Herman Covey Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 7

Herman Covey Wildlife Management Area is 1,505 acres of MassWildlife land in Belchertown and Ware (Hampshire County), in Wildlife Management Zone 7. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 945 deer in Zone 7 in 2025, and MassWildlife maps 5 parking areas for the property with room for about 22 vehicles.

Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Herman Covey WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).

What is Herman Covey WMA like?

MassWildlife describes it: "Sloping hills, rock cliffs, and flatlands lie alongside the cold, clear waters of the Swift River just south of its origin at the Quabbin Reservoir’s Winsor Dam. Sandy soils and gravel deposits give rise to areas of pine barrens, which are globally rare and support a diverse array of plants and animals. Restoration projects conducted by MassWildlife increase the vigor of this unique habitat type. Since these habitats need some form of disturbance to thrive, visitors should expect to see operations like mowing and prescribed fires conducted periodically. Explore the forests, meadows, and beaver ponds on foot or float the river in a canoe or kayak. Stop by the McLaughlin Trout Hatchery or visit MassWildlife’s Connecticut Valley Wildlife District office; both are open to the public."

On wildlife: "The unique barrens habitat found here is characterized by pitch pine and oaks along with lowbush blueberry, scrub oak, and native grasses. Barrens are home to eastern whip-poor-wills, a wide variety of native bees, and an impressive suite of state-listed moths and butterflies. Birds like American woodcock, ruffed grouse, prairie warblers, eastern towhees, and field sparrows can be found in the grassland and regenerating young forests. Waterfowl, wading birds, and grassland birds, including wood ducks, great blue herons, and bobolinks, and beavers can be seen in the open fields and wetlands. White-tailed deer feed in the meadows in spring and travel to stands of red oak in the fall in search of acorns."

Quoted from MassWildlife's Herman Covey WMA fact sheet.

What does MassWildlife say about hunting Herman Covey WMA?

"White-tailed deer, black bears, wild turkeys, gray squirrels, eastern cottontail rabbits, and raccoons offer the best hunting opportunities. Ring-necked pheasants are stocked in the northern section of the WMA during the season."

Its rules for the area: "The Swift River from Winsor Dam to Route 9 is catch & release FLY FISHING ONLY, year-round. From Route 9 to Cady Lane it is catch and release with artificial lures only from July 1-December 31; from January 1-June 30 fish harvest and bait is allowed. Read more about catch and release areas. During the pheasant season, a blaze orange hat must be worn by all hunters except while night-hunting raccoons or opossums or while hunting waterfowl from within a blind or boat."

On fishing: "The consistent water flow and temperature of the Swift River provides great trout fishing opportunities throughout the year. The Swift is stocked with trout in the spring, summer, and fall. Wild brook trout thrive here as well. Note that a section of the river is catch-and-release only during certain times of year. Anglers may also catch largemouth bass, yellow perch, and chain pickerel."

How do you get into Herman Covey WMA?

"The property can be accessed from Ware Road (Route 9), East Street, Cold Spring Road, River Road, and Bondsville Road. Multiple parking areas off East Street provide approximately 10 parking spaces. Boating access for the Swift River off Cold Spring Road has parking spaces for 20 trailers. Parking areas are not maintained in the winter."

From MassWildlife parking for recreation.

Highways within five miles: MA 9, MA 32, MA 181, I-90, US 202 and MA 21. Distances to the nearest town centers: Belchertown 2 miles, Ware 3 miles, Palmer 3 miles and Warren 7 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Palmer (5 miles), Facing Rock (6 miles), Coy Hill (6 miles).

When can you hunt deer on Herman Covey WMA in 2026?

Deer seasons follow Zone 7: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31. In 2025 the zone gave 407 deer to archers and 385 in shotgun season.

Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.

What rules apply on Herman Covey 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 Herman Covey WMA?

Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 7, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).

What zone is Herman Covey WMA in?

Zone 7, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 945 deer in Zone 7 in 2025, 497 of them adult males, after 824 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).

Where do you park for Herman Covey WMA?

MassWildlife maps 5 parking areas: a lot (about 5 cars, gravel); Not maintained in winter (about 4 cars, gravel); Swift River Boat Access (about 10 cars, gravel); at end of Cady Lane (one car, grass). Its fact sheet adds: "The property can be accessed from Ware Road (Route 9), East Street, Cold Spring Road, River Road, and Bondsville Road. Multiple parking areas off East Street provide approximately 10 parking spaces. Boating access for the Swift River off Cold Spring Road has parking spaces for 20 trailers."

What can you hunt on Herman Covey WMA?

MassWildlife's fact sheet: "White-tailed deer, black bears, wild turkeys, gray squirrels, eastern cottontail rabbits, and raccoons offer the best hunting opportunities. Ring-necked pheasants are stocked in the northern section of the WMA during the season."

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).

Massachusetts hunting Zone 7