Peterson Swamp Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 11
Peterson Swamp Wildlife Management Area is 70 acres of MassWildlife land in Halifax (Plymouth County), in Wildlife Management Zone 11. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 4,153 deer in Zone 11 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Peterson Swamp WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landPeterson Swamp WMAZone lineHighway
| Size | 70 acres (MassWildlife), in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Halifax |
| County | Plymouth |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 11 |
| MassWildlife district | Southeast District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | None mapped |
| Deer taken in Zone 11, 2025 | 4,153 (2,120 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Halifax (2 mi), Plympton (3 mi) and Hanson (4 mi) |
What is Peterson Swamp WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "Peterson Swamp WMA contains a variety of habitats including Atlantic white cedar swamp, mixed hardwood swamp dominated by red maple, sweet pepperbush, and highbush blueberry, and mixed hardwood forest dominated by white pine and red oak. Roughly 70% of this property is shallow marshland."
On wildlife: "Wildlife viewing opportunities may be limited due to access, but seasonally migratory songbird viewing can be good in the swampy areas and cedar swamp."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Peterson Swamp WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Peterson Swamp WMA?
"There are good opportunities to hunt white-tailed deer thanks to the dense Atlantic white cedar swamp and other shrubby swamp areas that provide excellent cover. Other wildlife commonly found here include raccoon, fox, cottontail rabbit, gray squirrel, and ruffed grouse."
How do you get into Peterson Swamp WMA?
"There is no formal parking area or access. Limited roadside parking may be available on the south side of Aldana Avenue or off the east side of Holmes Street (Route 36) near the southeast end of East Monponsett Pond."
MassWildlife's parking layer shows no lot for Peterson Swamp WMA.
Highways within five miles: MA 58, MA 106, MA 27, MA 14, MA 3 and MA 36. Distances to the nearest town centers: Halifax 2 miles, Plympton 3 miles, Hanson 4 miles and Kingston 4 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Burrage Pond (3 miles), Winnetuxet River (4 miles), Poor Meadow Brook (4 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Peterson Swamp WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 11: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31 and a winter season January 1 to 30, 2027. In 2025 the zone gave 2,139 deer to archers and 1,358 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 11 | 242 | 4,153 | 2,120 | 3,830 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Peterson Swamp 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 Peterson Swamp WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 11, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Peterson Swamp WMA in?
Zone 11, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 4,153 deer in Zone 11 in 2025, 2,120 of them adult males, after 3,830 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
How do you get into Peterson Swamp WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "There is no formal parking area or access. Limited roadside parking may be available on the south side of Aldana Avenue or off the east side of Holmes Street (Route 36) near the southeast end of East Monponsett Pond."
What can you hunt on Peterson Swamp WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "There are good opportunities to hunt white-tailed deer thanks to the dense Atlantic white cedar swamp and other shrubby swamp areas that provide excellent cover. Other wildlife commonly found here include raccoon, fox, cottontail rabbit, gray squirrel, and ruffed grouse."
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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).