Mt. Toby Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 5
Mt. Toby Wildlife Management Area is 682 acres of MassWildlife land in Leverett 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.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Mt. Toby 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 refugeMt. Toby WMAZone lineHighway
| Size | 682 acres (MassWildlife), in 13 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Leverett and Sunderland |
| County | Franklin |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 5 |
| MassWildlife district | Connecticut Valley District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | None mapped |
| Deer taken in Zone 5, 2025 | 917 (541 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Sunderland (under a mile), Leverett (under a mile) and Deerfield (3 mi) |
What is Mt. Toby WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "This property is made up of multiple parcels that cover the rolling hills surrounding Mt. Toby, Roaring Mountain, and Bull and Joshua Hills. The habitats on this WMA consist of mature upland forest of transitional hardwoods (oak, sugar maple, birch) mixed with white pine and hemlock. Dry Brook flows through the western portion of the WMA, Russellville Brook flows through the eastern portion."
On wildlife: "The Robert Frost Trail (managed by Town of Amherst) goes through a portion of the WMA."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Mt. Toby WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Mt. Toby WMA?
"This WMA provides hunting opportunities for black bear, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, eastern coyote, raccoon, fox, and squirrel."
On fishing: "Russellville Brook and Dry Brook are coldwater fishery streams that provide fishing opportunities for native brook trout. In addition, Russellville Brook contains stocked trout species; go to mass.gov/trout for more information."
How do you get into Mt. Toby WMA?
"Currently no parking areas exist for this WMA. The property can be accessed from North Mountain Road and Route 63."
MassWildlife's parking layer shows no lot for Mt. Toby WMA.
Highways within five miles: I-91, MA 116, MA 63, MA 47, MA 10 and US 5. Distances to the nearest town centers: Sunderland under a mile, Leverett under a mile, Deerfield 3 miles and Whately 4 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Sunderland Islands (2 miles), Montague (3 miles), Great Swamp (5 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Mt. Toby 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 | 750 | 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 Mt. Toby 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. Toby 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 Mt. Toby 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).
How do you get into Mt. Toby WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Currently no parking areas exist for this WMA. The property can be accessed from North Mountain Road and Route 63."
What can you hunt on Mt. Toby WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "This WMA provides hunting opportunities for black bear, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, eastern coyote, raccoon, fox, and squirrel."
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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).