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State forest · Region 4
R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest: a hunter's guide for 2026-27
A 2026-27 hunter guide to this state forest in Otsego County, 1,396 acres.
Photo: ldifranza (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest
Where R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest is and who runs it
R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest sits in Otsego County, filed as a DEC state forest. Its town is Roseboom. Region 4 of DEC covers it, along with the rest of the Capital District and northern Catskills. 1,396 acres are on record from DEC Lands layer ACRES. Sorted by acreage, the 409 state forests put it 170th. Unit plan on file: Cherry Valley.
The property page says: Wildlife Managment Unit : 4F R. Milton Hick State Forest is open to hunting during appropriate seasons. There are a number of young spruce plantations on this forest, which provide good habitat for rabbit. Other wildlife expected to occur on this area include whitetailed deer, squirrel, grouse and turkey along with mink, raccoon, fox, coyote and bobcat.
From DEC r milton hick memorial state forest; acreage DEC Lands layer ACRES (sum of the matched facility polygons); checked October 27, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest
R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest pinned with nearby tracts
Pins show R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest and 10 neighbors; Roseboom State Forest sits 2.6 mi off. Combined: 9,476 acres.
| Public land | Type | Acres | WMU | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roseboom | State forest | 632 | 4F | 2.6 mi | northwest |
| Maple Valley | State forest | 806 | 4F | 3.2 mi | south |
| Bear Swamp | State forest | 1,748 | 4F | 4.6 mi | east |
| Cherry Valley | State forest | 1,565 | 4F | 5.0 mi | northeast |
| Decatur | State forest | 594 | 4F | 5.1 mi | southeast |
| Honey Hill | State forest | 1,015 | 4F | 5.4 mi | northeast |
| Hooker Mountain | WMA | 83 | 4F | 7.5 mi | southwest |
| Hooker Mountain | State forest | 804 | 4F | 8.4 mi | southwest |
| Lutheranville | State forest | 1,803 | 4F | 9.6 mi | southeast |
| Susquehanna | State forest | 426 | 4F | 13 mi | southwest |
Points: DEC Lands layer (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest regulations, plainly
On R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest the DEC state land use rules set the ground rules:
- Nothing may be nailed, screwed or cut on R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest: no permanent stands, natural blinds or shooting lanes.
- Tagged portable stands are fine on R. Milton Hick Memorial 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 R. Milton Hick Memorial 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.
Laws every R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest hunter carries in
- 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 r milton hick memorial state forest, DEC state land use rules, DEC Places to Hunt, 2026-27 DEC guide; checked October 27, 2026.
R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest and WMU 4F: permits, antlers and harvest
The WMU map puts R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest in 4F; 4F spans 1,161 square miles of Otsego, Schoharie and Delaware. DEC set a 2026 target of 10,000 Deer Management Permits for 4F; average DMP success there runs 16.9%, and a resident's first DMP chance is rated high. Southern Zone bear rules cover 4F. The fall turkey window for 4F is Oct. 17-30.
| WMU | Deer zone | DMP goal | Success rate | Odds (resident) | APR | Implements | Bear | Turkey (fall) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4F | Southern | 10,000 | 16.9% | high | No | All | Southern Zone | Oct. 17-30 |
Deer take in WMU 4F
4F yielded 7,002 deer in 2022; the WMU tables stop at 2022.
| Year | Total | Adult bucks |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 7,790 | 4,112 |
| 2017 | 7,764 | 4,313 |
| 2018 | 8,042 | 4,136 |
| 2019 | 7,068 | 3,988 |
| 2020 | 7,683 | 3,822 |
| 2021 | 6,469 | 3,754 |
| 2022 | 7,002 | 3,680 |
The 2025 bear harvest in 4F came to 16.
DEC's bear plan for 4F 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.
R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest: dates by species
32 species have open dates on R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest this license year; the table holds 48 rows and a live open-or-closed column.
| Quarry | Season | Covers | Starts | Ends | Open? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Early Bowhunting | WMU 4F | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth deer weekend | WMU 4F | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Regular Season | WMU 4F | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late Bowhunting | WMU 4F | Dec 14, 2026 | Dec 22, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late Muzzleloading | WMU 4F | Dec 14, 2026 | Dec 22, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late Bowhunting (holidays) | WMU 4F | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late Muzzleloading (holidays) | WMU 4F | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Early Bowhunting | WMU 4F | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Youth Firearms Bear Hunt | WMU 4F | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Regular Season | WMU 4F | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Late Bowhunting | WMU 4F | Dec 14, 2026 | Dec 22, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Late Muzzleloading | WMU 4F | Dec 14, 2026 | Dec 22, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall Season | WMU 4F | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 30, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Youth Spring Turkey Hunt | WMU 4F | Apr 24, 2027 | Apr 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring Season | WMU 4F | May 1, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Youth Pheasant Hunt | WMU 4F | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular (either sex) | WMU 4F | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Hunting | WMU 4F | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Hunting | WMU 4F | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Hunting | WMU 4F | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe hare | Hunting | WMU 4F | Dec 14, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Gray squirrel | Hunting | WMU 4F | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Black squirrel | Hunting | WMU 4F | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Fox squirrel | Hunting | WMU 4F | 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 4F | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Rails | Hunting | WMU 4F | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Gallinule | Hunting | WMU 4F | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Crow | Hunting | WMU 4F | Sep 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Hunting | WMU 4F | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 28, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | WMU 4F | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Hunting | WMU 4F | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Gray fox | Hunting | WMU 4F | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | WMU 4F | Oct 25, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| Skunk | Hunting | WMU 4F | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Hunting | WMU 4F | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Weasel | Hunting | WMU 4F | 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.
