Eastham Salt Marsh Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 12
Eastham Salt Marsh Wildlife Management Area is 7 acres of MassWildlife land in Eastham (Barnstable County), in Wildlife Management Zone 12. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 381 deer in Zone 12 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Eastham Salt Marsh 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)National Park ServiceEastham Salt Marsh WMAZone lineHighway
| Size | 7 acres (MassWildlife), in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Eastham |
| County | Barnstable |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 12 |
| MassWildlife district | Southeast District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | None mapped |
| Deer taken in Zone 12, 2025 | 381 (193 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Eastham (2 mi), Orleans (3 mi) and Brewster (7 mi) |
What is Eastham Salt Marsh WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "Eastham Salt Marsh WMA is adjacent to the Cape Cod National Seashore. The property, which was once dominated by typical salt marsh species including saltmeadow cordgrass and high tide bush, is now dominated by the invasive common reed (aka Phragmites). There are some scattered red maple trees within the more freshwater sections of the property."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Eastham Salt Marsh WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Eastham Salt Marsh WMA?
"Hunting is not available on this WMA due to the entirety of the property falling within the 500ft setback from dwellings. There is a small tidal creek that runs through the property , but it provides very limited fishing opportunities."
How do you get into Eastham Salt Marsh WMA?
"There is no formal parking or access to Eastham Salt Marsh WMA."
MassWildlife's parking layer shows no lot for Eastham Salt Marsh WMA.
Highways within five miles: US 6 and MA 28. Distances to the nearest town centers: Eastham 2 miles, Orleans 3 miles, Brewster 7 miles and Wellfleet 8 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Fox Island (7 miles), Olivers Pond (8 miles), Dennis Grassy Pond (12 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Eastham Salt Marsh WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 12: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31. In 2025 the zone gave 128 deer to archers and 191 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 12 | 8 | 381 | 193 | 382 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Eastham Salt Marsh 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 Eastham Salt Marsh WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 12, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Eastham Salt Marsh WMA in?
Zone 12, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 381 deer in Zone 12 in 2025, 193 of them adult males, after 382 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
How do you get into Eastham Salt Marsh WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "There is no formal parking or access to Eastham Salt Marsh WMA."
What can you hunt on Eastham Salt Marsh WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Hunting is not available on this WMA due to the entirety of the property falling within the 500ft setback from dwellings. There is a small tidal creek that runs through the property , but it provides very limited fishing opportunities."
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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).