Deer Management Permits (DMPs)

Hunters possessing a DMP may take one antlerless deer per permit in addition to any deer that may be taken with a regular hunting license or bowhunting and muzzleloading privileges.

• DMPs may not be used for legally antlered deer (at least one antler 3 inches or longer).
• DMPs may be used in any open season only in the WMU they are issued for.
• Hunters may transfer or receive DMPs from other hunters.

  It is NOT legal to buy, sell, or offer to sell a DMP!

  DMAP on State Lands

  DEC has enrolled two state lands in DMAP. Tag availability is limited and hunters must apply to participate. See https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/white-tailed-deer/deer-management-conflict-avoidance/management-assistance-program for information.

  Properties include:

  • Bully Hill State Forest, WMU 9P
  • Doodletown Wildlife Management Area, WMU 4Z

Applying for a DMP

• DMP Application Deadline: WMUs with limited DMPs – Close of business on October 1, 2026. WMUs with unlimited/bonus DMPs – Anytime
• You may apply for DMPs at all license-issuing outlets, by phone, or online beginning on Aug. 3, 2026.
• DMPs are available to all hunters age 12 years or older who purchase or possess a regular hunting license (12 years old for Junior Bowhunting license holders).
• There is a $10 nonrefundable application fee for all applicants. The fee is waived for holders of Lifetime Licenses purchased prior to Oct. 1, 2009, and Junior Hunters and Junior Bowhunters.
• Know your WMUs before you apply. If you are unsure of the WMUs you hunt in, see the WMU maps of this guide or visit dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/hunting/regulations/wildlife-management-units for written boundary descriptions. You may also call the DMP Hotline for additional information at (866) 472-4332.
• You may apply for up to four DMPs, two in WMUs with limited DMPs and two in WMUs with unlimited/bonus DMPs. Applications can be for DMPs in the same WMU or different WMUs.
• Disabled veterans with a service-connected disability rated at 40% or greater (who are residents of New York State) will receive preference on DMPs. You must provide a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs showing a 40% or greater service-connected disability. Once the disability is confirmed and entered, it will stay in your customer profile.
• Landowners: It is illegal for more than one person per 50-plus-acre tax map ID to apply as a landowner. If you own 50 or more contiguous acres of land within the WMU you will be hunting in, you will receive preference on DMP selection. Annually, you must bring your tax map identification number and SWIS code (found on your tax bill) with you when you apply. Be sure to tell the license-issuing agent prior to applying that you are a landowner. Lessees do not qualify as landowners.
  • Corporate ownership: It is illegal for more than one person to apply as a corporate landowner no matter how many 50-acre parcels are owned. The corporation must submit an original letter or certified copy of a resolution, dated in the current year, designating one individual and must include the tax map ID and SWIS code information.
  • Group ownership: It is illegal for more than one person per 50-plus-acre tax map ID to apply as a landowner, regardless of how many co-owners. Additional 50-plus-acre parcels in the same WMU require separate tax IDs.
• Preference points:
  • Preference points increase your chances of selection for a DMP in WMUs with limited DMPs, but do not guarantee DMP selection. Preference points are not used or received when applying for DMPs in WMUs with unlimited/bonus DMPs.
  • Preference points are won and lost on first permit selection only.
  • If you receive a DMP in your first choice WMU, all available preference points will be used.
  • If you do not receive a DMP in your first choice WMU, you will receive a preference point for the following year.
  • Any preference points contained in your file are automatically applied to your first-choice WMU selection, even if preference points are not required for that unit.
  • If you do not receive your first choice, the points are applied to your second choice, but will remain in your file for the following year, regardless of your second-choice selection results.
  • Qualifying landowners and disabled veterans will receive their first choice DMP in all open WMUs.
  • Preference points are not WMU specific. If you earned a preference point by being denied a DMP in a WMU with limited DMPs, you can use that preference point in a subsequent year when applying for a DMP in a different WMU with limited DMPs.

DMP Selection Order

During the instant issuance process for WMUs with limited DMPs, an applicant’s chances of selection are determined by an applicant’s category. The categories, in priority order, are as follows:

1. Landowners (50 or more acres of land within a WMU) and Disabled Veterans (40% or more service-related disability). All applicants in this category will receive their first-choice DMP.
2. NYS Residents and Non-residents with 3 preference points
3. NYS Residents with 1–2 preference points
4. NYS Residents without preference points
5. Non-residents with 1–2 preference points
6. Non-residents without preference points

Additional DMP Opportunities

Unlimited/Bonus DMPs: If you fill and report a DMP in a WMU with unlimited/bonus DMPs, you will receive another DMP for that WMU. Bonus DMPs will be automatically added to your license holdings. If you have an email address in your DECALS profile, you will be sent a confirmation email with the Bonus DMP attached. Additionally, Bonus DMPs can be printed at home from your online account, or you can obtain the Bonus DMP from regional DEC staff at predetermined locations. For complete information, visit our website https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/hunting/deer-bear/antlerless-deer-hunting or call a DEC Regional Wildlife office to schedule an appointment as follows:

Region 1 - (631) 444-0310

Region 3 - (845) 256-3098

Region 4 - (518) 357-2355

Region 6 - (315) 866-6330

Region 7 - (607) 218-3853

Region 8 - (585) 226-5380

Region 9 - (716) 851-7010

Leftover DMPs: If there are still DMPs remaining for WMUs with limited DMPs after the initial instant-issuance process period closes on October 1 and the back-end correction selections have occurred, the remaining DMPs may be available on a first come, first served basis, beginning on or around Nov. 1. These DMPs are only available in person at license-issuing agents. Leftover DMPs will not be available by phone or online. WMUs with DMPs available will be announced on DEC’s website (https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/hunting/deer-bear/antlerless-deer-hunting#additional). If you already applied for DMPs during the initial application period, there is no additional application fee. If you are applying for the first time this hunting season, you will have to pay a $10 application fee. The fee is waived for Resident and Non-Resident Junior Hunters and Junior Bowhunters, and for Lifetime License holders who purchased prior to Oct. 1, 2009. You can receive up to two DMPs during the first come, first served application period in addition to any you may have received during the initial application period.

Deer Management Assistance Program

The Deer Management Assistance Program allows landowners and resource managers to implement site-specific deer management on their lands. DEC issues a permit and determined number of antlerless deer tags for use on the property during open deer hunting seasons. Hunters are expected to report their harvest. For more information on the program, refer to https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/white-tailed-deer/deer-management-conflict-avoidance/management-assistance-program.