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State forest · WMU 7M
Taylor Valley State Forest for hunters
Everything we could verify about this state forest in Cortland County (4,762 acres).
Photo: andyarthur (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Taylor Valley State Forest
Parking, trailheads and gates near Taylor Valley State Forest
- Parking areaParking · 6.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 6.8 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.
Acres and location of Taylor Valley State Forest
Taylor Valley State Forest counts as a DEC state forest; its ground is in Cortland County. It reaches into Truxton, Cuyler, Taylor and Solon, per the DEC page. DEC handles it from Region 7, the office for central New York. Recorded size: 4,762 acres, from DEC Lands layer ACRES. By acres it places 32nd among 409 state forests. The Taylor Valley plan covers it.
From DEC taylor valley state forest; acreage DEC Lands layer ACRES (sum of the matched facility polygons); checked October 27, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Taylor Valley State Forest
Taylor Valley State Forest and the public land around it
10 public places within 40 miles are pinned around Taylor Valley State Forest, starting with Donahue Woods State Forest. Together they add 19,332 acres.
| Property | Type | Acres | WMU | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donahue Woods | State forest | 1,158 | 7M | 3.0 mi | northwest |
| Dog Hollow | State forest | 729 | 7M | 3.4 mi | north |
| Baker School House | State forest | 1,264 | 7M | 4.1 mi | southwest |
| Cuyler Hill | State forest | 5,635 | 7M | 4.7 mi | northeast |
| Maxon Creek | State forest | 905 | 7M | 6.2 mi | north |
| Lincklaen | State forest | 4,631 | 7M | 7.1 mi | east |
| Gee Brook | State forest | 865 | 7M | 8.2 mi | south |
| Pitcher Springs | State forest | 1,836 | 7M | 8.3 mi | east |
| Hoxie Gorge | State forest | 2,118 | 7M | 8.9 mi | southwest |
| Papish Pond | Multiple use area | 191 | 7M | 9.3 mi | south |
Points: DEC Lands layer (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Rules and access on Taylor Valley State Forest
Taylor Valley State Forest follows the rules DEC sets for state forest land:
- Leave every tree on Taylor Valley State Forest as you found it: hardware, trimmed lanes and built blinds are not allowed.
- Seasonal stands on Taylor Valley State Forest need an ID tag (name and address or license number) and must be pulled when the season closes.
- Storing personal items on Taylor Valley State Forest is not allowed; trail cameras count.
- Off-road driving is not allowed on Taylor Valley State Forest unless a route is designated, and that covers ATVs.
- Overnight camps follow the state land permit rules.
Beyond the site rules: state law on Taylor Valley State Forest
- The orange-or-pink rule covers firearm deer and bear hunters and their companions.
- Boundary houses matter: no gun discharge within 500 feet of a dwelling without consent.
- Bait piles and mineral blocks are not allowed for deer or bear.
- State law no longer limits Sunday hunting anywhere.
From DEC taylor valley state forest, DEC state land use rules, DEC Places to Hunt, 2026-27 DEC guide; checked October 27, 2026.
The WMU behind Taylor Valley State Forest
Taylor Valley State Forest lies in WMU 7M, a Southern Zone unit of 1,242 square miles reaching Chenango, Madison and Cortland. Antlerless permits: 20,200 DMPs targeted for 7M in 2026, 14.4% average success, resident first-permit chance high. 7M bear hunting: Southern Zone. 7M fall turkey: Oct. 17-30.
| WMU | Zone | 2026 target | DMP success | Resident chance | Antler rule | Deer | Bear | Turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7M | Southern | 20,200 | 14.4% | high | No | All | Southern Zone | Oct. 17-30 |
Deer reported from 7M
DEC calculated 7,666 deer taken in 7M in 2022, against 7,919 in 2016.
| Year | All deer | Adult males |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
DEC's bear dashboard credits 7M with 6 (2023), 8 (2024), 1 (2025).
Bear management goal in 7M: 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.
Taylor Valley State Forest season dates for 2026-27
Only rows that cover WMU 7M and the waterfowl zones over Taylor Valley State Forest are listed: 47 windows in all.
| Species | Season | Applies to | Opens | Closes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Taylor Valley State Forest: lots, pull-offs and map files
1 parking location serve Taylor Valley State Forest, each with coordinates.
| Parking area, lat and lon | Link |
|---|---|
| Taylor Valley Road: 42.6379, -75.9679 | Map it |
Map on file: Taylor Valley State Forest Map
Parking points and maps from DEC taylor valley state forest; checked October 27, 2026.
