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Hamilton County, New York
Long Lake, New York, as a hunting base
Hunting from Long Lake, New York: land on the map by distance, WMU rules for Hamilton County, legal light and where to buy a license.
Photo: Shot on Blue Mountain Wild Forest, 0.4 mi from Long Lake; a nearby stand-in, not the town. ke9tv (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Long Lake is part of Hamilton County, out in the eastern Adirondacks and Lake Champlain. Long Lake works as the gateway to Blue Mountain Wild Forest, the line less than a mile out. Sargent Ponds Wild Forest is the reason Long Lake is listed: its closest boundary lies less than a mile out. Inside 10 miles of the town point, state forest, Forest Preserve, WMA, park and federal boundaries take in about 74,428 acres over 7 listed tracts. Top of the distance list sits Blue Mountain Wild Forest, its nearest boundary less than a mile out.
Town point and land area from the Census 2024 Gazetteer; public acreage and boundary miles within 10 miles are a GIS measure over DEC Lands, Finger Lakes National Forest and USFWS boundaries (places.json). Closed areas from the guide closed big game areas. Checked October 27, 2026.
Public tracts mapped around Long Lake
All miles are straight lines from the Census point for Long Lake; road miles run longer.
For room to roam, High Peaks Wilderness Complex offers 275,351 acres, the most near town. 6 Forest Preserve units reach the ring, nearest Blue Mountain Wild Forest; wilderness units keep motor vehicles out, so plan to walk. Cedarlands Conservation Easement Tract heads the state forest list, the only one in the ring.
| Tract | Type | Agency | WMU | Edge | Center | Acres | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Mountain Wild Forest 0.4 mi SE Anchor land | Wild forest | DEC | – | 0.4 mi | 11 mi | 42,635 | – |
| Sargent Ponds Wild Forest 0.9 mi SW Anchor land | Wild forest | DEC | – | 0.9 mi | 6.0 mi | 43,793 | deer, bear |
| High Peaks Wilderness Complex 2.3 mi NE Anchor land | Wilderness | DEC | – | 2.3 mi | 22 mi | 275,351 | – |
| Cedarlands Conservation Easement Tract 4.7 mi N | Easement tract | DEC | 5F | 4.7 mi | 4.7 mi | 3,953 | deer, bear |
| Blue Ridge Wilderness 8.0 mi S Anchor land | Wilderness | DEC | – | 8.0 mi | 13 mi | 48,490 | Permit hunts |
| William C. Whitney Wilderness and Round Lake Wilderness 8.4 mi W Anchor land | Wilderness | DEC | 6J | 8.4 mi | 13 mi | 31,865 | – |
| Essex Chain Lakes Complex 8.9 mi SE Anchor land | Forest Preserve unit | DEC | 5H | 8.9 mi | 11 mi | 9,746 | – |
| Bog River Complex 15 mi NW | Forest Preserve unit | DEC | 5F, 6J | beyond 10 mi | 15 mi | 17,058 | deer, bear |
| Hudson Gorge Wilderness 18 mi SE | Wilderness | DEC | – | beyond 10 mi | 18 mi | 24,534 | – |
| Pigeon Lake Wilderness 20 mi SW | Wilderness | DEC | 6J | beyond 10 mi | 20 mi | 50,836 | deer, bear |
Before you park near Long Lake
- Blue Mountain Wild Forest (0.4 mi). 15 parking spots and 8 downloadable maps are on file with DEC. DEC notes: “Wildlife Management Unit : 5H and 5F Hunting is permitted on all forest preserve lands of the Blue Mountain Wild Forest and the easement lands of the Township 19 Tract south of the O'Neill Flow Road.” DEC notes: “The lands north of the road are private and trespassing for any reason is prohibited.”
- Sargent Ponds Wild Forest (0.9 mi). DEC gives 10 parking locations and 1 property map for planning.
- Cedarlands Conservation Easement Tract (4.7 mi). Look for it in the town of Long Lake, Hamilton County. DEC gives 2 parking locations and 0 property maps for planning. DEC notes: “Trapping is not permitted on these lands.”
Lands, acreage, WMUs and access from DEC property pages, the DEC WMU layer, NYS Parks, NYC DEP and federal pages (lands.json); boundary distances inside 10 miles from places.json; center distances are straight lines from the Census point for Long Lake. Checked October 27, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Which WMU rules apply near Long Lake
DEC sets deer and bear dates in Hamilton County by 3 Wildlife Management Units: 5H, 6J and 5F, all in the Northern Zone. Cedarlands Conservation Easement Tract, the nearest listed land in a county unit, lies in WMU 5F. Antlerless DMPs are not available in 5H, 6J and 5F. Every license carries one Antlered Deer Tag; a second comes only after an antlerless deer is reported. The Northeastern duck zone applies around Long Lake, with Northeast for geese.
