Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 11
Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area is 1,886 acres of MassWildlife land in Halifax and Hanson (Plymouth County), in Wildlife Management Zone 11. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 4,153 deer in Zone 11 in 2025, and MassWildlife maps 4 parking areas for the property with room for about 27 vehicles.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Burrage Pond WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landBurrage Pond WMAZone lineParkingHighway
| Size | 1,886 acres (MassWildlife), in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Halifax and Hanson |
| County | Plymouth |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 11 |
| MassWildlife district | Southeast District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | 4 lots, about 27 spaces |
| Deer taken in Zone 11, 2025 | 4,153 (2,120 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Halifax (under a mile), Hanson (under a mile) and East Bridgewater (3 mi) |
What is Burrage Pond WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "Once a large cranberry-growing operation, this nearly 2,000-acre WMA contains extensive wetlands, ponds, and forested swamps. This area was once known as the Great Cedar Swamp and portions were logged for cedar and mined for bog iron in the 17th and 18th centuries. Since acquiring the land in 2002, MassWildlife has been restoring the cranberry bogs to natural emergent wetlands for improved wildlife habitat. This scenic and diverse property has something for everyone. Visitors of all ages and abilities can walk the miles of old cranberry bog dikes. Paddlers can float one of the many reservoirs in a canoe or kayak and look for ducks, herons, and marsh birds. More adventurous visitors can explore the expansive red maple and Atlantic white cedar swamps."
On wildlife: "Visitors can observe common mammals and numerous turtles and snakes, along with many species of moths, butterflies, and native pollinators. Over 200 species of birds have been documented on the property, including ducks, geese, raptors, egrets, herons, bitterns, rails, shorebirds, and a variety of songbirds."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Burrage Pond WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Burrage Pond WMA?
"The reservoirs, emergent wetlands, and flooded forests provide excellent waterfowl hunting opportunities. The shallow marshes are particularly well suited for Canada geese and dabbling ducks like mallards, wood ducks, and teals. White-tailed deer, coyotes, foxes, wild turkeys, and small game are found here. Aquatic furbearers, including beavers, muskrats, and river otters, are also present. Upper and Lower Burrage reservoirs, along with some smaller bogs on the property, offer excellent warmwater fishing from a canoe or kayak or from shore. Anglers can expect to catch largemouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, white perch, black crappie, sunfish, and brown bullhead. The reservoirs are shallow, with exposed and submerged stumps. The nearby Monponsett Ponds also provide good fishing as well as access for trailered boats."
How do you get into Burrage Pond WMA?
"The area is accessible via 4 formal parking areas including: 1) the main parking area at Hawks Avenue in Hanson (off Pleasant Street), 2) a small parking area off the east side of Elm Street across from the Town of Hanson’s Smith-Nawazelski Conservation Area, 3) a parking area on the east side of Elm Street approximately 0.2 miles south of the intersection with Pond Street (down a short gravel driveway), and 4) a parking area on the east side of Elm Street approximately 0.1 miles south of the intersection with Old Furnace Street. There are also several small roadside pull-offs on the east side of Elm Street about 0.3 miles south of the intersection with Hudson Street in Hanson."
| Parking | Spaces | Surface | Condition | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burrage Pond WMA | 4 | Paved | Good | 42.02944 | -70.88954 |
| Burrage Pond WCE | 5 | Gravel | Good | 42.02942 | -70.88984 |
| Bumpy road, parking area not plowed | 10 | Dirt/Gravel | Fair | 42.03070 | -70.85656 |
| Parking | 8 | Dirt/Gravel | Good | 42.00648 | -70.88303 |
From MassWildlife parking for recreation.
Highways within five miles: MA 58, MA 27, MA 106, MA 14, MA 18 and MA 105. Distances to the nearest town centers: Halifax under a mile, Hanson under a mile, East Bridgewater 3 miles and Pembroke 4 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Poor Meadow Brook (2 miles), Peterson Swamp (3 miles), Winnetuxet River (5 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Burrage Pond WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 11: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31 and a winter season January 1 to 30, 2027. In 2025 the zone gave 2,139 deer to archers and 1,358 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 11 | 1,927 | 4,153 | 2,120 | 3,830 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Burrage Pond WMA?
Under 321 CMR 3.01, camping, fires and target practice need the Director's written permission, vehicles stay on roads open to traffic, and dogs must be leashed unless hunting or training with a licensed hunter.
Source: MassWildlife WMA regulations.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Burrage Pond WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 11, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Burrage Pond WMA in?
Zone 11, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 4,153 deer in Zone 11 in 2025, 2,120 of them adult males, after 3,830 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
Where do you park for Burrage Pond WMA?
MassWildlife maps 4 parking areas: Burrage Pond WMA (about 4 cars, paved); Burrage Pond WCE (about 5 cars, gravel); Bumpy road, parking area not plowed (about 10 cars, dirt/gravel); a lot (about 8 cars, dirt/gravel). Its fact sheet adds: "The area is accessible via 4 formal parking areas including: 1) the main parking area at Hawks Avenue in Hanson (off Pleasant Street), 2) a small parking area off the east side of Elm Street across from the Town of Hanson’s Smith-Nawazelski Conservation Area, 3) a parking area on the east side of Elm Street approximately 0.2 miles south of the intersection with Pond Street (down a short gravel driveway), and 4) a parking area on the east side of Elm Street approximately 0.1 miles south of the intersection with Old Furnace Street."
What can you hunt on Burrage Pond WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "The reservoirs, emergent wetlands, and flooded forests provide excellent waterfowl hunting opportunities. The shallow marshes are particularly well suited for Canada geese and dabbling ducks like mallards, wood ducks, and teals. White-tailed deer, coyotes, foxes, wild turkeys, and small game are found here. Aquatic furbearers, including beavers, muskrats, and river otters, are also present."
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Sources: MassWildlife fact sheet; MassWildlife Lands (MassGIS); MassWildlife parking for recreation; MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates); MassWildlife WMA regulations; public land MassGIS Protected and Recreational OpenSpace for state and Army Corps land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land; towns U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, towns (county subdivisions). FilledTag is not part of Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife).