Mt. Esther Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 4N
Mt. Esther Wildlife Management Area is 329 acres of MassWildlife land in Conway and Whately (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.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Mt. Esther WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landMt. Esther WMAZone lineHighway
| Size | 329 acres (MassWildlife), in 6 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Conway and Whately |
| County | Franklin |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 4N |
| MassWildlife district | Connecticut Valley District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | None mapped |
| Deer taken in Zone 4N, 2025 | 727 (472 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Whately (under a mile), Conway (4 mi) and Hatfield (4 mi) |
What is Mt. Esther WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "This property covers the rolling hills surrounding Mt. Esther. The habitats on this WMA consist of mature upland forest of transitional hardwoods (oak, sugar maple, birch) mixed with white pine and hemlock. Jimmy Nolan Brook flows through the western portion of the WMA."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Mt. Esther WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Mt. Esther WMA?
"This WMA provides hunting opportunities for black bear, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, squirrel, eastern coyote, fox, and raccoon."
On fishing: "Jimmy Nolan Brook is a coldwater fisheries resource that provides fishing opportunities for native brook trout"
How do you get into Mt. Esther WMA?
"Currently no parking areas exist for this WMA. The property can be accessed from abutting conservation land off of Poplar Hill Road."
MassWildlife's parking layer shows no lot for Mt. Esther WMA.
Highways within five miles: I-91, MA 116, MA 10, US 5, MA 47 and MA 9. Distances to the nearest town centers: Whately under a mile, Conway 4 miles, Hatfield 4 miles and Williamsburg 4 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Whately (1 mile), Great Swamp (2 miles), Williamsburg (4 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Mt. Esther 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.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 4N | 477 | 727 | 472 | 612 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Mt. Esther 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 Mt. Esther 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 Mt. Esther 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).
How do you get into Mt. Esther WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Currently no parking areas exist for this WMA. The property can be accessed from abutting conservation land off of Poplar Hill Road."
What can you hunt on Mt. Esther WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "This WMA provides hunting opportunities for black bear, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, squirrel, eastern coyote, fox, and raccoon."
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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).