Merrill Pond Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 8
Merrill Pond Wildlife Management Area is 984 acres of MassWildlife land in Millbury, Oxford and Sutton (Worcester County), in Wildlife Management Zone 8. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 1,004 deer in Zone 8 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Merrill Pond WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landMerrill Pond WMAZone lineHighway
| Size | 984 acres (MassWildlife), in 9 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Millbury, Oxford and Sutton |
| County | Worcester |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 8 |
| MassWildlife district | Central District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | None mapped |
| Deer taken in Zone 8, 2025 | 1,004 (625 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Oxford (2 mi), Sutton (2 mi) and Millbury (3 mi) |
What is Merrill Pond WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "Merrill Pond WMA contains mature hardwood ridges with some mixed stands of conifers. Scattered wetlands, several perennial streams, and a series of man-made ponds further enhance the property."
On its habitat work: "MassWildlife is currently managing water levels in the series of man-made ponds and is maintaining the dams."
On wildlife: "This WMA was the site of the first state fish hatchery which raised warm water fish species. Shallow impoundments are attractive for wading birds as well as numerous aquatic and semi-aquatic wildlife species which can be viewed and photographed."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Merrill Pond WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Merrill Pond WMA?
"This WMA’s hardwood ridges and low wetlands support white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and other upland game. The man-made impoundments and Bugs Swamp provide waterfowl habitat and hunting opportunities. The series of man-made ponds with car-top boat access provide the opportunity to fish for warm water species such as panfish."
How do you get into Merrill Pond WMA?
"A parking area located off of West Sutton Road allows for parking of up to 4 vehicles. Parking off of Hudson Road allows for 2 vehicles and the Eight Lots Road area allows for up to 3 vehicles."
MassWildlife's parking layer shows no lot for Merrill Pond WMA.
Highways within five miles: I-395, MA 146, I-90, MA 12, US 20 and MA 16. Distances to the nearest town centers: Oxford 2 miles, Sutton 2 miles, Millbury 3 miles and Auburn 3 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Mine Brook (4 miles), Lackey Pond (7 miles), Martha Deering (7 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Merrill Pond WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 8: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31. In 2025 the zone gave 429 deer to archers and 410 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 8 | 997 | 1,004 | 625 | 865 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Merrill Pond 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 Merrill Pond WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 8, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Merrill Pond WMA in?
Zone 8, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 1,004 deer in Zone 8 in 2025, 625 of them adult males, after 865 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
How do you get into Merrill Pond WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "A parking area located off of West Sutton Road allows for parking of up to 4 vehicles. Parking off of Hudson Road allows for 2 vehicles and the Eight Lots Road area allows for up to 3 vehicles."
What can you hunt on Merrill Pond WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "This WMA’s hardwood ridges and low wetlands support white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and other upland game. The man-made impoundments and Bugs Swamp provide waterfowl habitat and hunting opportunities. The series of man-made ponds with car-top boat access provide the opportunity to fish for warm water species such as panfish."
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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).