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State forest · Region 7
Ludlow Creek State Forest: a hunter's guide for 2026-27
A 2026-27 hunter guide to this state forest in Chenango County, 3,197 acres.
Photo: andyarthur (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Ludlow Creek State Forest
Parking, trailheads and gates near Ludlow Creek State Forest
- Genegantslet Creek Fishing AccessParking · 3.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.9 mi from the centreDirections
- GateGate · 5.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 5.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 5.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 7.0 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 Ludlow Creek State Forest is and who runs it
Ludlow Creek State Forest sits in Chenango County, filed as a DEC state forest. Its town is Smithville. Region 7 of DEC covers it, along with the rest of central New York. 3,197 acres are on record from DEC Lands layer ACRES. Sorted by acreage, the 409 state forests put it 58th. Unit plan on file: Mcdonough.
From DEC ludlow creek state forest; acreage DEC Lands layer ACRES (sum of the matched facility polygons); checked October 27, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Ludlow Creek State Forest
Ludlow Creek State Forest pinned with nearby tracts
The nearest public land to Ludlow Creek State Forest is Genegantslet State Forest, 2.6 mi away to the west. Combined: 26,547 acres.
| Public land | Type | Acres | WMU | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genegantslet | State forest | 3,202 | 7M | 2.6 mi | west |
| McDonough | State forest | 6,913 | 7M | 4.9 mi | north |
| Bowman Lake | State park | 960 | 7M | 4.9 mi | north |
| Red Brook | State forest | 602 | 7M | 6.4 mi | west |
| Long Pond | State forest | 3,185 | 7M | 7.0 mi | west |
| Five Streams | State forest | 6,375 | 7M | 7.3 mi | northwest |
| Coventry | State forest | 1,169 | 7P | 8.3 mi | southeast |
| Balsam Swamp | State forest | 2,679 | 7M | 8.7 mi | northwest |
| Basswood | State forest | 935 | 7P | 8.9 mi | southeast |
| Lyon Brook | State forest | 527 | 7P | 9.0 mi | east |
Points: DEC Lands layer (polygon centroid of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Ludlow Creek State Forest regulations, plainly
On Ludlow Creek State Forest the DEC state land use rules set the ground rules:
- Nothing may be nailed, screwed or cut on Ludlow Creek State Forest: no permanent stands, natural blinds or shooting lanes.
- Tagged portable stands are fine on Ludlow Creek State Forest for the season (name and address or license number on them), then they have to be removed.
- Personal property cannot be stored on Ludlow Creek State Forest, 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 Ludlow Creek State Forest
- 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 ludlow creek state forest, DEC state land use rules, DEC Places to Hunt, 2026-27 DEC guide; checked October 27, 2026.
WMU 7M facts for Ludlow Creek State Forest
The WMU map puts Ludlow Creek State Forest in 7M; 7M spans 1,242 square miles of Chenango, Madison and Cortland. DEC set a 2026 target of 20,200 Deer Management Permits for 7M; average DMP success there runs 14.4%, and a resident's first DMP chance is rated high. Southern Zone bear rules cover 7M. The fall turkey window for 7M is Oct. 17-30.
| WMU | Deer zone | DMP goal | Success rate | Odds (resident) | APR | Implements | Bear | Turkey (fall) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7M | Southern | 20,200 | 14.4% | high | No | All | Southern Zone | Oct. 17-30 |
Deer take in WMU 7M
7M yielded 7,666 deer in 2022; the WMU tables stop at 2022.
| Year | Total | Adult bucks |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 7,919 | 3,953 |
| 2017 | 7,717 | 4,041 |
| 2018 | 8,952 | 4,135 |
| 2019 | 8,159 | 4,077 |
| 2020 | 8,285 | 3,607 |
| 2021 | 6,858 | 3,371 |
| 2022 | 7,666 | 3,675 |
The 2025 bear harvest in 7M came to 1.
DEC's bear plan for 7M 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 Ludlow Creek State Forest
31 species have open dates on Ludlow Creek State Forest 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 7M | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth deer weekend | WMU 7M | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Regular Season | WMU 7M | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late Bowhunting | WMU 7M | Dec 14, 2026 | Dec 22, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late Muzzleloading | WMU 7M | Dec 14, 2026 | Dec 22, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late Bowhunting (holidays) | WMU 7M | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late Muzzleloading (holidays) | WMU 7M | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Early Bowhunting | WMU 7M | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Youth Firearms Bear Hunt | WMU 7M | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Regular Season | WMU 7M | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Late Bowhunting | WMU 7M | Dec 14, 2026 | Dec 22, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Late Muzzleloading | WMU 7M | Dec 14, 2026 | Dec 22, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall Season | WMU 7M | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 30, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Youth Spring Turkey Hunt | WMU 7M | Apr 24, 2027 | Apr 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring Season | WMU 7M | May 1, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Youth Pheasant Hunt | WMU 7M | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular (either sex) | WMU 7M | Oct 17, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Hunting | WMU 7M | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Hunting | WMU 7M | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Hunting | WMU 7M | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe hare | Hunting | WMU 7M | Dec 14, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Gray squirrel | Hunting | WMU 7M | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Black squirrel | Hunting | WMU 7M | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Fox squirrel | Hunting | WMU 7M | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Split 1 | Southeastern Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | Southeastern Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | |
| Scaup | 2-scaup window | Southeastern Zone | Dec 8, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | September season | East Central goose area | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 25, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Regular season | East Central goose area | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Regular season | East Central goose area | Dec 5, 2026 | Dec 21, 2026 | |
| Snow goose | Regular season | Southeastern Zone | Nov 24, 2026 | Mar 10, 2027 | |
| Brant | Regular season | Southeastern Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth days | Southeastern Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Veteran waterfowl | Veteran days | Southeastern Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Hunting | WMU 7M | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Rails | Hunting | WMU 7M | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Gallinule | Hunting | WMU 7M | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Crow | Hunting | WMU 7M | Sep 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Hunting | WMU 7M | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 28, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | WMU 7M | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Hunting | WMU 7M | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Gray fox | Hunting | WMU 7M | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Skunk | Hunting | WMU 7M | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Hunting | WMU 7M | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Weasel | Hunting | WMU 7M | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Mink | Hunting (Southern Zone only) | Southern Zone | Nov 10, 2026 | Apr 7, 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.
