Olivers Pond Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 12
Olivers Pond Wildlife Management Area is 12 acres of MassWildlife land in Harwich (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.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Olivers Pond 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)Olivers Pond WMAZone lineHighway
| Size | 12 acres (MassWildlife) |
|---|---|
| Town | Harwich |
| County | Barnstable |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 12 |
| MassWildlife district | Southeast District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | None mapped |
| Deer taken in Zone 12, 2025 | 381 (193 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Harwich (2 mi), Brewster (3 mi) and Orleans (5 mi) |
What is Olivers Pond WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "Olivers Pond WMA protects a portion of the shoreline of Olivers Pond, a rare coastal plain pond. The majority of the property consists of mixed upland forest dominated by pitch pine, scrub oak, white pine and red oak, with the shoreline portion of the property dominated by marshy areas and herbaceous plants."
On wildlife: "Wildlife viewing opportunities are good here due to the open water and marshy habitat surrounding the pond. A variety of aquatic species can be seen."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Olivers Pond WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Olivers Pond WMA?
"Hunting opportunities are very limited due to discharge setbacks and limited access points. However, there may be opportunities to trap aquatic furbearers."
On fishing: "Olivers Pond provides warmwater fishing opportunities from shore or via paddle boats which can be carried in and launched from shore."
How do you get into Olivers Pond WMA?
"There is no formal public access to this property but access may be gained through the abutting Hawksnest State Park and several small unofficial roadside parking areas along Spruce Road and Ve Trail."
MassWildlife's parking layer shows no lot for Olivers Pond WMA.
Highways within five miles: US 6, MA 28, MA 39, MA 137 and MA 124. Distances to the nearest town centers: Harwich 2 miles, Brewster 3 miles, Orleans 5 miles and Dennis 7 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Dennis Grassy Pond (7 miles), Eastham Salt Marsh (8 miles), Chase Garden Creek (10 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Olivers Pond 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 | 12 | 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 Olivers 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 Olivers Pond 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 Olivers Pond 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).
How do you get into Olivers Pond WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "There is no formal public access to this property but access may be gained through the abutting Hawksnest State Park and several small unofficial roadside parking areas along Spruce Road and Ve Trail."
What can you hunt on Olivers Pond WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Hunting opportunities are very limited due to discharge setbacks and limited access points. However, there may be opportunities to trap aquatic furbearers."
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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).