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Warren County, New York
North Creek, New York, as a hunting base
Hunting from North Creek, New York: land on the map by distance, WMU rules for Warren County, legal light and where to buy a license.
Photo: Shot on Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest, 1.1 mi from North Creek; a nearby stand-in, not the town. Jacob Honeyhume (CC BY-SA 2.0)
North Creek is part of Warren County, out in the eastern Adirondacks and Lake Champlain. North Creek works as the gateway to Siamese Ponds Wilderness, the line 3 miles out. Hudson Gorge Wilderness is the reason North Creek is listed: its closest boundary lies 7 miles out. Inside 10 miles of the town point, state forest, Forest Preserve, WMA, park and federal boundaries take in about 76,806 acres over 6 listed tracts. Top of the distance list sits Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest, its nearest boundary 1 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.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around North Creek, New York
Public tracts mapped around North Creek
All miles are straight lines from the Census point for North Creek; road miles run longer.
For room to roam, Wilcox Lake Wild Forest offers 127,860 acres, the most near town. 6 Forest Preserve units reach the ring, nearest Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest; wilderness units keep motor vehicles out, so plan to walk.
| Tract | Type | Agency | WMU | Edge | Center | Acres | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest 1.1 mi N | Wild forest | DEC | – | 1.1 mi | 14 mi | 96,577 | deer, bear |
| Siamese Ponds Wilderness 3.3 mi SW Anchor land | Wilderness | DEC | 5H | 3.3 mi | 11 mi | 115,124 | deer, bear |
| Wilcox Lake Wild Forest 4.8 mi S | Wild forest | DEC | – | 4.8 mi | 19 mi | 127,860 | deer, bear |
| Lake George Wild Forest 5.7 mi E | Wild forest | DEC | – | 5.7 mi | 19 mi | 76,871 | deer, bear |
| Hudson Gorge Wilderness 6.6 mi NW Anchor land | Wilderness | DEC | – | 6.6 mi | 12 mi | 24,534 | – |
| Blue Mountain Wild Forest 9.6 mi NW | Wild forest | DEC | – | 9.6 mi | 18 mi | 42,635 | – |
| Hoffman Notch Wilderness 16 mi NE | Wilderness | DEC | 5F | beyond 10 mi | 16 mi | 38,529 | turkey, waterfowl |
| Essex Chain Lakes Complex 18 mi NW | Forest Preserve unit | DEC | 5H | beyond 10 mi | 18 mi | 9,746 | – |
| Boreas Ponds Tract 19 mi N | DEC state land | DEC | 5F | beyond 10 mi | 19 mi | 320 | deer, bear |
| Pharaoh Lake Wilderness 19 mi NE | Wilderness | DEC | 5G | beyond 10 mi | 19 mi | 46,814 | deer, bear |
Before you park near North Creek
- Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest (1.1 mi). 24 parking spots and 36 downloadable maps are on file with DEC.
- Siamese Ponds Wilderness (3.3 mi). Location on the DEC page reads: Towns of Johnsburg and Thurman, Warren County; Towns of Indian Lake, Lake Pleasant and Wells, Hamilton County. DEC gives 17 parking locations and 4 property maps for planning.
- Wilcox Lake Wild Forest (4.8 mi). DEC posts 3 maps and 28 marked parking areas for it. DEC notes: “Hunting on Johnny Cake Lake and Gordon's Creek Tracts is prohibited.”
- Lake George Wild Forest (5.7 mi). DEC gives 35 parking locations and 3 property maps for planning.
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 North Creek. Checked October 27, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Which WMU rules apply near North Creek
DEC sets deer and bear dates in Warren County by 3 Wildlife Management Units: 5H, 5G and 5J, all in the Northern Zone. Siamese Ponds Wilderness, the nearest listed land in a county unit, lies in WMU 5H. Antlerless DMPs are not available in 5H, 5G and 5J. Every license carries one Antlered Deer Tag; a second comes only after an antlerless deer is reported. The Northeastern, Lake Champlain and Southeastern duck zones apply around North Creek, with Northeast, Lake Champlain and South for geese.
| Unit | Share | Zone | Early archery | Regular | Muzzleloader | Bear season | Fall turkey | DMP target | Chance (res.) | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5H Near town | 46% | Northern | Sept 27–Oct 23 | Oct 24–Dec 6 | Oct 17–Oct 23 | Sept 19–Dec 6 | Oct. 1-14 | None by law | NA | – |
| 5G | 45% | Northern | Sept 27–Oct 23 | Oct 24–Dec 6 | Oct 17–Oct 23 Dec 7–Dec 13 | Sept 19–Dec 6 | Oct. 1-14 | None by law | NA | – |
| 5J | 10% | Northern | Sept 27–Oct 23 | Oct 24–Dec 6 | Oct 17–Oct 23 Dec 7–Dec 13 | 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.
North Creek 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 North Creek. For venison donations, Rozell Deer Processing is 32 mi away.
| Service | Within 15 mi | Within 35 mi | Nearest | Miles | Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processors | 0 | 1 | Rozell Deer Processing | 32 mi E | Whitehall |
| Mounts | 1 | 2 | Frasier Taxidermy | 4.1 mi NE | Olmstedville |
| Gun and bow shops | 1 | 20 | North Creek Trading Post | 0.6 mi N | North Creek |
| Town clerks (licenses) | 3 | 27 | Town of Johnsburg | 0.4 mi N | North Creek |
Processors
Mounts
Gun and bow shops
Town clerks (licenses)
23 licensed guides with hunting on their license list a Warren 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 North Creek
In 2025, 927 deer came out of Warren County, which ranks 52nd of the 56 counties with deer hunting. 2020 tops the chart with 1,070. By unit, WMU 5H shows 2,794 deer for 2022. Bear take in Warren County ran 49 in 2020, 14 in 2021 and 26 in 2022. In 2025, a record bear year statewide, WMU 5H produced 93 bears (3.1 per 100 square miles). For gobblers, WMU 5H 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 | 908 | 743 | 144 | 21 |
| 2024 | 839 | 692 | 137 | 10 |
| 2025 | 927 | 740 | 146 | 41 |
Deer take from DEC deer reports (latest county table); 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 North Creek
Nobody needs to visit DEC for a license; these offices are for permits, land and wildlife staff near North Creek.