Deer and bear take around Taylor Valley State Forest
Town-level numbers for Taylor Valley State Forest: Truxton gave up 258 deer in 2019 (114 adult bucks).
| Town | County | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Bucks (2019) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truxton | Cortland | 245 | 338 | 248 | 260 | 258 | 114 |
| Cuyler | Cortland | 247 | 256 | 219 | 254 | 213 | 113 |
| Taylor | Cortland | 127 | 164 | 110 | 204 | 127 | 53 |
| Solon | Cortland | 131 | 171 | 156 | 169 | 187 | 107 |
County-wide, Cortland produced 2,550 deer in 2025.
| Season | All deer | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,484 | 1,137 | 1,061 |
| 2022 | 2,963 | 1,343 | 1,194 |
| 2023 | 2,354 | 1,231 | 838 |
| 2024 | 2,631 | 1,387 | 942 |
| 2025 | 2,550 | 1,343 | 986 |
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.
Taylor Valley State Forest: first and last legal light
Deer and bear may be taken from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; ducks and geese close at sunset, and small game runs sunrise to sunset.
| When | Event | Rise | Set | Big game | Ducks and geese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2026 | Northern bow opener | 6:56 a.m. | 6:55 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 7:25 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 6:55 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Southern bow opener | 7:00 a.m. | 6:48 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 7:18 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 6:48 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Northern regular opener | 7:27 a.m. | 6:10 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 6:10 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Southern regular opener | 7:03 a.m. | 4:38 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. |
| Dec 14, 2026 | Southern late season | 7:26 a.m. | 4:32 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 4:32 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late season close | 7:34 a.m. | 4:40 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. |
| May 1, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:00 a.m. | 8:02 p.m. | 5:30 a.m. to 8:32 p.m. | 5:30 a.m. to 8:02 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.
Taylor Valley State Forest trip planning
The quickest town stop is McGraw (6.9 mi).
| Town | County | Distance | Population | Public ground, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McGraw | Cortland | 6.9 mi | 977 | 16,778 |
| Blodgett Mills | Cortland | 9.3 mi | – | 15,903 |
| DeRuyter | Madison | 10 mi | 418 | 39,722 |
| Cortland | Cortland | 11 mi | 17,459 | 14,301 |
Read Taylor Valley State Forest alongside its county page: Cortland County.
Taylor Valley State Forest: businesses close by
DEC lists 3 licensed guides with an address in Cortland County; the names are in the DEC dataset. DEC licensed guides
Taylor Valley State 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.
Taylor Valley State Forest: nearest firing lines
The three listed ranges closest to Taylor Valley State Forest follow; Skyline Pistol Club, Inc. leads at 7 miles.
From DEC, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 27, 2026.
Taylor Valley State Forest in pictures
Taylor Valley State Forest questions, answered from the record
Is fluorescent pink legal at Taylor Valley State Forest?
Yes, pink counts the same as orange for the firearm deer and bear rule.
How do stands work on Taylor Valley State Forest?
A tagged portable stand is fine for the season; nothing permanent.
Who may hunt Taylor Valley State Forest?
Any licensed hunter may use it during open seasons; no extra permit is listed.
What are legal shooting hours on Taylor Valley State Forest?
Deer and bear: half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; small game sunrise to sunset.
What zone and WMU is Taylor Valley State Forest?
It is 7M ground, Southern Zone.
What does Taylor Valley State Forest measure?
4,762 acres (DEC Lands layer ACRES).
When does archery open near Taylor Valley State Forest?
WMU 7M: Oct 1 to Nov 20, 2026.
When does the regular deer season open on Taylor Valley State Forest?
Regular Season: Nov 21 to Dec 13, 2026 (WMU 7M).
What are the spring turkey dates for Taylor Valley State Forest?
Yes: May 1 to May 31, 2027, mornings only.
How likely is a DMP for Taylor Valley State Forest?
Resident first DMP odds in 7M: high; average success 14.4%.
How far is Taylor Valley State Forest from a town?
McGraw, 6.9 mi straight-line.
What bear season covers Taylor Valley State Forest?
Bear season runs Nov 21 to Dec 13, 2026 in WMU 7M.
Taylor Valley State Forest: confirm these before you go
Print the Taylor Valley State Forest map, carry your license and tags, and read the posted signs at the parking area.
Sources: DEC taylor valley 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); andyarthur (CC BY 2.0); Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0).