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State forest · Region 5
Bombay and Brasher State Forests: a hunter's guide for 2026-27
A 2026-27 hunter guide to this state forest in Franklin County and 1 more, 22,508 acres.
Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Bombay and Brasher State Forests
Parking, trailheads and gates near Bombay and Brasher State Forests
- Parking areaParking · 5.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 5.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 7.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 7.2 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.
Where Bombay and Brasher State Forests is and who runs it
Bombay and Brasher State Forests sits in Franklin and St. Lawrence counties, filed as a DEC state forest. Its towns are Bombay, Moira, Brasher and Norfolk. Region 5 of DEC covers it, along with the rest of the eastern Adirondacks and Lake Champlain. 22,508 acres are on record from DEC Lands layer ACRES. Sorted by acreage, the 409 state forests put it 1st. Unit plan on file: St. Lawrence Flatlands.
The property page says: Hunting for deer, grouse, and other small game occurs widely throughout these state forests.
From DEC bombay and brasher state forests; acreage DEC Lands layer ACRES (sum of the matched facility polygons); checked October 27, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Bombay and Brasher State Forests
Bombay and Brasher State Forests pinned with nearby tracts
The nearest public land to Bombay and Brasher State Forests is Lost Nation State Forest, 6.7 mi away to the west. Combined: 7,995 acres.
| Public land | Type | Acres | WMU | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lost Nation | State forest | 1,918 | 6A | 6.7 mi | west |
| Buckton | State forest | 1,092 | 6C | 7.4 mi | south |
| Knapp Station | State forest | 1,000 | 6A | 8.7 mi | southwest |
| Indian Meadows | Detached parcel | 45 | 6A | 8.8 mi | north |
| Grantville | State forest | 775 | 6A | 9.4 mi | west |
| Fort Jackson | State forest | 915 | 6C | 9.4 mi | south |
| Raymondville | State forest | 644 | 6A | 11 mi | west |
| Louisville | Detached parcel | 332 | 6A | 11 mi | west |
| Southville | State forest | 551 | 6C | 14 mi | southwest |
| Croil Island | State park | 723 | 6A | 14 mi | northwest |
Points: DEC Lands layer (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside) of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Bombay and Brasher State Forests regulations, plainly
On Bombay and Brasher State Forests the DEC state land use rules set the ground rules:
- Nothing may be nailed, screwed or cut on Bombay and Brasher State Forests: no permanent stands, natural blinds or shooting lanes.
- Tagged portable stands are fine on Bombay and Brasher State Forests for the season (name and address or license number on them), then they have to be removed.
- Personal property cannot be stored on Bombay and Brasher State Forests, and that includes trail cameras.
- ATVs and trucks are kept to designated or maintained roads.
- Plan any overnight camp around the DEC camping permit rules.
State law reminders for Bombay and Brasher State Forests
- Fluorescent orange or pink (250 square inches above the waist, or a hat at least half orange or pink) is required for anyone hunting deer or bear with a gun.
- Firearms may not be discharged within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling, farm building, school, playground or church without permission; bows 150 feet, crossbows 250 feet.
- No baiting for big game, upland birds, turkey or waterfowl, and no salt or mineral licks for deer or bear.
- New York allows hunting on Sundays in every county.
From DEC bombay and brasher state forests, DEC state land use rules, DEC Places to Hunt, 2026-27 DEC guide; checked October 27, 2026.
WMU 6A facts for Bombay and Brasher State Forests
The WMU map puts Bombay and Brasher State Forests in 6A; 6A spans 1,472 square miles of St Lawrence, Franklin and Jefferson. 2,300 Deer Management Permits are planned for 6A; resident chance: "PP Req". Western Periphery bear rules cover 6A. The fall turkey window for 6A is Oct. 1-14.
| WMU | Deer zone | DMP goal | Success rate | Odds (resident) | APR | Implements | Bear | Turkey (fall) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6A | Northern | 2,300 | – | PP Req | No | All | Western Periphery | Oct. 1-14 |
Deer take in WMU 6A
6A yielded 4,501 deer in 2022; the WMU tables stop at 2022.
| Year | Total | Adult bucks |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2,486 | 1,953 |
| 2017 | 3,120 | 2,563 |
| 2018 | 3,043 | 2,417 |
| 2019 | 3,925 | 3,261 |
| 2020 | 4,161 | 3,256 |
| 2021 | 4,335 | 3,145 |
| 2022 | 4,501 | 3,173 |
The 2025 bear harvest in 6A came to 10.
