Outside the big metros, Tompkins leads New York's Buck Index at 78, followed by Seneca at 77. Inside a big metro, Suffolk leads at 88, in the New York metro. Monroe is second at 82 in the Rochester metro, and Niagara and Westchester share a displayed score of 79 in third and fourth place. Six counties are Not rated because they are mostly inside city limits. The county order compares documented big-buck history per estimated bow-huntable acre on a national scale. That gives hunters a specific county comparison, while leaving permits and the actual property to be checked separately.
KEY FINDINGS
- Outside the big metros, Tompkins leads at 78. Inside a big metro, Suffolk leads at 88, in the New York metro. FDR names the leaders on each side of the line, and a big metro means a Census metro area of 1 million people or more.
- Monroe leads the Rochester metro at 82. Niagara and Westchester share a displayed score of 79 in third and fourth place. Niagara is in the Buffalo metro, and Westchester is in the New York metro.
- Seneca and Livingston share a displayed score of 77. Seneca is sixth and Livingston is seventh. Livingston sits in the Rochester metro, and Seneca sits outside the big metros.
- All 62 New York counties are included. Six are Not rated because they are mostly inside city limits. The score is a relative Buck Index, not an official county harvest rate.
New York county finder
Where does your county rank?
Derived FDR scores on a national 0 to 100 scale. History: 2011 through 2025. Captured October 17, 2026. Order uses the underlying rate before rounding. Zero is a valid score. Not rated means the county has no qualifying bow-huntable acreage or is mostly inside city limits. Counties marked metro sit inside a Census metro area of 1 million people or more.
10 of 62 entries shown
| State rank | County | Buck Index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suffolk New York metro | 88 |
| 2 | Monroe Rochester metro | 82 |
| 3 | Niagara Buffalo metro | 79 |
| 4 | Westchester New York metro | 79 |
| 5 | Tompkins | 78 |
| 6 | Seneca | 77 |
| 7 | Livingston Rochester metro | 77 |
| 8 | Onondaga | 76 |
| 9 | Wayne Rochester metro | 76 |
| 10 | Orleans Rochester metro | 76 |
01County comparison
Tompkins leads outside the big metros, with Seneca next
Tompkins holds fifth place at 78 and is the top county outside the big metros. Seneca is sixth at 77, and Onondaga is eighth at 76. Suffolk's 88 is the highest value in the table, and it sits inside the New York metro.
The national scoring frame matters: Suffolk's 88 sits on a 0 to 100 scale built for the whole country, so the score reads against that wider comparison. The denominator is modeled bow-huntable habitat. A county with less qualifying acreage can rank high when its documented big-buck history is concentrated relative to that acreage. The score does not identify which parcel produced that history or whether a hunter can gain access to it.
02County comparison
The top four places all sit inside big metros
Monroe is second at 82 in the Rochester metro, ahead of Niagara and Westchester. Those two share a displayed score of 79 in third and fourth place, and the underlying rate sets their order.
Ontario is eleventh at 74 in the Rochester metro, and Erie is twelfth at 73 in the Buffalo metro. Madison is thirteenth at 72 outside the big metros, and Yates is eighteenth at 67.
03County comparison
Cortland, Jefferson and Clinton do not land in the same band
Cortland ranks twenty-sixth at 59. Jefferson is thirty-second at 51, and Clinton is fifty-first at 27.
Cortland's 59 sits well above Clinton's 27 on this measure. That gap is a documented difference in county history after the acreage adjustment. Explaining it would need evidence beyond the score.
04County comparison
Check the agency rules before choosing a county
The state wildlife agency's deer hunting information is the starting point for current rules before a county is chosen.
The agency's hunting places information is the next step for where to hunt. Start with a county you can actually hunt, then compare substitutes that fit the same trip. Access may matter more than the index for a given trip.
05Basis of this report
Sources and method
FDR derived this October 17, 2026 snapshot from the 2011 through 2025 history window. Scores use estimated bow-huntable acreage and national scaling. They are sensitive to reporting and modeled-area choices. The public display ranges from 0 to 100, with no interpretation as harvest odds, population density or guaranteed access.
Compare the other states in the FDR county report series.
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Derived FDR scores on a national 0 to 100 scale. History: 2011 through 2025. Captured October 17, 2026. Order uses the underlying rate before rounding. Zero is a valid score. Not rated means the county has no qualifying bow-huntable acreage or is mostly inside city limits. Counties marked metro sit inside a Census metro area of 1 million people or more.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. FDR county scores and interpretations are independent analysis. A county ranking does not evaluate an individual property.
Keep reading
FDR Scout puts county harvest history like this on the map of the ground you hunt. Open Scout →