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State forest · WMU 8P
Urbana State Forest for hunters
Everything we could verify about this state forest in Steuben County (2,706 acres).
Photo: Mary Witzig (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Urbana State Forest
Parking, trailheads and gates near Urbana State Forest
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 4.4 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 Urbana State Forest
Urbana State Forest counts as a DEC state forest; its ground is in Steuben County. It reaches into Wheeler and Urbana, per the DEC page. DEC handles it from Region 8, the office for the western Finger Lakes and Genesee Valley. Recorded size: 2,706 acres, from DEC Lands layer ACRES. By acres it places 75th among 409 state forests. The Keuka plan covers it.
From DEC urbana state forest; acreage DEC Lands layer ACRES (sum of the matched facility polygons); checked October 27, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Urbana State Forest
Urbana State Forest and the public land around it
10 public places within 40 miles are pinned around Urbana State Forest, starting with Pigtail Hollow State Forest. Together they add 16,728 acres.
| Property | Type | Acres | WMU | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pigtail Hollow | State forest | 995 | 8P | 1.4 mi | southwest |
| Cold Brook | WMA | 143 | 8P | 4.7 mi | south |
| Mount Washington | State forest | 442 | 8W | 6.5 mi | south |
| Birdseye Hollow | State forest | 3,496 | 8W | 9.0 mi | southeast |
| Waneta-Lamoka | WMA | 160 | 8R, 8W | 9.6 mi | east |
| Moss Hill | State forest | 1,856 | 8W | 10 mi | south |
| Keuka Lake | State park | 632 | 8R | 11 mi | northeast |
| Italy Hill | State forest | 1,957 | 8R | 12 mi | north |
| High Tor | WMA | 6,937 | 8N | 13 mi | north |
| Wolf Gull | WMA | 110 | 8N | 14 mi | northwest |
Points: DEC Lands layer (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Rules and access on Urbana State Forest
Urbana State Forest follows the rules DEC sets for state forest land:
- Leave every tree on Urbana State Forest as you found it: hardware, trimmed lanes and built blinds are not allowed.
- Seasonal stands on Urbana State Forest need an ID tag (name and address or license number) and must be pulled when the season closes.
- Storing personal items on Urbana State Forest is not allowed; trail cameras count.
- Off-road driving is not allowed on Urbana 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 Urbana 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 urbana state forest, DEC state land use rules, DEC Places to Hunt, 2026-27 DEC guide; checked October 27, 2026.
The WMU behind Urbana State Forest
Urbana State Forest lies in WMU 8P, a Southern Zone unit of 356 square miles reaching Steuben, Yates and Ontario. Antlerless permits: 6,800 DMPs targeted for 8P in 2026, 18.1% average success, resident first-permit chance high. 8P bear hunting: Southern Zone. 8P fall turkey: Oct. 17-30.
| WMU | Zone | 2026 target | DMP success | Resident chance | Antler rule | Deer | Bear | Turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8P | Southern | 6,800 | 18.1% | high | No | All | Southern Zone | Oct. 17-30 |
Deer reported from 8P
DEC calculated 2,686 deer taken in 8P in 2022, against 2,017 in 2016.
| Year | All deer | Adult males |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2,017 | 1,189 |
| 2017 | 1,936 | 1,228 |
| 2018 | 2,125 | 1,231 |
| 2019 | 2,315 | 1,521 |
| 2020 | 2,615 | 1,198 |
| 2021 | 2,395 | 1,397 |
| 2022 | 2,686 | 1,504 |
DEC's bear dashboard credits 8P with 20 (2023), 17 (2024), 11 (2025).
Bear management goal in 8P: 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.
Urbana State Forest season dates for 2026-27
Only rows that cover WMU 8P and the waterfowl zones over Urbana State Forest are listed: 46 windows in all.
| Species | Season | Applies to | Opens | Closes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Early Bowhunting | WMU 8P | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth deer weekend | WMU 8P | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Regular Season | WMU 8P | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late Bowhunting | WMU 8P | Dec 14, 2026 | Dec 22, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late Muzzleloading | WMU 8P | Dec 14, 2026 | Dec 22, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late Bowhunting (holidays) | WMU 8P | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late Muzzleloading (holidays) | WMU 8P | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Early Bowhunting | WMU 8P | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Youth Firearms Bear Hunt | WMU 8P | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Regular Season | WMU 8P | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Late Bowhunting | WMU 8P | Dec 14, 2026 | Dec 22, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Late Muzzleloading | WMU 8P | Dec 14, 2026 | Dec 22, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall Season | WMU 8P | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 30, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Youth Spring Turkey Hunt | WMU 8P | Apr 24, 2027 | Apr 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring Season | WMU 8P | May 1, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Youth Pheasant Hunt | WMU 8P | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular (either sex) | WMU 8P | Oct 17, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Hunting | WMU 8P | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Hunting | WMU 8P | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Hunting | WMU 8P | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe hare | Hunting | WMU 8P | Jan 1, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Gray squirrel | Hunting | WMU 8P | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Black squirrel | Hunting | WMU 8P | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Fox squirrel | Hunting | WMU 8P | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Split 1 | Western Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | Western Zone | Dec 5, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Scaup | 2-scaup window | Western Zone | Dec 22, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Canada goose | September season | South goose area | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 25, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Regular season | South goose area | Oct 24, 2026 | Jan 11, 2027 | |
| Snow goose | Regular season | Western Zone | Nov 24, 2026 | Mar 10, 2027 | |
| Brant | Regular season | Western Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth days | Western Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Veteran waterfowl | Veteran days | Western Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Hunting | WMU 8P | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Rails | Hunting | WMU 8P | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Gallinule | Hunting | WMU 8P | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Crow | Hunting | WMU 8P | Sep 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Hunting | WMU 8P | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 28, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | WMU 8P | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Hunting | WMU 8P | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Gray fox | Hunting | WMU 8P | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Skunk | Hunting | WMU 8P | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Hunting | WMU 8P | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Weasel | Hunting | WMU 8P | 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.