R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest game species
Hunters come to R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest for white-tailed deer, wild turkey and ruffed grouse above all.
White-tailed deer
Nov 21–Dec 13
Wild turkey
May 1–May 31
Ruffed grouse
Oct 1–Feb 28
Rabbit and hare
Oct 1–Feb 28
Squirrel
Sep 1–Feb 28
Coyote
Oct 1–Mar 28
Furbearers
Oct 25–Feb 15
Species from DEC r milton hick memorial state forest; dates from the 2026-27 DEC guide; checked October 27, 2026.
Getting into R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest: parking and maps
Access to R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest starts at 1 DEC parking point.
| Access and location | Map |
|---|---|
| R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest Parking Area is located on Perry Hill Road approximately 1-mile South of its intersection with NYS Route 165: 42.6959, -74.7635 | Open map |
Map download: R. Milton Hick State Forest Map
Parking points and maps from DEC r milton hick memorial state forest; checked October 27, 2026.
R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest: town and county harvest
DEC's last take-by-town table (2019) credits the town of Roseboom with 107 deer, 62 of them adult bucks.
| Town | County | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Bucks 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roseboom | Otsego | 149 | 158 | 171 | 172 | 107 | 62 |
Bears reported by town: Roseboom 1 in 2022.
Otsego County deer, 2025: 4,668.
| Year | County deer | Adult bucks | Adult does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,519 | 3,178 | 1,941 |
| 2022 | 6,123 | 3,135 | 2,430 |
| 2023 | 4,989 | 2,909 | 1,681 |
| 2024 | 5,021 | 2,942 | 1,654 |
| 2025 | 4,668 | 2,648 | 1,583 |
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.
R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest hunting-hour table
Sun times below are calculated for R. Milton Hick Memorial 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 | 6:51 a.m. | 6:51 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 6:51 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Southern bow opener | 6:56 a.m. | 6:44 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 6:44 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Northern regular opener | 7:23 a.m. | 6:06 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 6:36 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 6:06 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Southern regular opener | 6:58 a.m. | 4:34 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 4:34 p.m. |
| Dec 14, 2026 | Southern late season | 7:22 a.m. | 4:27 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 4:27 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late season close | 7:30 a.m. | 4:36 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. |
| May 1, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 5:56 a.m. | 7:58 p.m. | 5:26 a.m. to 8:28 p.m. | 5:26 a.m. to 7:58 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.
R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest: nearby towns and services
Closest base: East Worcester, about 6.8 mi away.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Worcester | Otsego | 6.8 mi | – | 14,513 |
| Cooperstown | Otsego | 8.4 mi | 1,844 | 6,983 |
| Richmondville | Schoharie | 11 mi | 873 | 21,638 |
| St. Johnsville | Montgomery | 21 mi | 1,711 | 9,703 |
R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest falls inside these county guides: Otsego County.
Shops that serve R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest hunters
15 licensed guides are registered in Otsego County, per DEC. DEC licensed guides
Phone numbers for R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest questions
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.
R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest: hunts, courses and dinners nearby
1 upcoming event here or close by as of October 27, 2026.
Upcoming here
| On | Listing | Away | Venue | Tickets or seats | Read at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 2026 | Hunter Education Course – East Worcester Fire House · hunter education course | 7 | East Worcester Fire House | Register with DEC | Source |
Nearest public range for R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest hunters
From R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest, Black Creek Marsh WMA Archery Range is the nearest DEC or government-run range (40 miles). Nearby rod and gun clubs fill the remaining cards.
From DEC, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 27, 2026.
R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest in pictures
R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest: short answers
What game is found on R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest?
White-tailed deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, rabbit and hare, squirrel and coyote top the list.
How long is spring turkey on R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest?
May 1 to May 31, 2027, with shooting until noon.
When does bear hunting open near R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest?
Nov 21 to Dec 13, 2026 (regular Season).
Which town page is closest to R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest?
East Worcester, about 6.8 mi away.
What are the stand rules on R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest?
No permanent stands or screw-in steps; a labeled portable stand may stay during the season.
What colors are required at R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest in gun season?
Orange or pink, 250 square inches, when hunting deer or bear with a firearm.
Do I need a special permit for R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest?
No special permit is listed; a valid license and the open seasons are what count.
What does R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest measure?
About 1,396 acres by the source used here.
Which WMU is R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest in?
WMU 4F, in the Southern Zone.
When does the main deer season run on R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest?
WMU 4F: regular Season Nov 21 to Dec 13, 2026.
When can I bowhunt deer on R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest?
Bowhunting opens Oct 1, 2026 (WMU 4F).
What are the DMP odds near R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest?
Resident first-permit odds in 4F are high; the target is 10,000.
R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest: what to double-check
After a deer, bear or turkey on R. Milton Hick Memorial State Forest, report it: paper tags within 48 hours, e-tags right away in HuntFishNY.
Sources: DEC r milton hick memorial 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: GerryT (CC BY 2.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain).