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Wild forest · the western Adirondacks, Tug Hill and the St. Lawrence Valley
What hunters need to know about Black River Wild Forest
Rules, WMU 5H season dates, maps and neighbors for a wild forest in Herkimer County and 3 more.
Photo: cm195902 (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Black River Wild Forest
Parking, trailheads and gates near Black River Wild Forest
- Parking areaParking · 3.3 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
What Black River Wild Forest is
Black River Wild Forest is a Forest Preserve wild forest in Herkimer, Oneida, Hamilton and Lewis counties. It is a Region 6 property, in the western Adirondacks, Tug Hill and the St. Lawrence Valley. Size: 128,160 acres (DEC Lands layer ACRES). 1 other of the 35 wild forests is larger. Management direction comes from the Black River unit plan.
From the DEC page for Black River Wild Forest: Hunters may use the parking areas, roads, seasonal access roads, trailheads, and trails used by hikers, and hand launches used by paddlers to access the lands and waters in this area. The area is open for hunting though not notable for any particular species. Most commonly pursued species are deer and bear.
From DEC black river wild forest; acreage DEC Lands layer ACRES (sum of the matched facility polygons); checked October 27, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Black River Wild Forest
Black River Wild Forest hunting rules for 2026-27
Forest Preserve land such as Black River Wild Forest follows 6 NYCRR Part 190:
- Hunting and trapping are allowed on Black River Wild Forest during open seasons unless an area is posted.
- On Black River Wild Forest a saw, a nail or a screw-in step all break the Part 190 rules.
- Tents go 150 feet or more from any road, trail or water, except at designated sites.
Statewide rules that follow you onto Black River Wild Forest
- In firearm deer and bear seasons, wear the required orange or pink above the waist.
- Setbacks from occupied buildings: firearm 500 feet, crossbow 250 feet, bow 150 feet.
- Do not hunt over bait; New York bans it for big game, turkey, upland birds and waterfowl.
- Sunday hunting is legal everywhere in New York unless a property rule says otherwise.
From DEC black river wild forest, DEC state land use rules, DEC Places to Hunt, 2026-27 DEC guide; checked October 27, 2026.
What is open on Black River Wild Forest, and when
This calendar is cut down to Black River Wild Forest: its WMU (5H, 6J), duck zone and goose area decide which of the 2026-27 rows appear.
| Game | Hunt | Unit or zone | From | To | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Early Bowhunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Sep 27, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth deer weekend | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Early Muzzleloading | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Regular Season | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 24, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Regular Season (Adirondacks) | WMUs 5H, 6J | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Youth Firearms Bear Hunt | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall Season | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Youth Spring Turkey Hunt | WMUs 5H, 6J | Apr 24, 2027 | Apr 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring Season | WMUs 5H, 6J | May 1, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Youth Pheasant Hunt | WMUs 5H, 6J | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular (either sex) | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Sep 20, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 21, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe hare | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 21, 2027 | |
| Gray squirrel | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Black squirrel | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Fox squirrel | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Split 1 | Northeastern Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | Northeastern Zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Dec 20, 2026 | |
| Scaup | 2-scaup window | Northeastern Zone | Nov 19, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Scaup | 2-scaup window | Northeastern Zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Dec 20, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | September season | Northeast goose area | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 25, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Regular season | Northeast goose area | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Regular season | Northeast goose area | Dec 12, 2026 | Dec 19, 2026 | |
| Snow goose | Regular season | Northeastern Zone | Oct 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Snow goose | Regular season | Northeastern Zone | Feb 26, 2027 | Mar 10, 2027 | |
| Brant | Regular season | Northeastern Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth days | Northeastern Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Veteran waterfowl | Veteran days | Northeastern Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Rails | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Gallinule | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Crow | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Sep 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 28, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Gray fox | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Skunk | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Weasel | Hunting | WMUs 5H, 6J | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Snapping turtle | Hunting | Statewide | Jul 15, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 |
Season rows from the 2026-27 New York Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide, matched to the DEC WMU, duck zone and goose area layers; checked October 27, 2026. All New York seasons.
Black River Wild Forest: WMU 5H numbers
Deer, bear and turkey rules here follow WMU 5H, 3,046 square miles in the Northern Zone covering parts of Hamilton, Herkimer and Warren. Edges touch 6J. By law no DMPs are issued in 5H, an Adirondack unit. The bear area for 5H is Adirondacks. Fall turkey in 5H: Oct. 1-14.
| WMU | Zone | DMP target | DMP success | Resident odds | Antler rule | Deer weapons | Bear | Fall turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5H | Northern | Not authorized by law | NA | – | No | All | Adirondacks | Oct. 1-14 |
| 6J | Northern | Not authorized by law | NA | – | No | All | Adirondacks | Oct. 1-14 |
Calculated deer take, 5H
In 2022, 5H produced 2,794 deer by DEC's estimate (2,312 in 2016).
| Season | Total take | Bucks 1.5+ |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2,312 | 1,921 |
| 2017 | 2,346 | 1,944 |
| 2018 | 2,512 | 2,060 |
| 2019 | 2,603 | 2,222 |
| 2020 | 2,630 | 2,070 |
| 2021 | 2,381 | 2,053 |
| 2022 | 2,794 | 2,244 |
Bear harvest in 5H for 2025 was 93, or 3.1 per 100 square miles.
The bear objective DEC lists for 5H is to maintain moderate bear density.
WMU facts from the 2026 DMP table, the 2026-27 DEC guide, DEC deer take reports and the DEC bear harvest dashboard; WMU from the DEC WMU layer; checked October 27, 2026.
Black River Wild Forest game species
Expect white-tailed deer and black bear on Black River Wild Forest.
White-tailed deer
Oct 24–Dec 6
Black bear
Sep 19–Dec 6
Species from DEC black river wild forest; dates from the 2026-27 DEC guide; checked October 27, 2026.
Maps and parking around Black River Wild Forest
DEC lists 29 parking or access points for Black River Wild Forest.
| Where to park | Link |
|---|---|
| Between the hamlets of Old Forge and Thendara on Green Bridge Road (on the south bank of the Middle Branch of the Moose River), there is parking available for 2-3 vehicles: 43.6944, -74.9985 | Get there |
| South of the hamlet of Old Forge on Bisby Road (Nicks Lake Trailhead). There is parking available for 2-3 vehicles: 43.6932, -74.9780 | Get there |
| is a DOT parking area along State Route 28: 43.6761, -75.0522 | Get there |
| is on McKeever Road off of State Route 28. Look for the small sign "access to state land" and the dirt lane (cross the railroad tracks) to the parking area: 43.6125, -75.0905 | Get there |
| is located at the end of Wolf Lake Landing Road. There is room for 2-3 cars to park off of the side of the road. The parking area is not open during the winter or the spring "mud season: 43.6020, -75.0214 | Get there |
| is located off the Wolf Lake Land Road a half mile up a seasonal access road. Only people with a valid MAPPWD permit may use motor vehicles on the seasonal access road: 43.6255, -75.0358 | Get there |
| is located on the west side of State Route 28: 43.5720, -75.1292 | Get there |
| is located at the end of Bear Creek Road where it enters forest preserve lands and becomes Mill Creek Road: 43.5413, -75.1013 | Get there |
| is located on Mill Creek Road beyond the Bear Creek Parking Area. This parking area is not open during the winter time or the spring "mud season: 43.5596, -75.0734 | Get there |
| is located on North Lake Road. There is limited parking available and the parking area is not plowed during the winter: 43.4567, -75.0661 | Get there |
| is located along North Lake Road. There is limited parking available and the parking area is not plowed during the winter: 43.5071, -74.9671 | Get there |
| is located on Farr Road. Limited parking is available: 43.4722, -75.0087 | Get there |
| is located at the end of the Mill Creek Road: 43.5262, -74.9465 | Get there |
| Grindstone Creek Trailhead) in the North Lake Easement Tract is located along Loop Road: 43.5548, -74.9164 | Get there |
Map in print form: Nick's Lake Trail Map · Nick's Lake Road Trail Map · Lock and DamTrail Map · Nelson Lake Trail Map · Nick's Lake Outlet Trail Map · Gull Lake Trail Map
Parking points and maps from DEC black river wild forest; checked October 27, 2026.
Black River Wild Forest and the public land around it
10 public places within 40 miles are pinned around Black River Wild Forest, starting with Woodhull Detached Parcel. Combined: 36,073 acres.
| Area | Category | Acreage | WMU | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodhull Detached Parcel | Detached parcel | 301 | 5H | 6.5 mi | west |
| Woodhull | State forest | 568 | 5H, 6J | 10 mi | west |
| Forestport | Detached parcel | 664 | 5H, 6J | 10 mi | west |
| Punkeyville | State forest | 535 | 6J | 12 mi | west |
| Popple Pond | State forest | 2,455 | 6J | 12 mi | west |
| Hogsback State Forest, Oneida | State forest | 1,116 | 6J | 13 mi | west |
| Boonville | Detached parcel | 647 | 6J | 15 mi | west |
| Sand Flats | State forest | 2,530 | 6J | 15 mi | west |
| Ha-De-Ron-Dah | Wilderness | 25,663 | 6J | 15 mi | north |
| Hinckley | State forest | 1,594 | 5H | 16 mi | south |
Points: DEC Lands layer (polygon centroid of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Harvest numbers for the towns under Black River Wild Forest
The 2025 deer take for Herkimer County was 2,267.