| Unit | Share | Zone | Early archery | Regular | Muzzleloader | Bear season | Fall turkey | DMP target | Chance (res.) | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5H | 74% | Northern | Sept 27–Oct 23 | Oct 24–Dec 6 | Oct 17–Oct 23 | Sept 19–Dec 6 | Oct. 1-14 | None by law | NA | – |
| 6J | 20% | Northern | Sept 27–Oct 23 | Oct 24–Dec 6 | Oct 17–Oct 23 | Sept 19–Dec 6 | Oct. 1-14 | None by law | NA | – |
| 5F Near town | 6% | Northern | Sept 27–Oct 23 | Oct 24–Dec 6 | Oct 17–Oct 23 | Sept 19–Dec 6 | Oct. 1-14 | None by law | NA | – |
WMU shares and 2026-27 dates from the DEC WMU season layer (counties.json); DMP targets and odds from the DEC 2026 DMP table; antler, bowhunting-only and rifle rules from the 2026-27 guide; bear areas and fall turkey from the guide bear pages. Checked October 27, 2026.
Long Lake hunting businesses by distance
Processors come from DEC’s 2026 deer and bear processor list plus listings that name deer or game, sorted by miles from Long Lake.
| Service | Within 15 mi | Within 35 mi | Nearest | Miles | Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mounts | 0 | 1 | Frasier Taxidermy | 30 mi SE | Olmstedville |
| Gun and bow shops | 0 | 4 | Adirondack Sporting Goods | 18 mi N | Tupper Lake |
| Town clerks (licenses) | 2 | 13 | Town of Newcomb | 13 mi E | Newcomb |
Mounts
Gun and bow shops
Town clerks (licenses)
9 licensed guides with hunting on their license list a Hamilton County address. Find a licensed guide
Processors from the DEC 2026 deer and bear processor list and Yellow Pages; bear cooperators from the DEC cooperating bear taxidermists and processors list; clerks from the DEC license issuing agents dataset; shops from Yellow Pages and store locators. Checked October 27, 2026; hours were not checked.
Deer and bear take behind Long Lake
In 2025, 959 deer came out of Hamilton County, which ranks 51st of the 56 counties with deer hunting. 2008 tops the chart with 1,444. DEC’s 2019 town table gives the town of Long Lake 145 deer. By unit, WMU 5F shows 846 deer for 2022. Bear take in Hamilton County ran 26 in 2020, 35 in 2021 and 30 in 2022. In 2025, a record bear year statewide, WMU 5F produced 15 bears (1.1 per 100 square miles). The town of Long Lake shows 5 bears in the 2022 town table. For gobblers, WMU 5F belongs to the Central Adirondacks group: 1,335 spring birds in 2026, 1,280 the year before.
| Year | Estimate | Adult bucks | Adult does | Fawns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,037 | 933 | 76 | 28 |
| 2024 | 1,012 | 909 | 91 | 12 |
| 2025 | 959 | 864 | 75 | 20 |
| Year | Deer, town of Long Lake | Adult bucks |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 138 | 108 |
| 2016 | 121 | 103 |
| 2017 | 147 | 132 |
| 2018 | 156 | 136 |
| 2019 | 145 | 128 |
Deer take from DEC deer reports (latest county table, take by town 2007-2019); bear from the DEC bear take by town and county and the 2025 bear harvest summary; spring turkey from the DEC turkey WMU aggregate layer. Figures are DEC calculated take, printed as DEC labels them. Checked October 27, 2026.
DEC offices near Long Lake
Nobody needs to visit DEC for a license; these offices are for permits, land and wildlife staff near Long Lake.
NYSDEC Region 5 Headquarters (Ray Brook) (29 mi northeast)
NYSDEC Region 5 Warrensburg Sub-Office, 45 mi off to the southeast
From the DEC statewide office list (services.json; Region 9 phones from the DEC permit administrators page), checked October 27, 2026.
Hamilton County season rows for Long Lake
32 species and 44 dated windows reach Long Lake; the last column compares each with today.
| Quarry | Season | Units | From | To | Status today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Early Bowhunting | All WMUs here | Sep 27, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth deer weekend | All WMUs here | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Early Muzzleloading (deer of either sex) | All WMUs here | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Regular Season | All WMUs here | Oct 24, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Regular Season (Adirondacks) | All WMUs here | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Youth Firearms Bear Hunt | All WMUs here | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall Season | All WMUs here | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Youth Spring Turkey Hunt | All WMUs here | Apr 24, 2027 | Apr 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring Season | All WMUs here | May 1, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Youth Pheasant Hunt | All WMUs here | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular (either sex) | All WMUs here | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Hunting | All WMUs here | Sep 20, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Hunting | All WMUs here | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Hunting | All WMUs here | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 21, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe hare | Hunting | All WMUs here | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 21, 2027 | |
| Gray squirrel | Hunting | All WMUs here | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Black squirrel | Hunting | All WMUs here | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Fox squirrel | Hunting | All WMUs here | 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 | All WMUs here | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Rails | Hunting | All WMUs here | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Gallinule | Hunting | All WMUs here | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Crow | Hunting | All WMUs here | Sep 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Hunting | All WMUs here | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 28, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | All WMUs here | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Hunting | All WMUs here | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Gray fox | Hunting | All WMUs here | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | All WMUs here | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Skunk | Hunting | All WMUs here | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Hunting | All WMUs here | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Weasel | Hunting | All WMUs here | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Snapping turtle | Hunting | Statewide | Jul 15, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Frogs | Hunting | Statewide | Jun 15, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 |
From the 2026-27 New York Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation), WMU lists as printed, checked October 27, 2026.
