windows between Sep 19 and Dec 6, 2026. Across 14 years of county tables the total is 533 bears. The 2025 summary credits 6C with 106 bears, the most of the units here. The unit objective reads maintain low bear density and maintain moderate bear density.

Franklin County: bears per year0204060802007: 404020072008: 454520082009: 696920092010: 333320102011: 171720112012: 353520122014: 313120142016: 313120162017: 383820172018: 383820182019: 262620192020: 414120202021: 525220212022: 37372022
UnitEarlyBowMLRegularJuniorBearsPer 100 sq mi
6F—00640645.3
5C—00460464.1
5F—00150151.1
6A—5050100.7
5A—00140142.3
6C—00106010610.9

Franklin wild turkey

DEC sets fall turkey here as 6F, 5C, 5F, 6A, 5A and 6C Oct. 1-14. Bearded birds only in spring, May 1 to May 31, 2027; shooting stops at noon. The nearest spring figures are DEC's aggregates: Central Adirondacks came in near 1,335 for 2026.

DEC turkey areaWMUsSpring 2024Spring 2025Spring 2026
Central Adirondacks5F,​5H,​6J1,3181,2801,335
Northern Adirondacks5C,​6F504496429
St. Lawrence Valley6A,​6C,​6H619436478
Champlain Valley and Transition5A,​5G,​5J570633605

Duck and goose areas

Ducks follow the Northeastern and Lake Champlain zones here. Canada geese follow the Northeast and Lake Champlain area dates.

AreaDatesPer day
NortheastSep 1–Sep 25, 202615
NortheastOct 24–Nov 29, 20263
NortheastDec 12–Dec 19, 20263
Lake ChamplainSep 1–Sep 25, 20268
Lake ChamplainOct 10–Nov 23, 20263
Lake ChamplainDec 1–Jan 4, 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.

Franklin County: forests, WMAs and other land

The 20 Franklin County listings break down as 6 state forests, 5 conservation easement tracts, 4 wild forests and 2 wilderness areas. 275,916 acres belong to the Forest Preserve.

20Places listed
300,694DEC ground
275,916Forest Preserve, ac
24,757SF land
21Other DEC ac

* Multi-county tract, total acreage shown.

Tracts in bordering counties

Land by type · Wildlife management areas · State forests · Forest Preserve units

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.

Franklin County legal implements and disease rules

Nothing in the guide's no-rifle list covers Franklin 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.

Franklin County DEC offices, processors and shops

Businesses in Franklin County come first; the nearest in bordering counties fill each group. Licensed guides based in Franklin County: 15, per DEC. DEC lists 8 municipal license agents in Franklin County.

DEC offices for Franklin County

The Region 5 headquarters in Ray Brook answers at (518) 897-1200. Drive about 24 miles to reach NYSDEC Region 5 Headquarters (Ray Brook).

Region 5 Headquarters (Ray Brook)Head office, Region 5 · 1115 NYS Route 86, Ray Brook, 12977
(518) 897-1200(518) 897-1291 (wildlife)Drive

Meat processing

Pardy's Custom Meat CuttingMorrisonville, Clinton County · roughly 35 mi off · takes donated venison
(518) 293-7500LocateWebsite
Backwood's TaxidermyPotsdam, St. Lawrence County · roughly 37 mi off
(315) 854-0363LocateWebsite
D&D MeatsWest Chazy, Clinton County · roughly 43 mi off
(518) 493-2300LocateWebsite

Taxidermists

Styx River TaxidermyJay, Essex County · roughly 32 mi off
(917) 715-6940LocateWebsite
Backwood's TaxidermyPotsdam, St. Lawrence County · roughly 37 mi off
(315) 854-0363LocateWebsite
Taxidermy BackwoodsPotsdam, St. Lawrence County · roughly 37 mi off
(315) 386-4371LocateWebsite
Nature's Vision Studio of TaxidermyMadrid, St. Lawrence County · roughly 39 mi off
(315) 262-7449LocateWebsite

Hunting shops

WEBER'S GUNSMITHINGMalone, Franklin County · roughly 14 mi off
(518) 578-7447LocateWebsite
Walmart (store 2967)Malone, Franklin County · roughly 17 mi off
(518) 483-5968LocateWebsite
Runnings (store 44)Malone, Franklin County · roughly 18 mi off
(518) 795-9160LocateWebsite
Champagne Gun ShopMoira, Franklin County · roughly 20 mi off
(518) 529-7417LocateWebsite

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.

