Richardson Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 8
Richardson Wildlife Management Area is 467 acres of MassWildlife land in Brookfield, North Brookfield and West Brookfield (Worcester County), in Wildlife Management Zone 8. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 1,004 deer in Zone 8 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 Richardson WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landRichardson WMAZone lineParkingHighway
| Size | 467 acres (MassWildlife), in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Brookfield, North Brookfield and West Brookfield |
| County | Worcester |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 8 |
| MassWildlife district | Central District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | 1 lot, about 5 spaces |
| Pheasant | Stocked; blaze orange hat required in pheasant season |
| Deer taken in Zone 8, 2025 | 1,004 (625 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | West Brookfield (3 mi), Brookfield (3 mi) and North Brookfield (3 mi) |
What is Richardson WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "Richardson WMA features mixed hardwood and conifer stands, fields, beaver impoundments and shrub swamp habitat. Willow Brook runs through the eastern section of this property."
On wildlife: "Due to the abundance of wetlands, there are ample opportunities to view waterfowl. Additionally, grassland/shrubland birds are prevalent in the maintained fields."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Richardson WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Richardson WMA?
"Given the hardwood ridges and wetlands, this WMA provides great opportunity to pursue white-tailed deer, gray squirrel, and waterfowl. Additional hunting in the field area allow for the pursuit of eastern coyote, gray and red fox, and woodcock. This is a pheasant stocked area."
Its rules for the area: "During the pheasant season, a “hunter orange” hat is required for all hunters except while night hunting raccoons or opossums or while hunting waterfowl from within a blind or boat."
How do you get into Richardson WMA?
"Parking for 4 cars each can be found on Devil's Elbow Road and West Brookfield Road. Additional roadside parking is available on the shoulders of Foster Hill Road."
| Parking | Spaces | Surface | Condition | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unmaintained | 5 | Dirt | Good | 42.22020 | -72.11699 |
From MassWildlife parking for recreation.
Highways within five miles: MA 9, MA 148, MA 67, MA 19, MA 49 and I-90. Distances to the nearest town centers: West Brookfield 3 miles, Brookfield 3 miles, North Brookfield 3 miles and East Brookfield 3 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Quaboag (1 mile), Quacumquasit (3 miles), Wolf Swamp (4 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Richardson WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 8: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31. In 2025 the zone gave 429 deer to archers and 410 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 8 | 491 | 1,004 | 625 | 865 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Richardson 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 Richardson WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 8, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Richardson WMA in?
Zone 8, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 1,004 deer in Zone 8 in 2025, 625 of them adult males, after 865 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
Where do you park for Richardson WMA?
MassWildlife maps 1 parking area: Unmaintained (about 5 cars, dirt). Its fact sheet adds: "Parking for 4 cars each can be found on Devil's Elbow Road and West Brookfield Road. Additional roadside parking is available on the shoulders of Foster Hill Road."
What can you hunt on Richardson WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Given the hardwood ridges and wetlands, this WMA provides great opportunity to pursue white-tailed deer, gray squirrel, and waterfowl. Additional hunting in the field area allow for the pursuit of eastern coyote, gray and red fox, and woodcock. This is a pheasant stocked area."
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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).