DEC's bear plan for 6A reads "Maintain low 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.
Every season window on Bombay and Brasher State Forests
31 species have open dates on Bombay and Brasher State Forests this license year; the table holds 47 rows and a live open-or-closed column.
| Quarry | Season | Covers | Starts | Ends | Open? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Early Bowhunting | WMU 6A | Sep 27, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth deer weekend | WMU 6A | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Early Muzzleloading | WMU 6A | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Regular Season | WMU 6A | Oct 24, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late Bowhunting | WMU 6A | Dec 7, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late Muzzleloading | WMU 6A | Dec 7, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Early Bowhunting | WMU 6A | Sep 19, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Youth Firearms Bear Hunt | WMU 6A | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Early Muzzleloading | WMU 6A | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Regular Season (Western Periphery) | WMU 6A | Oct 24, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall Season | WMU 6A | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Youth Spring Turkey Hunt | WMU 6A | Apr 24, 2027 | Apr 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring Season | WMU 6A | May 1, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Youth Pheasant Hunt | WMU 6A | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular (either sex) | WMU 6A | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Hunting | WMU 6A | Sep 20, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Hunting | WMU 6A | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Hunting | WMU 6A | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 21, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe hare | Hunting | WMU 6A | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 21, 2027 | |
| Gray squirrel | Hunting | WMU 6A | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Black squirrel | Hunting | WMU 6A | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Fox squirrel | Hunting | WMU 6A | 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 | WMU 6A | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Rails | Hunting | WMU 6A | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Gallinule | Hunting | WMU 6A | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Crow | Hunting | WMU 6A | Sep 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Hunting | WMU 6A | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 28, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | WMU 6A | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Hunting | WMU 6A | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Gray fox | Hunting | WMU 6A | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | WMU 6A | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Skunk | Hunting | WMU 6A | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Hunting | WMU 6A | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Weasel | Hunting | WMU 6A | 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.
Bombay and Brasher State Forests game species
The source names white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse and small game on Bombay and Brasher State Forests.
Species from DEC bombay and brasher state forests; dates from the 2026-27 DEC guide; checked October 27, 2026.
Getting into Bombay and Brasher State Forests: parking and maps
Park at one of the 2 access points DEC gives for Bombay and Brasher State Forests.
| Access and location | Map |
|---|---|
| Brasher Center Fishing access point, located between the St. Regis River and Route 53: 44.8775, -74.7751 | Open map |
| Larue PFAR parking area south: 44.8281, -74.7669 | Open map |
Map download: Bombay and Brasher State Forests East Map · Brasher State Forest West Map
Parking points and maps from DEC bombay and brasher state forests; checked October 27, 2026.
Bombay and Brasher State Forests: town and county harvest
DEC's last take-by-town table (2019) credits the town of Bombay with 64 deer, 57 of them adult bucks.
| Town | County | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Bucks 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombay | Franklin | 41 | 40 | 58 | 85 | 64 | 57 |
| Moira | Franklin | 114 | 115 | 144 | 168 | 193 | 119 |
| Brasher | St. Lawrence | 114 | 118 | 170 | 177 | 168 | 147 |
| Norfolk | St. Lawrence | 75 | 90 | 114 | 150 | 177 | 152 |
Bears reported by town: Bombay 2 in 2020; Bombay 2 in 2021; Bombay 1 in 2022; Brasher 4 in 2020; Norfolk 2 in 2020.
