Leyden Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 4N

Leyden Wildlife Management Area is 759 acres of MassWildlife land in Leyden (Franklin County), 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 4 vehicles.

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

What is Leyden WMA like?

MassWildlife describes it: "This property covers the hills surrounding Ball Mountain. You’ll find mature upland forest of transitional hardwoods (oak, sugar maple, birch) mixed with white pine and eastern hemlock. Interspersed within the property are over 120 acres of open habitats including old field habitat, shrubland, and ridgetop heaths. Many of these open areas contain apple trees and blueberry barrens maintained for wildlife. East Glenn Brook flows through the western portion of the WMA."

On its habitat work: "The habitat management activities conducted at this WMA are designed to maintain the open areas and shrublands. In 2010 there was significant clearing on the north end of the property to enhance open habitats. Periodic mowing, invasive plant control, and prescribed burns are used to maintain habitats."

On wildlife: "East Glenn Brook is a coldwater stream. The ridgetop heathland on the WMA, which is a natural low shrub plant community that forms on shallow bedrock provides spectacular views of the surrounding hillsides."

Quoted from MassWildlife's Leyden WMA fact sheet.

What does MassWildlife say about hunting Leyden WMA?

"Game animals found in this habitat include black bear, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, American woodcock, gray squirrel, cottontail rabbit, eastern coyote, fox, and raccoon. This WMA is stocked with ring-necked pheasants. For more information on pheasant stocking, go to mass.gov/pheasant ."

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."

How do you get into Leyden WMA?

"The WMA can be accessed from Eden Trail Road on the east, East Glenn Road on the west, and from Oak Hill Road on the south. There is a gravel parking area that can accommodate 4 cars on the north part of the WMA off of East Glenn Road."

From MassWildlife parking for recreation.

Highways within five miles: I-91, MA 2, US 5, MA 10 and MA 112. Distances to the nearest town centers: Leyden under a mile, Bernardston 2 miles, Greenfield 3 miles and Shelburne 4 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Green River (2 miles), Darwin Scott (3 miles), Shattuck Brook (3 miles).

When can you hunt deer on Leyden 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.

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

What rules apply on Leyden 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 Leyden 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 Leyden 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 Leyden WMA?

MassWildlife maps 1 parking area: Not maintained in winter (about 4 cars, gravel). Its fact sheet adds: "The WMA can be accessed from Eden Trail Road on the east, East Glenn Road on the west, and from Oak Hill Road on the south. There is a gravel parking area that can accommodate 4 cars on the north part of the WMA off of East Glenn Road."

What can you hunt on Leyden WMA?

MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Game animals found in this habitat include black bear, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, American woodcock, gray squirrel, cottontail rabbit, eastern coyote, fox, and raccoon. This WMA is stocked with ring-necked pheasants. For more information on pheasant stocking, go to mass.gov/pheasant ."

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 4N