Shales Brook Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 3
Shales Brook Wildlife Management Area is 308 acres of MassWildlife land in Beckett (Berkshire County), in Wildlife Management Zone 3. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 706 deer in Zone 3 in 2025, and MassWildlife maps 1 parking area for the property with room for about 2 vehicles.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Shales 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)National Park ServiceShales Brook WMAZone lineParkingHighway
| Size | 308 acres (MassWildlife), in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Beckett |
| County | Berkshire |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 3 |
| MassWildlife district | Western District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | 1 lot, about 2 spaces |
| Deer taken in Zone 3, 2025 | 706 (419 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Tyringham (2 mi), Becket (3 mi) and Otis (4 mi) |
What is Shales Brook WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "Shales Brook WMA features primarily softwood forest mixed with hardwood. A 19- acre pond lies to the south of Tyringham Road, though a hike in is needed to access it. The pond has wooded shorelines with a wetland area at its western end, along with swampy areas dotting its shoreline. A small tributary stream flows northward from the pond towards Shales Brook. The northern parcel of this property is bordered by the Shales Brook WCE."
On wildlife: "The unnamed pond on the property provides a good viewing area for any migrant waterfowl passing through."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Shales Brook WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Shales Brook WMA?
"With a source of water available on the property, the chances of coming across white-tailed deer and black bear are fairly good. The pond, with its reed-lined wetland areas, can also present good opportunities for hunting waterfowl or trapping aquatic furbearers."
On fishing: "Fishing is available for warm-water species in the unnamed pond located south of Tyringham Road. Fishing access is limited to shoreline fishing where available. Portage of canoe or kayak from Tyringham Road through forested area may be possible. The pond can also be accessed for ice fishing during winter months."
How do you get into Shales Brook WMA?
"This WMA is located on Tyringham Road in Becket. Parking is limited, but vehicles can park at a old log landing on the eastern section of road frontage or roadside park along the western section."
| Parking | Spaces | Surface | Condition | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parking | 2 | Dirt | Fair | 42.25787 | -73.14650 |
From MassWildlife parking for recreation.
Highways within five miles: I-90, MA 8, US 20 and MA 23. Distances to the nearest town centers: Tyringham 2 miles, Becket 3 miles, Otis 4 miles and Lee 5 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Long Mountain (2 miles), Farmington River (3 miles), Hop Brook (5 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Shales Brook WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 3: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31. In 2025 the zone gave 259 deer to archers and 311 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | 308 | 706 | 419 | 650 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Shales Brook 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 Shales Brook WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 3, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Shales Brook WMA in?
Zone 3, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 706 deer in Zone 3 in 2025, 419 of them adult males, after 650 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
Where do you park for Shales Brook WMA?
MassWildlife maps 1 parking area: a lot (about 2 cars, dirt). Its fact sheet adds: "This WMA is located on Tyringham Road in Becket. Parking is limited, but vehicles can park at a old log landing on the eastern section of road frontage or roadside park along the western section."
What can you hunt on Shales Brook WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "With a source of water available on the property, the chances of coming across white-tailed deer and black bear are fairly good. The pond, with its reed-lined wetland areas, can also present good opportunities for hunting waterfowl or trapping aquatic furbearers."
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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).