NYSDEC Region 5 Warrensburg Sub-Office (16 mi southeast)
NYSDEC Region 5 Northville Sub-Office, 34 mi off to the south
From the DEC statewide office list (services.json; Region 9 phones from the DEC permit administrators page), checked October 27, 2026.
Warren County season rows for North Creek
33 species and 64 dated windows reach North Creek; 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 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late Bowhunting | WMUs 5G, 5J | Dec 7, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late Muzzleloading | WMUs 5G, 5J | Dec 7, 2026 | Dec 13, 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 1 | Southeastern Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 1 | Lake Champlain Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | Southeastern Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | Lake Champlain Zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 27, 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 | Southeastern Zone | Dec 8, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | |
| Scaup | 2-scaup window | Lake Champlain Zone | Dec 8, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | |
| Scaup | 2-scaup window | Northeastern Zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Dec 20, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | September season | Lake Champlain goose area | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 25, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | September season | Northeast goose area | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 25, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Regular season | Lake Champlain goose area | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 23, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Regular season | Northeast goose area | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Regular season | Lake Champlain goose area | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 4, 2027 | |
| 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 | Lake Champlain Zone | Oct 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Snow goose | Regular season | Southeastern Zone | Nov 24, 2026 | Mar 10, 2027 | |
| Snow goose | Regular season | Northeastern Zone | Feb 26, 2027 | Mar 10, 2027 | |
| Snow goose | Regular season | Lake Champlain Zone | Feb 26, 2027 | Mar 10, 2027 | |
| Brant | Regular season | Northeastern Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Brant | Regular season | Southeastern Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Brant | Regular season | Lake Champlain Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth days | Northeastern Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth days | Southeastern Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth days | Lake Champlain Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Veteran waterfowl | Veteran days | Northeastern Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Veteran waterfowl | Veteran days | Southeastern 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 | |
| Muskrat | Hunting (Lake Champlain only) | Lake Champlain | Nov 1, 2026 | Apr 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.
North Creek: three closest ranges
North Creek shooters have these three closest, each card with its access rule.
For a range open to everyone, Saratoga Sand Plains WMA Archery Range is about 42 miles away. Range page
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 27, 2026.
North Creek 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 North Creek 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 | 6:47 a.m. | 6:46 p.m. | 6:17 a.m.–7:16 p.m. | 6:17 a.m.–6:46 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Southern bow opener | 6:51 a.m. | 6:39 p.m. | 6:21 a.m.–7:09 p.m. | 6:21 a.m.–6:39 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Northern regular opener | 7:19 a.m. | 6:00 p.m. | 6:49 a.m.–6:30 p.m. | 6:49 a.m.–6:00 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Southern regular opener | 6:56 a.m. | 4:27 p.m. | 6:26 a.m.–4:57 p.m. | 6:26 a.m.–4:27 p.m. |
| Dec 14, 2026 | Southern late season | 7:21 a.m. | 4:19 p.m. | 6:51 a.m.–4:49 p.m. | 6:51 a.m.–4:19 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late season close | 7:28 a.m. | 4:28 p.m. | 6:58 a.m.–4:58 p.m. | 6:58 a.m.–4:28 p.m. |
| May 1, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 5:49 a.m. | 7:56 p.m. | 5:19 a.m.–8:26 p.m. | 5:19 a.m.–7:56 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 North Creek hunters
Are antlerless permits easy to draw near North Creek?
WMU 5H gets no DMPs; use a Bow/Muzz Antlerless tag instead.
Do North Creek hunters get a bear season?
Bears near North Creek follow the Adirondacks rules for WMU 5H.
How does turkey season work near North Creek?
Fall turkey in WMU 5H: Oct. 1-14. Spring gobbler hunting runs statewide from May 1, half an hour before sunrise to noon.
How fast must a North Creek 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 North Creek 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 Warren 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 North Creek?
Online, by phone or at a clerk office. One clerk office that sells them is Town of Johnsburg, 0.4 mi from North Creek.
Who processes deer close to North Creek?
Try Rozell Deer Processing in Whitehall first; it is the nearest venison cutter in the data. Phone first during the regular season.
What CWD rules apply to North Creek 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 North Creek?
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 North Creek?
The list starts with Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest, its nearest boundary 1 mile out. Behind it on the distance table comes Siamese Ponds Wilderness.
How big is the state land base around North Creek?
Some 76,806 acres, by a GIS overlay of DEC Lands, national forest and refuge boundaries.
What are the deer dates in WMU 5H?
In WMU 5H, the unit of the nearest public land, early bow runs Sept. 27 – Oct. 23 and the regular season Oct. 24 – Dec. 6. Warren County also has 5G and 5J.
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 North Creek hunters head out
Every mile here is a straight line from North Creek; 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: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); andyarthur (CC BY 2.0); andyarthur (CC BY 2.0); runJMrun (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); Under the same moon… (CC BY 2.0); Mike's Birds (CC BY-SA 2.0); Under the same moon… (CC BY 2.0).