The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced that hunters will be able to obtain Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) tags for the Doodletown Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Columbia County starting October 8, 2025. These tags are intended for harvesting antlerless deer within the WMA.
According to DEC Region 4 Regional Director Sean Mahar, “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 covers 1,078 acres of mostly forested land across Ancram, Taghkanic, and Gallatin. The area is managed primarily for wildlife conservation and related recreational activities. One focus of management is supporting the New England cottontail, a species listed as of special concern in New York State.
The DMAP tags will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to licensed hunters at a DEC booth set up in the Ancram Town Hall parking lot on October 8 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Any remaining tags after this date will be available at DEC Region 4 headquarters in Schenectady. Hunters interested in leftover tags are advised to call ahead before visiting.
