Mashpee River Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 12
Mashpee River Wildlife Management Area is 42 acres of MassWildlife land in Mashpee (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 2 parking areas for the property with room for about 6 vehicles.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Mashpee River WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landNational wildlife refugeMilitary (closed unless the base allows)Mashpee River WMAZone lineParkingHighway
| Size | 42 acres (MassWildlife), in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Mashpee |
| County | Barnstable |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 12 |
| MassWildlife district | Southeast District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | 2 lots, about 6 spaces |
| Deer taken in Zone 12, 2025 | 381 (193 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Mashpee (2 mi), Sandwich (4 mi) and Barnstable (6 mi) |
What is Mashpee River WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "The Mashpee River WMA is divided into 2 parcels located east and west of Great Neck Road. This property features a mix of forested uplands, forested wetlands, open emergent marsh and open water. Species that dominate the site include pitch pine, black locust, red maple, American beech, white pine, huckleberry, highbush and lowbush blueberry, common greenbrier and sweet pepperbush. Washburn Pond (a former cranberry bog) and frontage on the Mashpee River can be accessed from this property."
On wildlife: "Good wildlife viewing opportunities exist for common mammals, migratory songbirds, waterfowl, and some birds of prey."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Mashpee River WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Mashpee River WMA?
"Limited opportunities to pursue waterfowl, furbearers, and small game may be found within this property."
On fishing: "Some fishing opportunity exists on the WMA. Washburn Pond contains typical warmwater fish such as yellow perch, chain pickerel and panfish and may be accessed via shore or cartop boat carried in from the parking area. The Mashpee River is a coldwater fisheries resource and contains wild brook trout."
How do you get into Mashpee River WMA?
"There is a dirt parking lot for 5 vehicles on the western side of Great Neck Road with access to Washburn Pond. A second parking area for 2 vehicles can be found on the western side of Meetinghouse Road."
| Parking | Spaces | Surface | Condition | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mashpee River Washburn Pond Access | 4 | Dirt | Fair | 41.64455 | -70.48244 |
| Mashpee River Meetinghouse Road Access | 2 | Dirt | Fair | 41.64196 | -70.47977 |
From MassWildlife parking for recreation.
Highways within five miles: MA 28, MA 130, MA 151 and MA 149. Distances to the nearest town centers: Mashpee 2 miles, Sandwich 4 miles, Barnstable 6 miles and Falmouth 7 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Pickerel Cove (2 miles), Hog Ponds (3 miles), Triangle Pond (4 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Mashpee River 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 | 55 | 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 Mashpee River 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 Mashpee River 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 Mashpee River 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 Mashpee River WMA?
MassWildlife maps 2 parking areas: Mashpee River Washburn Pond Access (about 4 cars, dirt); Mashpee River Meetinghouse Road Access (about 2 cars, dirt). Its fact sheet adds: "There is a dirt parking lot for 5 vehicles on the western side of Great Neck Road with access to Washburn Pond. A second parking area for 2 vehicles can be found on the western side of Meetinghouse Road."
What can you hunt on Mashpee River WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Limited opportunities to pursue waterfowl, furbearers, and small game may be found within this property."
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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).