E. Kent Swift Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 9
E. Kent Swift Wildlife Management Area is 234 acres of MassWildlife land in Mendon, Northbridge and Uxbridge (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 E. Kent Swift WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landState forest and park land (DCR)Army Corps of EngineersE. Kent Swift WMAZone lineHighway
| Size | 234 acres (MassWildlife), in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Mendon, Northbridge and Uxbridge |
| 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 | Northbridge (2 mi), Mendon (3 mi) and Hopedale (3 mi) |
What is E. Kent Swift WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "This property consists of mountain laurel, greenbrier, and Japanese barberry sections throughout. A mature white pine stand is also located on the property."
On wildlife: "Due to its relatively small area and dense understory, wildlife viewing and other opportunities may be limited. The WMA is relatively close to the Army Corps of Engineers West Hill Dam property which is open to the public and offers numerous wildlife viewing opportunities."
Quoted from MassWildlife's E. Kent Swift WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting E. Kent Swift WMA?
"Due to the dense, thorny understory, hunting opportunities are limited on this WMA. While difficult for hunters to access, this habitat provides excellent cover for white-tailed deer and small game species such as gray squirrel and eastern cottontail as well as terrestrial furbearers like eastern coyote, bobcat, fox, and fisher."
How do you get into E. Kent Swift WMA?
"Roadside parking for this WMA is located off of Northbridge/Mendon Road and can accommodate a few vehicles."
MassWildlife's parking layer shows no lot for E. Kent Swift WMA.
Highways within five miles: MA 146, MA 16, MA 140 and MA 122. Distances to the nearest town centers: Northbridge 2 miles, Mendon 3 miles, Hopedale 3 miles and Upton 4 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Quisset (5 miles), Lackey Pond (5 miles), Chockalog Swamp (7 miles).
When can you hunt deer on E. Kent Swift 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 | 180 | 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 E. Kent Swift 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 E. Kent Swift 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 E. Kent Swift 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 E. Kent Swift WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Roadside parking for this WMA is located off of Northbridge/Mendon Road and can accommodate a few vehicles."
What can you hunt on E. Kent Swift WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Due to the dense, thorny understory, hunting opportunities are limited on this WMA. While difficult for hunters to access, this habitat provides excellent cover for white-tailed deer and small game species such as gray squirrel and eastern cottontail as well as terrestrial furbearers like eastern coyote, bobcat, fox, and fisher."
Get a Massachusetts hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Massachusetts are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Massachusetts included.
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).