Tompkins County Deer Management Focus Area

DMFA Program Overview

The Deer Management Focus Area (DMFA) in central Tompkins County is intended to help communities in the Ithaca area manage overabundant deer populations by intensifying antlerless deer hunting opportunities. The DMFA provides more time and more antlerless deer tags to hunters who can gain access to huntable land. 

Within the DMFA, registered big game hunters are authorized to:

• take up to 2 antlerless deer per day using DMFA carcass tags during the general hunting seasons (regular season, and bow and muzzleloader seasons with appropriate special season privileges); and
• hunt antlerless deer only (limit 2 per day) during a special DMFA season that starts the second Saturday in January and runs through January 31.

DMFA Regulations

• Any person currently licensed to hunt deer may register to participate in the DMFA program and obtain a free DMFA permit and carcass tags (see details below). An additional permit must be obtained from the Cornell Botanic Gardens to hunt on Cornell properties or from the park to hunt in either Robert H. Treman or Buttermilk Falls State Park.
• During the DMFA season, a hunter may use any hunting implement that is lawful during any other deer season in that area. However, only bows or crossbows may be used in Robert H. Treman and Buttermilk Falls State Parks, and the hunting implements allowed on Cornell Botanic Gardens properties are specific to each property.
• Only antlerless deer may be taken using DMFA carcass tags.
• During the special January DMFA season, you may only hunt antlerless deer within the DMFA boundary (see details below).
• Both the DMFA permit and carcass tags must be carried while deer hunting in the DMFA. The permit and carcass tags are valid only within the DMFA.
• Only DMFA carcass tags are valid during the January DMFA season. DO NOT use other leftover tags from the regular hunting seasons (bow/muzzleloader tags, DMPs, regular big game tags).
• All DMFA registered hunters must submit a hunting activity log with reports of all deer harvested in the DMFA no later than seven days following the close of the special January DMFA season. The hunting activity log form will be provided with the DMFA permit.
• Several municipalities (e.g., the City of Ithaca and the Villages of Cayuga Heights and Lansing) prohibit the use of bows and firearms. This means that you are not allowed to hunt deer in these locations, even though they are within the DMFA boundary area.
• You do not need to register with the DMFA program if you only hunt during the general hunting seasons using your regular deer carcass tags (regular or special season, DMP or DMAP tags).

DMFA Boundary

For ease of reference, the DMFA boundary descriptions have been separated into segments along Cayuga Lake and through each town that is partially incorporated into the DMFA.

DMFA Available Hunting Lands

• Buttermilk Falls State Park (separate permit required, select areas only; bowhunting and crossbow hunting only
• Robert H. Treman State Park (separate permit required, select areas only; bowhunting and crossbow hunting only)
• Cornell Botanic Gardens lands (separate permit required, select areas only)
• Hunters with legal access to private lands in the DMFA may also participate in the DMFA program.
• There are no state forests or wildlife management areas within the DMFA.

Register for Your DMFA Permit

To participate in the DMFA program, each year you must obtain a DMFA registration number and write the number on your DMFA permit, DMFA carcass tags, and DMFA hunting activity log/harvest report form. Please review the DMFA permit conditions before registering.

1. Download and print the DMFA permit, hunting log/harvest report and carcass tags (PDF). Please print full-size to facilitate data scanning. These documents require a DMFA registration number to be valid. You will need to carry the permit and carcass tags with you while hunting in the DMFA. All registrants must complete and mail the hunting log/harvest report to DEC no later than seven days following the close of the special January DMFA season.
2. Register to participate in the Tompkins County DMFA
3. If you need more carcass tags or hunt more sites or days than will fit on one log form, download and print additional DMFA carcass tags and hunting log/harvest report sheets using the link under step 1 above.