Clinton Bluff Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 9
Clinton Bluff Wildlife Management Area is 42 acres of MassWildlife land in Clinton (Worcester County), in Wildlife Management Zone 9. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 1,534 deer in Zone 9 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Clinton Bluff WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landDCR watershed land (Quabbin, Wachusett, Ware River)Clinton Bluff WMAZone lineHighway
| Size | 42 acres (MassWildlife) |
|---|---|
| Town | Clinton |
| County | Worcester |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 9 |
| MassWildlife district | Central District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | None mapped |
| Deer taken in Zone 9, 2025 | 1,534 (742 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Clinton (under a mile), Berlin (3 mi) and Bolton (3 mi) |
What is Clinton Bluff WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "This property is a steep hillside above the Nashua River with mixed hardwoods and a sand and gravel base."
On wildlife: "This property was purchased for habitat for state-listed species. Two uncommon natural communities exist on this property: a black oak-scarlet oak woodland and an inland variant of a sandplain heathland."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Clinton Bluff WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Clinton Bluff WMA?
"There are limited hunting opportunities on this WMA due to discharge setbacks. There are some warmwater shore fishing opportunities along the Nashua River."
How do you get into Clinton Bluff WMA?
"Parking for this area is located on Water Street and will accommodate 2 vehicles."
MassWildlife's parking layer shows no lot for Clinton Bluff WMA.
Highways within five miles: MA 62, I-495, MA 70, MA 110, MA 117 and I-190. Distances to the nearest town centers: Clinton under a mile, Berlin 3 miles, Bolton 3 miles and Lancaster 4 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Bolton Flats (4 miles), Mt. Pisgah (5 miles), Flagg Swamp (6 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Clinton Bluff WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 9: 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 660 deer to archers and 557 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 9 | 43 | 1,534 | 742 | 1,374 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Clinton Bluff 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 Clinton Bluff WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 9, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Clinton Bluff WMA in?
Zone 9, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 1,534 deer in Zone 9 in 2025, 742 of them adult males, after 1,374 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
How do you get into Clinton Bluff WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Parking for this area is located on Water Street and will accommodate 2 vehicles."
What can you hunt on Clinton Bluff WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "There are limited hunting opportunities on this WMA due to discharge setbacks. There are some warmwater shore fishing opportunities along the Nashua River."
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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).