Franklin County deer, 2025: 2,760.
| Year | County deer | Adult bucks | Adult does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,137 | 1,663 | 424 |
| 2022 | 2,393 | 1,755 | 513 |
| 2023 | 2,296 | 1,660 | 455 |
| 2024 | 2,836 | 2,164 | 582 |
| 2025 | 2,760 | 2,041 | 559 |
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.
Bombay and Brasher State Forests hunting-hour table
Sun times below are calculated for Bombay and Brasher State Forests; the game column adds the big game half hour and the bird column stops at sunset.
| Date | Moment | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer and bear | Waterfowl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2026 | Northern bow opener | 6:49 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, 2026 | Southern bow opener | 6:53 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, 2026 | Northern regular opener | 7:23 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, 2026 | Southern regular opener | 7:01 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, 2026 | Southern late season | 7:26 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, 2027 | Late season close | 7:34 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, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 5:49 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 5:19 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. | 5:19 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. |
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.
Bombay and Brasher State Forests: nearby towns and services
Brasher Falls is the nearest town with its own page, 3.9 mi from Bombay and Brasher State Forests.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brasher Falls | St. Lawrence | 3.9 mi | – | 28,606 |
| Winthrop | St. Lawrence | 5.1 mi | – | 27,893 |
| Akwesasne | Franklin | 8.5 mi | – | 18,608 |
| Parishville | St. Lawrence | 16 mi | – | 20,100 |
Bombay and Brasher State Forests falls inside these county guides: Franklin County, St. Lawrence County.
Bombay and Brasher State Forests: businesses close by
15 licensed guides are registered in Franklin County, per DEC. DEC licensed guides
DEC offices closest to Bombay and Brasher State Forests
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.
Bombay and Brasher State Forests: nearest firing lines
Nearest range to Bombay and Brasher State Forests: Massena Rifle & Pistol Club, roughly 4 miles. DEC has no firearm range, and no local public range is close.
From DEC, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 27, 2026.
Bombay and Brasher State Forests in pictures
Bombay and Brasher State Forests: short answers
How does access work on Bombay and Brasher State Forests?
No special permit is listed; a valid license and the open seasons are what count.
What does Bombay and Brasher State Forests measure?
About 22,508 acres by the source used here.
Which WMU rules apply on Bombay and Brasher State Forests?
WMU 6A, in the Northern Zone.
When does the main deer season run on Bombay and Brasher State Forests?
WMU 6A: regular Season Oct 24 to Dec 6, 2026.
When can I bowhunt deer on Bombay and Brasher State Forests?
Bowhunting opens Sep 27, 2026 (WMU 6A).
What are the DMP odds near Bombay and Brasher State Forests?
Resident first-permit odds in 6A are PP Req; the target is 2,300.
What game is found on Bombay and Brasher State Forests?
White-tailed deer, ruffed grouse and small game top the list.
How long is spring turkey on Bombay and Brasher State Forests?
May 1 to May 31, 2027, with shooting until noon.
When does bear hunting open near Bombay and Brasher State Forests?
Oct 24 to Dec 6, 2026 (regular Season (Western Periphery)).
Which town page is closest to Bombay and Brasher State Forests?
Brasher Falls, about 3.9 mi away.
What are the stand rules on Bombay and Brasher State Forests?
No permanent stands or screw-in steps; a labeled portable stand may stay during the season.
What colors are required at Bombay and Brasher State Forests in gun season?
Orange or pink, 250 square inches, when hunting deer or bear with a firearm.
Bombay and Brasher State Forests: what to double-check
After a deer, bear or turkey on Bombay and Brasher State Forests, report it: paper tags within 48 hours, e-tags right away in HuntFishNY.
Sources: DEC bombay and brasher state forests · 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: David A Mitchell (CC BY 2.0); mbarrison (CC BY-SA 2.0); ImNotQuiteJack (CC BY-SA 2.0); MSVG (CC BY 2.0).