DEC Announces 2025 Deer Management Assistance Program Tags Available for Doodletown Wildlife Management Area in Columbia County

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that DEC's Region 4 Bureau of Wildlife will have Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) tags available for this hunting season on Doodletown Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Columbia County on Oct. 8, 2025. The DMAP tags can be used by hunters to harvest only antlerless deer on Doodletown WMA.

DEC Region 4 Regional Director Sean Mahar said, "DEC's Deer Management Assistance Program within the Doodletown WMA allows hunters to directly assist with our efforts to create a healthier, more biologically diverse forest ecosystem in the area. Overabundant deer can threaten the young forest habitat that the New England cottontail, and other species rely on, and by improving management opportunities through the DMAP program, hunters can play an important role in advancing forest regeneration and protecting the ecological integrity of the Doodletown WMA."

Doodletown WMA is 1,078 acres of primarily forested land located in the towns of Ancram, Taghkanic, and Gallatin. The primary purpose of the Doodletown WMA is wildlife management, wildlife habitat management, and wildlife-dependent recreation. An important species to be managed at Doodletown WMA is the New England cottontail, a species of special concern in New York State. Planned management actions will protect critical habitat and support populations of the New England cottontail.

DMAP tags will be available to individuals with a valid State hunting license on a first-come, first-served basis at a DEC booth in the Ancram Town Hall parking lot, 1416 County Rd 7, Ancram, NY 12502 on Oct. 8 from 4:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. If there are any tags remaining after Oct. 8, they will be available for pickup at DEC Region 4 headquarters, 1130 North Westcott Road, Schenectady, NY 12306. Please call ahead to inquire about remaining tags and arrange pickup at (518) 357-2154.