Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 12
Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area is 2,466 acres of MassWildlife land in Bourne and Falmouth (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, and MassWildlife maps 9 parking areas for the property with room for about 169 vehicles.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Frances A. Crane 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)Military (closed unless the base allows)Frances A. Crane WMAZone lineParkingHighway
| Size | 2,466 acres (MassWildlife), in 5 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Bourne and Falmouth |
| County | Barnstable |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 12 |
| MassWildlife district | Southeast District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | 9 lots, about 169 spaces |
| Pheasant | Stocked; blaze orange hat required in pheasant season |
| Deer taken in Zone 12, 2025 | 381 (193 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Mashpee (2 mi), Falmouth (3 mi) and Bourne (4 mi) |
What is Frances A. Crane WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "Frances A. Crane WMA is an ecological gem, containing some of the region’s most diverse and important habitats. Many common wildlife species and over 20 threatened and endangered plants and animals are found here. Frances Crane WMA includes a nearly 400-acre sandplain grassland, which is a globally imperiled habitat type that supports raptors, grassland birds, small mammals, butterflies, moths, and native pollinators. Other areas of pitch pine and oak woodlands with understories of scrub oak, lowbush blueberry, and black huckleberry support an impressive array of wildlife. MassWildlife has completed extensive restoration of the unique grasslands and woodlands found here. Since these habitats need some form of disturbance to thrive, visitors should expect to see operations like mowing and prescribed fires taking place periodically. Take time to explore these carefully restored areas and the native wildlife they support. A hike to the top of the glacial moraine, called “Mt. Zig” by locals, offers ocean views from one of the highest points on Cape Cod."
On wildlife: "The pine–oak woodlands and grasslands are home to eastern whip-poor-wills, grasshopper sparrows, eastern meadowlarks, upland sandpipers, northern harriers, short-eared owls, American kestrels, eastern bluebirds, blue grosbeaks, red foxes, eastern coyotes, purple tiger beetles, and many types of moths, butterflies, and native pollinators. Prescribed fires are conducted periodically and help maintain the health and vigor of these habitats. Controlled fires help remove thatch, warm up the soil, release nutrients, and encourage new growth, including spectacular displays of native grasses, blueberries, showy aster, orange milkweed, wild indigo, and wood lily."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Frances A. Crane WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Frances A. Crane WMA?
"During the season, ring-necked pheasants are stocked in the northern section of the WMA and northern bobwhite quail are stocked in the southern section. American woodcock and ruffed grouse are also present. White-tailed deer, wild turkeys, coyotes, foxes, and cottontail rabbits can be found here as well. Anglers and boaters can access nearby Ashumet Pond and fish for brook, rainbow, and tiger trout, along with chain pickerel, yellow and white perch, and sunfish. |"
How do you get into Frances A. Crane WMA?
"There are 5 main dirt parking areas for Crane North along Route 151 which can hold 20-50 vehicles each. Additionally, there are several unofficial roadside pull-offs along Route 151 for additional parking and access. Crane South has 2 main parking areas; 1 off of Ashumet Road which can hold 6 vehicles and another off of Hayway road which can hold 8 vehicles."
| Parking | Spaces | Surface | Condition | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crane WMA Popular Parking Spot for Mountain Bikers | 4 | Dirt | Good | 41.64350 | -70.60177 |
| Crane WMA Field Trial Parking lot | 50 | Dirt | Good | 41.63749 | -70.55957 |
| Crane WMA Parking Lot 5 | 15 | Dirt | Good | 41.63379 | -70.54374 |
| Crane WMA Parking Lot 1 | 20 | Dirt | Good | 41.63683 | -70.58443 |
| Crane WMA parking Lot 4 | 20 | Dirt | Good | 41.63115 | -70.55844 |
| Crane WMA Quail Area Ashumet Road Parking Area | 6 | Dirt | Good | 41.62126 | -70.54674 |
| Crane WMA Quail Area Hayway Road Parking Area | 8 | Dirt | Good | 41.60725 | -70.54856 |
| Ashumet Pond Boat Ramp | 26 | Paved | Good | 41.63433 | -70.54076 |
| FA Crane WMA Parking Lot 2 | 20 | Dirt | Poor | 41.63398 | -70.57448 |
From MassWildlife parking for recreation.
Highways within five miles: MA 28, MA 151 and MA 130. Distances to the nearest town centers: Mashpee 2 miles, Falmouth 3 miles, Bourne 4 miles and Sandwich 6 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Mashpee River (4 miles), Pickerel Cove (4 miles), Quashnet River (4 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Frances A. Crane 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 | 2,028 | 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 Frances A. Crane WMA?
It is stocked with pheasant, so every hunter must wear a blaze orange hat during pheasant season, except raccoon and opossum hunters at night and waterfowl hunters in a blind or boat. 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 Frances A. Crane 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 Frances A. Crane 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).
Where do you park for Frances A. Crane WMA?
MassWildlife maps 9 parking areas: Crane WMA Popular Parking Spot for Mountain Bikers (about 4 cars, dirt); Crane WMA Field Trial Parking lot (about 50 cars, dirt); Crane WMA Parking Lot 5 (about 15 cars, dirt); Crane WMA Parking Lot 1 (about 20 cars, dirt). Its fact sheet adds: "There are 5 main dirt parking areas for Crane North along Route 151 which can hold 20-50 vehicles each. Additionally, there are several unofficial roadside pull-offs along Route 151 for additional parking and access."
What can you hunt on Frances A. Crane WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "During the season, ring-necked pheasants are stocked in the northern section of the WMA and northern bobwhite quail are stocked in the southern section. American woodcock and ruffed grouse are also present. White-tailed deer, wild turkeys, coyotes, foxes, and cottontail rabbits can be found here as well."
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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).