Wildlife Management Area regulations

Whether you are hunting, fishing, or hiking on a Wildlife Management Area (WMA), you need to follow the rules.

Overview

MassWildlife owns and manages over 220,000 acres of land. All WMAs and WCEs are open to hunting, fishing, trapping, and other outdoor recreation activities. Visit our MassWildlife Lands Viewer, featuring an interactive mapping tool which allows users to customize and print maps of MassWildlife properties.

See full regulations at 321 CMR 3.01(1)

WMA regulations

1. No person shall possess any alcoholic beverage except under permit, or dump or discard any can, bottle, or rubbish.
2. No person shall remove vegetation, soil, or stones from any WMA except under permit.
3. No person shall use excessive speed in driving a vehicle.
4. No person, unless under permit, shall drive or possess any vehicle except on roads or trails maintained for public vehicular traffic.
5. No person shall deface or tamper with any sign, building, or equipment.
6. No person shall build or maintain a fire without written permission from the Director of the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife or his designee.
7. No person shall camp within any WMA without written permission from the Director or his designee.
8. No person shall engage in target practice without written permission from the Director or his designee.
9. No person shall hunt during the pheasant or quail season on WMAs where pheasant or quail are stocked without wearing a ”hunter orange“ cap or hat except while night hunting for raccoons or opossums or while hunting waterfowl from within a blind or boat.
10. No person, except under permit, shall dig or disturb any artifact or archaeological remains.
11. The Director may make special regulations to handle special situations peculiar to any WMA. Controlled hunts are in effect at certain times on Martin Burns, Delaney, and Ludlow WMAs. Contact District Manager for details.
12. Dogs on Wildlife Management Areas must be leashed. Dogs may be off-leash only when hunting or hunt training with licensed hunters or involved with permitted field trials. Dog feces in WMA parking areas and within 100 feet of the parking area must be picked up by all dog handlers and disposed of off the WMA. Dog feces in other parts of the WMA must be picked up by non-licensed dog handlers and disposed of offsite; licensed hunters are exempt from this requirement.

See full regulations at 321 CMR 3.01(1)

The Director may make special regulations to handle special situations peculiar to any WMA. Controlled hunts are in effect at certain times on Burns, Delaney (Northeast District) and Ludlow (Valley District) WMAs.