Long Lake: three closest ranges
Long Lake shooters have these three closest, each card with its access rule.
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 27, 2026.
Long Lake legal hours on key dates
The DEC guide prints sunrise and sunset for Albany only. The times here are worked out for the centre of Long Lake and match the Albany table within four minutes.
| Day | Hunt | First sun | Last sun | Big game window | Bird window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2026 | Northern bow opener | 6:49 a.m. | 6:49 p.m. | 6:19 a.m.–7:19 p.m. | 6:19 a.m.–6:49 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Southern bow opener | 6:54 a.m. | 6:41 p.m. | 6:24 a.m.–7:11 p.m. | 6:24 a.m.–6:41 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Northern regular opener | 7:22 a.m. | 6:02 p.m. | 6:52 a.m.–6:32 p.m. | 6:52 a.m.–6:02 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Southern regular opener | 6:59 a.m. | 4:29 p.m. | 6:29 a.m.–4:59 p.m. | 6:29 a.m.–4:29 p.m. |
| Dec 14, 2026 | Southern late season | 7:24 a.m. | 4:22 p.m. | 6:54 a.m.–4:52 p.m. | 6:54 a.m.–4:22 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late season close | 7:31 a.m. | 4:30 p.m. | 7:01 a.m.–5:00 p.m. | 7:01 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
| May 1, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 5:52 a.m. | 7:58 p.m. | 5:22 a.m.–8:28 p.m. | 5:22 a.m.–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.
Questions from Long Lake hunters
What are the deer dates in WMU 5F?
In WMU 5F, the unit of the nearest public land, early bow runs Sept. 27 – Oct. 23 and the regular season Oct. 24 – Dec. 6. Hamilton County also has 5H and 6J.
Are antlerless permits easy to draw near Long Lake?
WMU 5F gets no DMPs; use a Bow/Muzz Antlerless tag instead.
Do Long Lake hunters get a bear season?
Bears near Long Lake follow the Adirondacks rules for WMU 5F.
How does turkey season work near Long Lake?
Fall turkey in WMU 5F: Oct. 1-14. Spring gobbler hunting runs statewide from May 1, half an hour before sunrise to noon.
How fast must a Long Lake hunter report a deer?
Tag it in the field and report it, immediately for e-tags or within two days for paper tags, by app, web or 1-866-426-3778.
Do Long Lake hunters face any Sunday limits?
It is legal statewide. Crow hunting is limited to certain days by season, not by a Sunday rule.
What are the orange rules for deer hunters in Hamilton County?
Gun hunters for big game must show 250 square inches of fluorescent orange or pink; bowhunters in archery seasons are exempt.
What is the closest license agent to Long Lake?
Online, by phone or at a clerk office. One clerk office that sells them is Town of Newcomb, 13 mi from Long Lake.
What CWD rules apply to Long Lake hunters?
CWD is not known in wild New York deer. DEC samples thousands each year (3,050 in 2025, none positive) and bans importing whole carcasses from other states.
What is the 500-foot rule near Long Lake?
State law sets 500 feet for firearms near occupied buildings; crossbows need 250 feet and bows 150 feet.
Which tract is the closest public hunting ground to Long Lake?
The list starts with Blue Mountain Wild Forest, its nearest boundary less than a mile out. Behind it on the distance table comes Sargent Ponds Wild Forest.
How big is the state land base around Long Lake?
Some 74,428 acres, by a GIS overlay of DEC Lands, national forest and refuge boundaries.
Answers drawn from the sources in each section above; reporting from the guide reporting page; orange and Sunday rules from the guide big game page; setbacks from ECL 11-0931; CWD from DEC CWD page. Checked October 27, 2026.
Before Long Lake hunters head out
Every mile here is a straight line from Long Lake; state forests, Forest Preserve units, parks and refuges each add rules, so read the land page and the 2026-27 guide first.
Other photos on this page: ke9tv (CC BY-SA 2.0); Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); drsmith7383 (CC BY 2.0); DenaliNPS (CC BY 2.0); Cindy Sue Causey (CC BY 2.0); MSVG (CC BY 2.0); Chris Sorge (CC BY-SA 2.0); PEHart (CC BY-SA 2.0).