Stafford Hill Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 2
Stafford Hill Wildlife Management Area is 860 acres of MassWildlife land in Cheshire (Berkshire County), in Wildlife Management Zone 2. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 617 deer in Zone 2 in 2025, and MassWildlife maps 2 parking areas for the property with room for about 12 vehicles.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Stafford Hill 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 ServiceStafford Hill WMAZone lineParkingHighway
| Size | 860 acres (MassWildlife), in 6 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Cheshire |
| County | Berkshire |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 2 |
| MassWildlife district | Western District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | 2 lots, about 12 spaces |
| Pheasant | Stocked; blaze orange hat required in pheasant season |
| Deer taken in Zone 2, 2025 | 617 (492 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Cheshire (under a mile), Adams (3 mi) and Windsor (4 mi) |
What is Stafford Hill WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "This high-elevation WMA contains gently sloping fields and forests that are home to a wide variety of wildlife. To enrich and improve the habitats found here, MassWildlife actively manages areas of this property. Historically, much of this property was farmed, and the remnants of those activities are still visible. Old apple trees are managed to boost fruit production for wildlife. An area off Jenks Road is leased for active agricultural use. Fields throughout the WMA are mowed annually to maintain grassland habitat and provide cover for upland birds. Portions of the wooded areas are managed with periodic cuts that result in a collection of different ages of forests, including young forests, which are vital to many kinds of wildlife. Along with the biological diversity, visitors can enjoy stunning views throughout the property, including a spectacular look at Mount Greylock from the top of Stafford Hill."
On its habitat work: "Large management timber cuts have been ongoing throughout this WMA to bring it back to shrubland and transitional forest, thus improving upland gamebird habitat. Fields are mowed to create safety zones, access, and cover for upland game. Abandoned orchards are being managed to more successfully produce wildlife food."
On wildlife: "The varied habitat types and managed forests make this a good spot for birding and a prime location for bird species that require young, regenerating forests. Patches of rare calcareous fens and wet meadows fed by calcium-rich groundwater can be found on this property. These unique sites support an impressive array of highly specialized and uncommon plants and invertebrates."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Stafford Hill WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Stafford Hill WMA?
": The combination of field and forest provide excellent habitat for white-tailed deer, black bears, and wild turkeys. Ring-necked pheasants are stocked throughout the WMA during the season. MassWildlife’s forest management activities create and maintain excellent habitat for ruffed grouse and American woodcock. Geese use the agricultural fields on Jenks Road as a stopover site. Duck hunting is an option along the Hoosic River South Branch. The river also provides fishing opportunities. The South Branch is stocked with trout each spring and can be accessed from the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail."
Its rules for the area: "During the open pheasant season, a “hunter orange” hat is required for all hunters."
How do you get into Stafford Hill WMA?
"There are three parking areas on Stafford Hill Road in Cheshire, one on the northern parcel and two on the southern parcel. There is a town pull-off on Wells Road on the western parcel."
| Parking | Spaces | Surface | Condition | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parking | 6 | Gravel | Good | 42.56924 | -73.11269 |
| Parking | 6 | Dirt | Good | 42.58072 | -73.11584 |
From MassWildlife parking for recreation.
Highways within five miles: MA 8, MA 116, US 7 and MA 9. Distances to the nearest town centers: Cheshire under a mile, Adams 3 miles, Windsor 4 miles and Savoy 4 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Savoy (2 miles), Chalet (3 miles), Eugene D. Moran (3 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Stafford Hill WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 2: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31. In 2025 the zone gave 244 deer to archers and 281 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2 | 860 | 617 | 492 | 546 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Stafford Hill 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 Stafford Hill WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 2, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Stafford Hill WMA in?
Zone 2, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 617 deer in Zone 2 in 2025, 492 of them adult males, after 546 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
Where do you park for Stafford Hill WMA?
MassWildlife maps 2 parking areas: a lot (about 6 cars, gravel); a lot (about 6 cars, dirt). Its fact sheet adds: "There are three parking areas on Stafford Hill Road in Cheshire, one on the northern parcel and two on the southern parcel. There is a town pull-off on Wells Road on the western parcel."
What can you hunt on Stafford Hill WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: ": The combination of field and forest provide excellent habitat for white-tailed deer, black bears, and wild turkeys. Ring-necked pheasants are stocked throughout the WMA during the season. MassWildlife’s forest management activities create and maintain excellent habitat for ruffed grouse and American woodcock. Geese use the agricultural fields on Jenks Road as a stopover site. Duck hunting is an option along the Hoosic River South Branch."
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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).