Sly Pond Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 11
Sly Pond Wildlife Management Area is 192 acres of MassWildlife land in Plymouth (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, and MassWildlife maps 1 parking area for the property with room for about 3 vehicles.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Sly Pond 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)Sly Pond WMAZone lineParkingHighway
| Size | 192 acres (MassWildlife) |
|---|---|
| Town | Plymouth |
| County | Plymouth |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 11 |
| MassWildlife district | Southeast District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | 1 lot, about 3 spaces |
| Deer taken in Zone 11, 2025 | 4,153 (2,120 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Carver (3 mi), Plymouth (4 mi) and Kingston (6 mi) |
What is Sly Pond WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "Sly Pond WMA consists of mixed upland forest dominated by white pine. It abuts Myles Standish State Forest in the Town of Plymouth. There are two coastal plain ponds on the property (Sly Ponds). Common vegetation present on the WMA includes white pine, pitch pine, oak, and red maple."
On wildlife: "There are good opportunities for viewing both game and non-game species including waterfowl, white-tailed deer, furbearers, and songbirds. The presence of coastal plain ponds provides good habitat for many rare and endangered species."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Sly Pond WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Sly Pond WMA?
"The WMA provides good opportunities to hunt waterfowl, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and eastern coyote."
On fishing: "Sly ponds are both small, a little over an acre each, but are likely to contain warmwater fish assemblages although limited information exists."
How do you get into Sly Pond WMA?
"The area may be accessed via an unimproved three-car parking area located at the corner of Jester Way and Queen Drive."
| Parking | Spaces | Surface | Condition | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sly Pond Natural Heritage Area | 3 | Dirt | Fair | 41.90578 | -70.70541 |
From MassWildlife parking for recreation.
Highways within five miles: MA 3, MA 58 and MA 80. Distances to the nearest town centers: Carver 3 miles, Plymouth 4 miles, Kingston 6 miles and Plympton 6 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Cooks Pond (2 miles), South Triangle Pond (2 miles), Atwood Reservoir (5 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Sly Pond 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 | 196 | 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 Sly Pond 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 Sly Pond 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 Sly Pond 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).
Where do you park for Sly Pond WMA?
MassWildlife maps 1 parking area: Sly Pond Natural Heritage Area (about 3 cars, dirt). Its fact sheet adds: "The area may be accessed via an unimproved three-car parking area located at the corner of Jester Way and Queen Drive."
What can you hunt on Sly Pond WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "The WMA provides good opportunities to hunt waterfowl, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and eastern coyote."
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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).