Pauchaug Brook Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 5
Pauchaug Brook Wildlife Management Area is 250 acres of MassWildlife land in Northfield (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 1 parking area for the property with room for about 5 vehicles.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Pauchaug Brook 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)Pauchaug Brook WMAZone lineParkingHighway
| Size | 250 acres (MassWildlife) |
|---|---|
| Town | Northfield |
| County | Franklin |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 5 |
| MassWildlife district | Connecticut Valley District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | 1 lot, about 5 spaces |
| Pheasant | Stocked; blaze orange hat required in pheasant season |
| Deer taken in Zone 5, 2025 | 917 (541 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Northfield (3 mi), Bernardston (6 mi) and Warwick (6 mi) |
What is Pauchaug Brook WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "This property lies along the east bank of the Connecticut River and consists of open farm fields with edges of hardwoods. There is a boat launch for river access. Early farmers took advantage of the rich soils and relatively flat ground to convert what was a level floodplain forest to quality agricultural lands. Today crops are still planted on the majority of the WMA through cooperative agreements with local farmers. Fields are interspersed with uncut grassy strips; riparian forest remnants consisting of silver maple and basswood surround the agricultural areas."
On wildlife: "The mixture of open fields, wetlands, and forest make this WMA popular during spring migration for both songbirds and waterfowl. Rare dragonflies and shoreline plants found only on large, slow-moving rivers can be observed here as well."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Pauchaug Brook WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Pauchaug Brook WMA?
"This area is stocked with ring-necked pheasant throughout the open season. Other hunting opportunities exist for crow, squirrel, aquatic fur bearers, and raccoon."
Its rules for the area: "During pheasant season, a blaze orange hat must be worn by all hunters except while night-hunting raccoons or opossums or while hunting waterfowl from within a blind or boat."
On fishing: "Pauchaug Brook provides fishing opportunities for native Brook Trout and stocked trout species. Go to mass.gov/trout for more information. The Connecticut River, one of Massachusetts’ largest rivers, provides fishing opportunities for a variety of species such as largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, black crappie, bowfin, channel catfish, white perch, and yellow perch."
How do you get into Pauchaug Brook WMA?
"A grassy parking lot for five vehicles exists on Hinsdale Road (Route 63) about 500 feet north of the intersection with Route 10. The Office of Fishing and Boating Access maintains a concrete boat ramp on Route 10/Route 63 that has parking spaces for up to 32 trailers. Parking areas are not maintained in winter."
| Parking | Spaces | Surface | Condition | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not plowed | 5 | Gravel | Fair | 42.71997 | -72.44802 |
From MassWildlife parking for recreation.
Highways within five miles: MA 10, MA 63, MA 142, I-91 and MA 78. Distances to the nearest town centers: Northfield 3 miles, Bernardston 6 miles, Warwick 6 miles and Gill 7 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Bennett Meadows (3 miles), Satan's Kingdom (4 miles), Darwin Scott (6 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Pauchaug Brook 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 | 159 | 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 Pauchaug Brook WMA?
It is stocked with pheasant, so every hunter must wear a blaze orange hat during pheasant season, except raccoon and opossum hunters at night and waterfowl hunters in a blind or boat. 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 Pauchaug Brook 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 Pauchaug Brook 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 Pauchaug Brook WMA?
MassWildlife maps 1 parking area: Not plowed (about 5 cars, gravel). Its fact sheet adds: "A grassy parking lot for five vehicles exists on Hinsdale Road (Route 63) about 500 feet north of the intersection with Route 10. The Office of Fishing and Boating Access maintains a concrete boat ramp on Route 10/Route 63 that has parking spaces for up to 32 trailers."
What can you hunt on Pauchaug Brook WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "This area is stocked with ring-necked pheasant throughout the open season. Other hunting opportunities exist for crow, squirrel, aquatic fur bearers, 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).