Franklin County town guides and neighbours

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

  • Maloneseat of government · 5,373 people · 7,620 ac of hunting ground near
  • Akwesasne18,608 ac of hunting ground near
  • Paul Smiths99,131 ac of hunting ground near
  • Saranac Lake4,856 people · 129,641 ac of hunting ground near
  • St. Regis Falls28,492 ac of hunting ground near
  • Tupper Lake3,308 people · 63,369 ac of hunting ground near

The Census adjacency file pairs Franklin County with 4 New York neighbours.

Clinton CountyRegion 5Essex CountyRegion 5Hamilton CountyRegion 5St. Lawrence CountyRegion 6

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

Franklin County shooting time on key dates

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

DayHuntFirst sunLast sunBig game windowBird window
Sep 27, 2026Northern bow opener6:49 a.m.6:48 p.m.6:19 a.m. to 7:18 p.m.6:19 a.m. to 6:48 p.m.
Oct 1, 2026Southern bow opener6:53 a.m.6:40 p.m.6:23 a.m. to 7:10 p.m.6:23 a.m. to 6:40 p.m.
Oct 24, 2026Northern regular opener7:23 a.m.6:00 p.m.6:53 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.6:53 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Nov 21, 2026Southern regular opener7:01 a.m.4:26 p.m.6:31 a.m. to 4:56 p.m.6:31 a.m. to 4:26 p.m.
Dec 14, 2026Southern late season7:26 a.m.4:18 p.m.6:56 a.m. to 4:48 p.m.6:56 a.m. to 4:18 p.m.
Jan 1, 2027Late season close7:34 a.m.4:26 p.m.7:04 a.m. to 4:56 p.m.7:04 a.m. to 4:26 p.m.
May 1, 2027Spring turkey opener5:49 a.m.8:00 p.m.5:19 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.5:19 a.m. to 8:00 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.

Franklin County ranges and match dates

The guide counts 1 range in Franklin County, from rod and gun clubs to indoor bays and archery.

Tupper Lake Rod, Gun, and Sports Club (a rod and gun club)

Tupper Lake, Franklin County

Shoot here with sporting clays, 5-stand, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire

Members only · source: boisegunclub.com

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

16 more across the county line.

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

Counties near Franklin County

Neighbouring guides by distance.

Clinton County

32 miles away

St. Lawrence County

6,306 deer, 2025

Essex County

Units 5F/5G/5H

Hamilton County

Northern Zone

Hunting servicesGame speciesYouth and veteran hunts

Franklin County hunters ask

Can I use a crossbow in Franklin County?

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

Where does Franklin County rank for deer?

It placed 39th among the 56 counties DEC reports for 2025, with 2,760 deer.

Is there an early bear season in Franklin County?

No early firearms bear season here.

How many spring gobblers can I take in Franklin County?

Two bearded birds, no more than one a day.

Can I hunt brant in Franklin County?

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

How many state forest acres are in Franklin County?

About 24,757 acres by GIS.

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

(518) 897-1200; wildlife (518) 897-1291.

Which processors take deer from Franklin County?

Pardy's Custom Meat Cutting, Backwood's Taxidermy and D&D Meats, sorted by distance from mid-county.

When does regular deer season open in Franklin County?

Oct. 24 in the Northern Zone units; it runs Oct. 24 to Dec. 6.

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.

Franklin County trip checklist

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

Dates by speciesWMU map pagesNext countyRegulations guide

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: ImNotQuiteJack (CC BY-SA 2.0); fishhawk (CC BY 2.0); runJMrun (CC BY 2.0); Robbie1 (CC BY 2.0); Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); ilouque (CC BY 2.0).