Getting into Ludlow Creek State Forest: parking and maps
Park at one of the 1 access point DEC gives for Ludlow Creek State Forest.
| Access and location | Map |
|---|---|
| Trail Road Parking: 42.4474, -75.7050 | Open map |
Map download: Ludlow Creek State Forest Map
Parking points and maps from DEC ludlow creek state forest; checked October 27, 2026.
Ludlow Creek State Forest: town and county harvest
DEC's last take-by-town table (2019) credits the town of Smithville with 344 deer, 168 of them adult bucks.
| Town | County | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Bucks 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithville | Chenango | 289 | 351 | 276 | 395 | 344 | 168 |
Chenango County deer, 2025: 5,123.
| Year | County deer | Adult bucks | Adult does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,514 | 2,465 | 1,642 |
| 2022 | 5,478 | 2,897 | 1,926 |
| 2023 | 5,234 | 2,940 | 1,690 |
| 2024 | 5,528 | 3,121 | 1,829 |
| 2025 | 5,123 | 2,757 | 1,918 |
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.
Ludlow Creek State Forest hunting-hour table
Sun times below are calculated for Ludlow Creek State Forest; 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 | 6:54 a.m. | 6:53 p.m. | 6:24 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. | 6:24 a.m. to 6:53 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Southern bow opener | 6:58 a.m. | 6:46 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 7:16 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 6:46 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Northern regular opener | 7:25 a.m. | 6:08 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 6:38 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 6:08 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Southern regular opener | 7:00 a.m. | 4:37 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 4:37 p.m. |
| Dec 14, 2026 | Southern late season | 7:24 a.m. | 4:30 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late season close | 7:32 a.m. | 4:39 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 4:39 p.m. |
| May 1, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 5:58 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 5:28 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. | 5:28 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.
Ludlow Creek State Forest: nearby towns and services
Oxford is the nearest town with its own page, 5.5 mi from Ludlow Creek State Forest.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford | Chenango | 5.5 mi | 1,329 | 21,141 |
| Smithville Flats | Chenango | 6.6 mi | – | 22,393 |
| Greene | Chenango | 8.7 mi | 1,424 | 15,526 |
| Norwich | Chenango | 11 mi | 6,608 | 18,811 |
Ludlow Creek State Forest falls inside these county guides: Chenango County.
Ludlow Creek State Forest: businesses close by
4 licensed guides are registered in Chenango County, per DEC. DEC licensed guides
DEC offices closest to Ludlow Creek State Forest
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.
Ludlow Creek State Forest: nearest firing lines
Nearest range to Ludlow Creek State Forest: Oxford Rod & Gun Club, roughly 3 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.
Ludlow Creek State Forest in pictures
Ludlow Creek State Forest: short answers
How does access work on Ludlow Creek State Forest?
No special permit is listed; a valid license and the open seasons are what count.
What does Ludlow Creek State Forest measure?
About 3,197 acres by the source used here.
Which WMU rules apply on Ludlow Creek State Forest?
WMU 7M, in the Southern Zone.
When does the main deer season run on Ludlow Creek State Forest?
WMU 7M: regular Season Nov 21 to Dec 13, 2026.
When can I bowhunt deer on Ludlow Creek State Forest?
Bowhunting opens Oct 1, 2026 (WMU 7M).
What are the DMP odds near Ludlow Creek State Forest?
Resident first-permit odds in 7M are high; the target is 20,200.
How long is spring turkey on Ludlow Creek State Forest?
May 1 to May 31, 2027, with shooting until noon.
When does bear hunting open near Ludlow Creek State Forest?
Nov 21 to Dec 13, 2026 (regular Season).
Which town page is closest to Ludlow Creek State Forest?
Oxford, about 5.5 mi away.
What are the stand rules on Ludlow Creek State Forest?
No permanent stands or screw-in steps; a labeled portable stand may stay during the season.
What colors are required at Ludlow Creek State Forest in gun season?
Orange or pink, 250 square inches, when hunting deer or bear with a firearm.
What time does hunting end at Ludlow Creek State Forest?
Big game ends 30 minutes after sunset; upland birds at sunset.
Ludlow Creek State Forest: what to double-check
After a deer, bear or turkey on Ludlow Creek State Forest, report it: paper tags within 48 hours, e-tags right away in HuntFishNY.
Sources: DEC ludlow creek state 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: andyarthur (CC BY 2.0); Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain).