Poland Brook Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 4N
Poland Brook Wildlife Management Area is 392 acres of MassWildlife land in Ashfield and Conway (Franklin County), in Wildlife Management Zone 4N. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 727 deer in Zone 4N in 2025, and MassWildlife maps 2 parking areas for the property with room for about 9 vehicles.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Poland 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)Poland Brook WMAZone lineParkingHighway
| Size | 392 acres (MassWildlife), in 5 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Ashfield and Conway |
| County | Franklin |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 4N |
| MassWildlife district | Connecticut Valley District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | 2 lots, about 9 spaces |
| Pheasant | Stocked; blaze orange hat required in pheasant season |
| Deer taken in Zone 4N, 2025 | 727 (472 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Conway (under a mile), Ashfield (3 mi) and Goshen (4 mi) |
What is Poland Brook WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "This property features upland forest hillsides composed of transitional hardwoods (maple, oak, hickory) and mixed softwoods (white pine, hemlock) interspersed with old fields and apple orchards. Beaver impoundments occur along Poland Brook which flows through the middle of the property."
On its habitat work: "Habitat management activities continually occur on this WMA to maintain the open areas, young forest, and shrublands. Old field areas are mowed on a three year interval to provide food and cover for both game and non-game species. Apple trees are maintained to provide food for wildlife."
On wildlife: "Open fields and meadows provide great opportunities for bird watching and wildlife viewing."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Poland Brook WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Poland Brook WMA?
"This area is stocked with ring-necked pheasant throughout the pheasant season. Other hunting opportunities exist for white-tailed deer, black bear, American woodcock, cottontail rabbits, gray squirrel, aquatic furbearers, 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: "Poland Brook provides fishing opportunities for native brook trout and stocked trout species. Go to mass.gov/trout for more information. Poland Brook also has a healthy population of longnose sucker, a rare fish that prefers clean, cold, fast-moving streams and small rivers."
How do you get into Poland Brook WMA?
"The property can be accessed from Main Poland Road, North Poland Road, and Harrison Road. A gravel/grass parking area that can accommodate five cars exists on Main Poland Road."
| Parking | Spaces | Surface | Condition | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not plowed, can be quite wet and muddy after rain | 5 | Gravel | Fair | 42.49515 | -72.73604 |
| Entrance can get muddy | 4 | Grass | Fair | 42.49061 | -72.74744 |
From MassWildlife parking for recreation.
Highways within five miles: MA 116, MA 112 and MA 9. Distances to the nearest town centers: Conway under a mile, Ashfield 3 miles, Goshen 4 miles and Williamsburg 5 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Mt. Esther (6 miles), Williamsburg (6 miles), Whately (6 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Poland Brook WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 4N: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31. In 2025 the zone gave 263 deer to archers and 343 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 4N | 783 | 727 | 472 | 612 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Poland 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 Poland Brook WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 4N, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Poland Brook WMA in?
Zone 4N, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 727 deer in Zone 4N in 2025, 472 of them adult males, after 612 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
Where do you park for Poland Brook WMA?
MassWildlife maps 2 parking areas: Not plowed, can be quite wet and muddy after rain (about 5 cars, gravel); Entrance can get muddy (about 4 cars, grass). Its fact sheet adds: "The property can be accessed from Main Poland Road, North Poland Road, and Harrison Road. A gravel/grass parking area that can accommodate five cars exists on Main Poland Road."
What can you hunt on Poland Brook WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "This area is stocked with ring-necked pheasant throughout the pheasant season. Other hunting opportunities exist for white-tailed deer, black bear, American woodcock, cottontail rabbits, gray squirrel, aquatic furbearers, 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).