Montague Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 5
Montague Wildlife Management Area is 1,805 acres of MassWildlife land in Leverett, Montague and Sunderland (Franklin County), in Wildlife Management Zone 5. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 917 deer in Zone 5 in 2025, and MassWildlife maps 3 parking areas for the property with room for about 6 vehicles.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Montague 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 refugeMontague WMAZone lineParkingHighway
| Size | 1,805 acres (MassWildlife), in 12 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Leverett, Montague and Sunderland |
| County | Franklin |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 5 |
| MassWildlife district | Connecticut Valley District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | 3 lots, about 6 spaces |
| Deer taken in Zone 5, 2025 | 917 (541 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Montague (under a mile), Wendell (3 mi) and Leverett (3 mi) |
What is Montague WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "This property is made up of several large parcels of variable terrain that cover Stoddard Hill and Chestnut Hill. The habitats on this WMA consist of mature upland forest of central hardwoods (oak, hickory, sugar maple, birch) mixed with white pine and Hemlock. A two-acre field exists near the center of the property and Spaulding Brook is almost entirely contained within the WMA. There is also frontage along the Sawmill River."
On wildlife: "The WMA is part of a 2,100 acre block of unfragmented forest and provides critical habitat for forest interior species."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Montague WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Montague WMA?
"This WMA provides hunting opportunities for black bear, white-tailed deer, bobcat, eastern coyote, raccoon fox, and squirrel."
On fishing: "The Sawmill River provides fishing opportunities for native brook trout, reproducing brown trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, sunfish, yellow perch and stocked trout species. Go to mass.gov/trout for more information. Spaulding Brook provides fishing opportunities for native brook trout. Both the Sawmill River and Spaulding Brook are Coldwater Fish Resources."
How do you get into Montague WMA?
"The WMA can be accessed from North Leverett Road, Ripley Road, and West Chestnut Hill Road. Dirt parking areas on Ripley Road and West Chestnut Hill Road can accommodate about four cars. Parking areas are not maintained during winter."
| Parking | Spaces | Surface | Condition | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not maintained in winter | 2 | Dirt | Poor | 42.51597 | -72.50980 |
| Not maintained in winter | 2 | Dirt | Poor | 42.51955 | -72.49315 |
| Parking | 2 | Dirt/Gravel | Good | 42.51608 | -72.52753 |
From MassWildlife parking for recreation.
Highways within five miles: MA 63, I-91, MA 2, MA 10, US 5 and MA 47. Distances to the nearest town centers: Montague under a mile, Wendell 3 miles, Leverett 3 miles and Sunderland 3 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Mt. Toby (3 miles), Sunderland Islands (3 miles), Montague Plains (4 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Montague WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 5: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31. In 2025 the zone gave 337 deer to archers and 411 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 5 | 2,153 | 917 | 541 | 798 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Montague 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 Montague WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 5, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Montague WMA in?
Zone 5, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 917 deer in Zone 5 in 2025, 541 of them adult males, after 798 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
Where do you park for Montague WMA?
MassWildlife maps 3 parking areas: Not maintained in winter (about 2 cars, dirt); Not maintained in winter (about 2 cars, dirt); a lot (about 2 cars, dirt/gravel). Its fact sheet adds: "The WMA can be accessed from North Leverett Road, Ripley Road, and West Chestnut Hill Road. Dirt parking areas on Ripley Road and West Chestnut Hill Road can accommodate about four cars. Parking areas are not maintained during winter."
What can you hunt on Montague WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "This WMA provides hunting opportunities for black bear, white-tailed deer, bobcat, eastern coyote, raccoon fox, and squirrel."
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).