Town: Dartmouth
Acreage: 205
Wildlife Management Zone: 11
Waterfowl Zone: Central
Description
Noquochoke WMA features hardwood and softwood forests primarily of pine, cedar, and oak and contains multiple, small grassy meadows.
Location, access, & parking
A large dirt parking lot for 50 vehicles is located off of Hixville Road in Dartmouth. See WMA map.
Note: WMAs are intentionally wild, visitors will find natural landscapes rather than maintained trails.
Habitat management
The grassy areas are mowed and burned on an infrequent basis to maintain grassland habitat for wildlife.
Learn more about MassWildlife's habitat management activities.
Hunting opportunities
This WMA provides good opportunities for hunting white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and eastern coyote. This area is stocked with ring-necked pheasants. For more information on pheasant stocking, go to mass.gov/pheasant.
Fishing opportunities
Shingle Island River provides fishing opportunities for warmwater species including bullhead, largemouth bass, and yellow perch and is stocked with trout in the spring. For more information on trout stocking, visit Mass.gov/trout.
Wildlife viewing & other features
Along the Shingle Island River there is an alluvial Atlantic white cedar swamp, an uncommon type of natural community. On the eastern side of the WMA there is an acidic graminoid fen, another uncommon natural community. These wetland communities and the grasslands here support a diverse array of plants and animals. There are multiple unmaintained short trails throughout this property.
Regulations
During pheasant season, a blaze orange hat must be worn by all hunters except while night-hunting raccoon or opossum or while hunting waterfowl from within a blind or boat. No person shall hunt before sunrise or after sunset during the open season on pheasant, except for the hunting of raccoon or opossum between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.
Read Wildlife Management Area regulations.
About Wildlife Management Areas
MassWildlife owns and manages over 220,000 acres of land to conserve fish and wildlife habitats and provide access for outdoor recreation. All WMAs are open to hunting, fishing, trapping, and other outdoor recreation activities. Visit the MassWildlife Lands Viewer for an interactive map of MassWildlife properties.
You can support land protection in Massachusetts. Contributions to the Wildlands Fund help pay for the cost of acquiring wildlife habitat. Learn more about the Wildlands Fund.