| Year | Deer | Adult males | Adult females |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,690 | 1,712 | 837 |
| 2022 | 2,729 | 1,662 | 883 |
| 2023 | 2,263 | 1,542 | 604 |
| 2024 | 2,590 | 1,692 | 739 |
| 2025 | 2,267 | 1,465 | 625 |
DEC deer take by town and county (towns 2007-2019), county deer take 2021-2025 and DEC bear take by town; checked October 27, 2026.
Black River Wild Forest: nearby towns and services
White Lake sits 8.9 mi from Black River Wild Forest, the shortest hop to a town.
| Town | County | Miles off | People | Public acres, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Lake | Oneida | 8.9 mi | – | 81,003 |
| Otter Lake | Oneida | 9.2 mi | – | 102,585 |
| Thendara | Herkimer | 14 mi | – | 89,570 |
| Old Forge | Herkimer | 14 mi | – | 88,759 |
Open the county guide for Black River Wild Forest: Herkimer County, Oneida County, Hamilton County, Lewis County.
Black River Wild Forest: businesses close by
Herkimer County is home to 11 DEC-licensed guides (see DEC's guide list). DEC licensed guides
Black River Wild Forest: the nearest DEC offices
Towns and populations from Census 2024 estimates; businesses from store locators and listings; DEC offices and licensed guide counts from DEC. Checked October 27, 2026.
Black River Wild Forest: nearest firing lines
New Rochelle Rod and Gun Club, 14 miles away, is the nearest range to Black River Wild Forest; check its access rule before going.
From DEC, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 27, 2026.
Black River Wild Forest: first and last legal light
The DEC guide prints sunrise and sunset for Albany only. The times here are worked out for the centre of Black River Wild Forest and match the Albany table within four minutes.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer, bear | Migratory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2026 | Northern bow opener | 6:51 a.m. | 6:50 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 7:20 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 6:50 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Southern bow opener | 6:55 a.m. | 6:43 p.m. | 6:25 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. | 6:25 a.m. to 6:43 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Northern regular opener | 7:23 a.m. | 6:04 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 6:34 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 6:04 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Southern regular opener | 7:00 a.m. | 4:31 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 4:31 p.m. |
| Dec 14, 2026 | Southern late season | 7:25 a.m. | 4:23 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 4:53 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 4:23 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late season close | 7:32 a.m. | 4:32 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 4:32 p.m. |
| May 1, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 5:53 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 5:23 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. | 5:23 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. |
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.
Black River Wild Forest in pictures
Black River Wild Forest questions, answered from the record
Can I leave a tree stand on Black River Wild Forest?
Yes, a portable one that harms no tree, labeled with your name and address or license or DEC ID, removed at season end.
Does the orange law apply on Black River Wild Forest?
During firearm deer and bear hunting, for you and anyone with you.
Is Black River Wild Forest open to public hunting?
It is public DEC land: carry your hunting license and follow the season dates.
What does Black River Wild Forest measure?
The record lists 128,160 acres.
What zone and WMU is Black River Wild Forest?
The DEC WMU layer gives 5H (Northern Zone).
When does the regular deer season open on Black River Wild Forest?
Oct 24 to Dec 6, 2026 for the regular Season in WMUs 5H, 6J.
What is the bowhunting window on Black River Wild Forest?
Archery runs Sep 27 to Oct 23, 2026 to start.
Does Black River Wild Forest have Deer Management Permits?
No DMPs exist for 5H.
What species go with Black River Wild Forest?
You will find white-tailed deer and black bear on the list.
When does turkey season open on Black River Wild Forest?
Yes: May 1 to May 31, 2027, mornings only.
What are the bear dates for Black River Wild Forest?
WMUs 5H, 6J is open for bears Sep 19 to Dec 6, 2026.
How far is Black River Wild Forest from a town?
White Lake, about 8.9 mi away.
Black River Wild Forest: what to double-check
Boundaries on the ground beat any web page; watch for posted areas on Black River Wild Forest.
Sources: DEC black river wild forest · DEC · DEC GIS · DEC; regulations from the 2026-27 New York Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide. Checked October 27, 2026.
Other photos on this page: fishhawk (CC BY 2.0); ImagePerson (CC BY 4.0); Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0).