Town: Sandwich
Acreage: 93
Wildlife Management Zone: 12
Waterfowl Zone: Coastal (South)
Description
As its name suggests, Old Sandwich Game Farm WMA once held rearing facilities for ringnecked pheasants and other gamebirds that MassWildlife raised for stocking throughout Massachusetts to provide hunting opportunities. The farm closed in 1987, but some traces of that history remains. Through a long-standing agreement, the Thornton W. Burgess Society uses some of the old buildings to conduct environmental education programs. Scorton Creek meanders through the property on its way to the ocean. The scenic salt marshes provide habitat for waterfowl, raptors, marsh birds, and songbirds. Tidal creeks provide refuge for young salt- and freshwater fish. Upland areas contain shrubby fields, mature pine and oak forest, and scattered plantations of non-native spruce trees. Several maintenance roads and unmarked trails wind through the WMA and can be used for walking, hiking, and birding.
Learn more about MassWildlife's habitat management activities.
Location, access, & parking
There is a designated parking area providing access to the site and to Scorton Creek at the end of a dirt roadway off Route 6A, south of the Scorton Creek bridge. It is possible to launch a canoe/kayak from this parking area. See WMA map.
Note: WMAs are intentionally wild, visitors will find natural landscapes rather than maintained trails.
Hunting opportunities
Due to deed restrictions, hunting is only allowed in tidal areas of the WMA (salt marshes and tidal open water) and on a small portion in the southeastern part of the WMA across Nye Creek. Despite the limited hunting area, opportunities still exist to pursue waterfowl in the marshes and white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, eastern coyotes, and foxes in the fields and forests.
Fishing opportunities
Scorton Creek offers anglers a chance to fish for stocked brown trout in the spring and striped bass from spring to early fall. Occasionally, a lucky angler will catch a very large brown trout that has survived for several years after being stocked. A walk to Hoxie Pond offers an opportunity to fish for bass, perch, pickerel, and panfish.
Wildlife viewing & other features
Visitors can experience the transition from saline to brackish to freshwater wetlands. Observe the marshes to see American black ducks, mallards, egrets, and herons, along with the declining saltmarsh sparrow. Watch for osprey as they fly over creeks in search of herring. The fields and shrublands are home to a variety of songbirds; cottontail rabbits; small mammals; garter snakes; and many species of moths, butterflies, and other pollinators. Sightings of deer, coyotes, and red foxes are also common.
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.