Great Swamp Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 4N
Great Swamp Wildlife Management Area is 706 acres of MassWildlife land in Deerfield, Hatfield and Whately (Franklin and Hampshire counties), in Wildlife Management Zone 4N. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 727 deer in Zone 4N in 2025, and MassWildlife maps 1 parking area for the property with room for about 1 vehicles.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Great Swamp 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 wildlife refugeGreat Swamp WMAZone lineParkingHighway
| Size | 706 acres (MassWildlife), in 17 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Deerfield, Hatfield and Whately |
| County | Franklin, Hampshire |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 4N |
| MassWildlife district | Connecticut Valley District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | 1 lot, about 1 spaces |
| Pheasant | Stocked; blaze orange hat required in pheasant season |
| Deer taken in Zone 4N, 2025 | 727 (472 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Hatfield (under a mile), Whately (under a mile) and Deerfield (3 mi) |
What is Great Swamp WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "This WMA is composed of a multitude of parcels that lie in the relatively flat floodplain of the Mill River. The property mainly consists of a large black gum-pin oak-white oak swamp that contains red maple, black gum, swamp white oak, and pin oak. The surrounding uplands are made up of central hardwoods (oak, beech, birch) and white pine. Two parcels at the southern end of the WMA contain manmade ponds which are remnant borrow pits that were used during the construction of Highway 91."
On wildlife: "This WMA contains a large black gum-pin oak-swamp white oak “perched” swamp natural community which is unusual to find in Massachusetts. The Mill River supports rare freshwater mussels and dragonflies."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Great Swamp WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Great Swamp WMA?
"Hunting opportunities exist for white-tailed deer, black bear, fox, eastern coyote, gray squirrel, raccoon, and aquatic furbearers. This area is stocked with ring-necked pheasants during the pheasant season."
Its rules for the area: "During the pheasant season, a “hunter orange” hat is required for all hunters except while night-hunting raccoons or opossums or while hunting waterfowl from within a blind or boat."
On fishing: "Mill River provides fishing opportunities for native brook trout, reproducing brown trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and stocked trout species. Roaring Brook provides fishing opportunities for native brook trout and reproducing brown trout. Esther Brook provides fishing opportunities for native brook trout. Go to mass.gov/trout for more information."
How do you get into Great Swamp WMA?
"The property can be accessed from State Road (Route 5), Swamp Road, and North Road. A grass parking area for two cars exists off of North Road. Parking areas are not maintained in the winter."
| Parking | Spaces | Surface | Condition | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not maintained in winter | 1 | Grass | Poor | 42.46472 | -72.64474 |
From MassWildlife parking for recreation.
Highways within five miles: I-91, MA 116, MA 10, US 5, MA 9 and MA 47. Distances to the nearest town centers: Hatfield under a mile, Whately under a mile, Deerfield 3 miles and Sunderland 4 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Mt. Esther (2 miles), Whately (4 miles), Sunderland Islands (4 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Great Swamp WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 4N: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31. In 2025 the zone gave 263 deer to archers and 343 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 4N | 897 | 727 | 472 | 612 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Great Swamp 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 Great Swamp WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 4N, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Great Swamp WMA in?
Zone 4N, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 727 deer in Zone 4N in 2025, 472 of them adult males, after 612 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
Where do you park for Great Swamp WMA?
MassWildlife maps 1 parking area: Not maintained in winter (one car, grass). Its fact sheet adds: "The property can be accessed from State Road (Route 5), Swamp Road, and North Road. A grass parking area for two cars exists off of North Road. Parking areas are not maintained in the winter."
What can you hunt on Great Swamp WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Hunting opportunities exist for white-tailed deer, black bear, fox, eastern coyote, gray squirrel, raccoon, and aquatic furbearers. This area is stocked with ring-necked pheasants during the pheasant season."
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).