Orange Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 5
Orange Wildlife Management Area is 559 acres of MassWildlife land in Orange (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 7 vehicles.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Orange 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)Orange WMAZone lineParkingHighway
| Size | 559 acres (MassWildlife), in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Orange |
| County | Franklin |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 5 |
| MassWildlife district | Connecticut Valley District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | 3 lots, about 7 spaces |
| Deer taken in Zone 5, 2025 | 917 (541 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Orange (under a mile), Athol (3 mi) and Warwick (4 mi) |
What is Orange WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "This property features a 113 acre wetland surrounded by mature upland forest composed of transitional hardwoods (maple, oak, beech, birch) mixed with white pine and hemlock. Numerous Wildlife Conservation Easement (WCE) properties surround this WMA for increased public access opportunities. Wood duck boxes are maintained annually in the wetlands."
On wildlife: "Excellent bird watching opportunities exist for waterfowl like hooded mergansers and wood ducks. Great blue herons often nest on the standing dead trees in the wetlands."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Orange WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Orange WMA?
"The large wetland on the WMA provides opportunities for waterfowl hunting and trapping aquatic furbearers. The surrounding forestland provides hunting opportunities for black bear, white-tailed deer, squirrel, bobcat, eastern coyote, fox, and raccoon."
On fishing: "The large wetland off of North Main Street provides fishing opportunities for warmwater fisheries species and can be accessed with a canoe or kayak."
How do you get into Orange WMA?
"This property can be accessed from North Main Street, Pine Hill Road, and through abutting WCE lands. A dirt parking lot on Pine Hill Road can accommodate four vehicles and a small dirt parking area on North Main Street can accommodate 1-2 vehicles. Parking areas are not maintained in winter."
| Parking | Spaces | Surface | Condition | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not plowed | 4 | Dirt | Fair | 42.63450 | -72.29591 |
| Parking | 2 | Dirt | Poor | 42.62241 | -72.29403 |
| Parking | 1 | Dirt/Grass | Fair | 42.62767 | -72.30294 |
From MassWildlife parking for recreation.
Highways within five miles: MA 2, MA 32, MA 78, US 202, MA 122 and MA 68. Distances to the nearest town centers: Orange under a mile, Athol 3 miles, Warwick 4 miles and Royalston 6 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Warwick (1 mile), Tully Mountain (3 miles), Fish Brook (3 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Orange 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 | 377 | 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 Orange 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 Orange 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 Orange 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 Orange WMA?
MassWildlife maps 3 parking areas: Not plowed (about 4 cars, dirt); a lot (about 2 cars, dirt); a lot (one car, dirt/grass). Its fact sheet adds: "This property can be accessed from North Main Street, Pine Hill Road, and through abutting WCE lands. A dirt parking lot on Pine Hill Road can accommodate four vehicles and a small dirt parking area on North Main Street can accommodate 1-2 vehicles. Parking areas are not maintained in winter."
What can you hunt on Orange WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "The large wetland on the WMA provides opportunities for waterfowl hunting and trapping aquatic furbearers. The surrounding forestland provides hunting opportunities for black bear, white-tailed deer, squirrel, bobcat, 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).