Sippican Headwaters Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 11
Sippican Headwaters Wildlife Management Area is 336 acres of MassWildlife land in Middleborough (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 Sippican Headwaters WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landSippican Headwaters WMAZone lineHighway
| Size | 336 acres (MassWildlife) |
|---|---|
| Town | Middleborough |
| 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 | Rochester (3 mi), Middleborough (5 mi) and Carver (6 mi) |
What is Sippican Headwaters WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "A former cranberry bog complex, this WMA totals 336 acres. Masswildlife purchased this WMA in 2020 and is currently managing the bogs as emergent wetlands to improve wildlife habitat. The surrounding forest is a mixture of upland and wetland habitat providing good access for hunting and the reservoir provides good opportunities for hunting and fishing."
On wildlife: "Visitors can observe common mammals and numerous turtles and snakes, along with many species of moths, butterflies and native pollinators. Many species of birds have been observed on the property including ducks, geese, raptors, egrets, herons and a variety of song birds."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Sippican Headwaters WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Sippican Headwaters WMA?
"The reservoir and emergent wetlands provide excellent waterfowl hunting opportunities including Canada geese and dabbling ducks like mallards and wood ducks. White-tailed deer, coyotes, foxes and wild turkeys, and small game are found here. Aquatic furbearers, including beavers, muskrats, and river otters are also present."
How do you get into Sippican Headwaters WMA?
"The area is accessible via one formal parking area located on Spruce Street. This parking area is a gravel surface suitable for about three vehicles."
MassWildlife's parking layer shows no lot for Sippican Headwaters WMA.
Highways within five miles: I-495, MA 28, MA 105, MA 58, I-195 and MA 18. Distances to the nearest town centers: Rochester 3 miles, Middleborough 5 miles, Carver 6 miles and Wareham 7 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Black Brook (2 miles), Rocky Gutter (3 miles), Atwood Reservoir (4 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Sippican Headwaters 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 | 366 | 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 Sippican Headwaters 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 Sippican Headwaters 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 Sippican Headwaters 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 Sippican Headwaters WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "The area is accessible via one formal parking area located on Spruce Street. This parking area is a gravel surface suitable for about three vehicles."
What can you hunt on Sippican Headwaters WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "The reservoir and emergent wetlands provide excellent waterfowl hunting opportunities including Canada geese and dabbling ducks like mallards and wood ducks. White-tailed deer, coyotes, foxes and wild turkeys, and small game are found here. Aquatic furbearers, including beavers, muskrats, and river otters are also present."
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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).