Bishops Swamp Wildlife Management Area: deer harvest, seasons and map
Hunters took 4 deer on Bishops Swamp Wildlife Management Area in 2025: 3 archery and 1 lottery shotgun, against 7 in 2024. DEEP counts 1.62 square miles of it as hunting area; DEEP's map shows 719 acres in Deer Management Zone 4B.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: CT DEEP 2025 Connecticut Deer Program Summary, Appendix 2. Boundary: Connecticut DEEP Property. Seasons: CT DEEP 2026 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide.
Wildlife management areaState forestState parkOther DEEP landBishops Swamp WMAZone lineHighway
| Size | 719 acres on DEEP's map; 1.62 square miles of hunting area in DEEP's summary |
|---|---|
| Deer Management Zone | Zone 4B |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 4 (3.39 per square mile, DEEP) |
| Deer taken, 2024 | 7 |
| Deer lottery hunting area | Lottery area 68 |
| DEEP area code | 245 |
| Nearest towns | Coventry Lake (5 mi), South Coventry (5 mi) and Terramuggus (6 mi) |
How many deer are taken on Bishops Swamp WMA each year?
| Year | Archery | Muzzleloader | Lottery shotgun | No-lottery shotgun | All deer | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3.39 |
| 2024 | 7 | 5.93 | ||||
| 2023 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 12.71 |
| 2022 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 7.63 |
Sources: CT DEEP 2025 Connecticut Deer Program Summary; DEEP 2024 deer summary; DEEP 2023 deer summary; DEEP 2022 deer summary (Appendix 2 of each). A blank cell is a season the year's table does not break out.
When can you hunt deer on Bishops Swamp WMA in 2026?
State land archery runs September 15 to November 17 and December 23 to 31; state land shotgun November 18 to December 8 (lottery A season November 18 to 27); state land muzzleloader December 9 to 22. DEEP's guide lists which of these seasons are open on each state land, and bowhunting-only areas stay open to archery from September 15 to December 31.
| Zone | Private land deer, 2025 | Shotgun/rifle hunter success | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 4B | 441 | 46% | 6.4% |
Seasons: CT DEEP 2026 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide. Zone figures: CT DEEP 2025 Connecticut Deer Program Summary.
How do you get to Bishops Swamp WMA?
Highways within five miles: CT 85, US 6, CT 66, CT 316, CT 87 and CT 94. Nearest towns: Coventry Lake (5 miles), South Coventry (5 miles), Terramuggus (6 miles) and Manchester (7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken on Bishops Swamp WMA?
4 in 2025 (3 archery and 1 lottery shotgun), 3.39 per square mile of DEEP's hunting area (CT DEEP 2025 Connecticut Deer Program Summary, Appendix 2). Earlier: 7 in 2024, 15 in 2023, 9 in 2022.
Is Bishops Swamp WMA a deer lottery area?
Yes. It is in DEEP's deer lottery hunting area 68; shotgun permits there come through the state land lottery, whose regular season runs November 18 to December 8 in 2026 (CT DEEP 2026 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide).
What zone is Bishops Swamp WMA in?
Zone 4B. Hunters took 441 deer on private land in Zone 4B in 2025 (CT DEEP 2025 Connecticut Deer Program Summary).
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Where these facts come from
- Deer by area: Appendix 2 of CT DEEP 2025 Connecticut Deer Program Summary and the earlier summaries. Boundary: Connecticut DEEP Property.
- Seasons: CT DEEP 2026 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide.
- Public land around it: Connecticut DEEP Property for state land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
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