Urbana State Forest: lots, pull-offs and map files
1 parking location serve Urbana State Forest, each with coordinates.
| Parking area, lat and lon | Link |
|---|---|
| Runner Road: 42.4536, -77.2501 | Map it |
Map on file: Urbana State Forest Map
Parking points and maps from DEC urbana state forest; checked October 27, 2026.
Deer and bear take around Urbana State Forest
Town-level numbers for Urbana State Forest: Wheeler gave up 253 deer in 2019 (172 adult bucks).
| Town | County | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Bucks (2019) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeler | Steuben | 238 | 233 | 242 | 239 | 253 | 172 |
| Urbana | Steuben | 220 | 235 | 256 | 304 | 257 | 157 |
By town, bears taken: 2 in Wheeler in 2020; 3 in Wheeler in 2021; 1 in Urbana in 2020.
County-wide, Steuben produced 15,913 deer in 2025.
| Season | All deer | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,001 | 6,380 | 5,245 |
| 2022 | 13,587 | 7,036 | 4,813 |
| 2023 | 14,295 | 6,949 | 4,762 |
| 2024 | 15,595 | 7,787 | 5,922 |
| 2025 | 15,913 | 7,730 | 6,609 |
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.
Urbana 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 | 7:01 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Southern bow opener | 7:05 a.m. | 6:53 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 6:53 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Northern regular opener | 7:32 a.m. | 6:16 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 6:46 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 6:16 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Southern regular opener | 7:07 a.m. | 4:45 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. |
| Dec 14, 2026 | Southern late season | 7:30 a.m. | 4:38 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late season close | 7:38 a.m. | 4:47 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. |
| May 1, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:06 a.m. | 8:07 p.m. | 5:36 a.m. to 8:37 p.m. | 5:36 a.m. to 8:07 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.
Urbana State Forest trip planning
The quickest town stop is Hammondsport (4.3 mi).
| Town | County | Distance | Population | Public ground, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hammondsport | Steuben | 4.3 mi | 571 | 13,065 |
| Bath | Steuben | 9.0 mi | 5,512 | 11,490 |
| Savona | Steuben | 13 mi | 671 | 20,040 |
| Naples | Ontario | 13 mi | 954 | 12,805 |
Read Urbana State Forest alongside its county page: Steuben County.
Urbana State Forest: businesses close by
DEC lists 4 licensed guides with an address in Steuben County; the names are in the DEC dataset. DEC licensed guides
Urbana 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.
Urbana State Forest: nearest firing lines
The three listed ranges closest to Urbana State Forest follow; Loucks Pond Shooting Range leads at 9 miles.
From DEC, the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 27, 2026.
Urbana State Forest in pictures
Urbana State Forest questions, answered from the record
Is fluorescent pink legal at Urbana State Forest?
Yes, pink counts the same as orange for the firearm deer and bear rule.
How do stands work on Urbana State Forest?
A tagged portable stand is fine for the season; nothing permanent.
Who may hunt Urbana State Forest?
Any licensed hunter may use it during open seasons; no extra permit is listed.
What are legal shooting hours on Urbana 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 Urbana State Forest?
It is 8P ground, Southern Zone.
What does Urbana State Forest measure?
2,706 acres (DEC Lands layer ACRES).
When does archery open near Urbana State Forest?
WMU 8P: Oct 1 to Nov 20, 2026.
When does the regular deer season open on Urbana State Forest?
Regular Season: Nov 21 to Dec 13, 2026 (WMU 8P).
What are the spring turkey dates for Urbana State Forest?
Yes: May 1 to May 31, 2027, mornings only.
How likely is a DMP for Urbana State Forest?
Resident first DMP odds in 8P: high; average success 18.1%.
How far is Urbana State Forest from a town?
Hammondsport, 4.3 mi straight-line.
What bear season covers Urbana State Forest?
Bear season runs Nov 21 to Dec 13, 2026 in WMU 8P.
Urbana State Forest: confirm these before you go
Print the Urbana State Forest map, carry your license and tags, and read the posted signs at the parking area.
Sources: DEC urbana 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: Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0); Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); DenaliNPS (CC BY 2.0).