Unkety Brook Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 9
Unkety Brook Wildlife Management Area is 430 acres of MassWildlife land in Dunstable, Groton and Pepperell (Middlesex County), in Wildlife Management Zone 9. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 1,534 deer in Zone 9 in 2025, and MassWildlife maps 4 parking areas for the property with room for about 11 vehicles.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Unkety 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)Unkety Brook WMAZone lineParkingHighway
| Size | 430 acres (MassWildlife), in 7 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Dunstable, Groton and Pepperell |
| County | Middlesex |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 9 |
| MassWildlife district | Northeast District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | 4 lots, about 11 spaces |
| Deer taken in Zone 9, 2025 | 1,534 (742 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Dunstable (under a mile), Pepperell (2 mi) and Groton (2 mi) |
What is Unkety Brook WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "Unkety Brook WMA is comprised of two sections. The northern section is located in Pepperell and Dunstable along the Nashua River, while the larger southern section abuts other protected parcels around Horse Hill."
On its habitat work: "The sand pits, located on the northern parcel, are managed for dense cover which is excellent habitat for small game and upland birds."
On wildlife: "The Nashua River provides opportunities for large raptor sightings during the nesting season. Naturalists will especially enjoy the diversity of species located on this WMA.."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Unkety Brook WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Unkety Brook WMA?
"Forests support ruffed grouse, deer, fox, cottontail rabbit, coyote, fisher, raccoon, woodcock, and gray squirrel. The beaver ponds support multiple waterfowl species. This WMA contains small sections of Unkety Brook which is a cold water fish resource and the Nissitissit River. Both are stocked with trout. Large sections of the Nashua River, which offer some limited warm water fishing opportunities, are also accessible through this WMA. For more information about trout stocking got to mass.gov/trout."
How do you get into Unkety Brook WMA?
"The northern parcel can be accessed through the Nashua River Access Area on Groton Street as well as the Rail Trail parking area on Shawnee road and off of River Road in Dunstable. The southern section can be accessed on Groton Street, from the powerlines at Raddin Road, and roadside off Hall Street at the stone byway."
| Parking | Spaces | Surface | Condition | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee rd lot | 3 | Dirt/Grass | Good | 42.67082 | -71.56276 |
| River st pulloffs | 2 | Dirt/Grass | Fair | 42.68860 | -71.54973 |
| Unkety pulloff | 2 | Dirt/Grass | Poor | 42.65603 | -71.51573 |
| Unkety parking | 4 | Dirt/Gravel | Good | 42.65654 | -71.52025 |
From MassWildlife parking for recreation.
Highways within five miles: MA 113, MA 119, MA 225, MA 111, US 3 and MA 40. Distances to the nearest town centers: Dunstable under a mile, Pepperell 2 miles, Groton 2 miles and Westford 4 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Elbow Meadow (1 mile), Hauk Swamp (2 miles), Dunstable Brook (3 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Unkety Brook WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 9: 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 660 deer to archers and 557 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 9 | 1,000 | 1,534 | 742 | 1,374 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Unkety 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 Unkety Brook WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 9, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Unkety Brook WMA in?
Zone 9, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 1,534 deer in Zone 9 in 2025, 742 of them adult males, after 1,374 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
Where do you park for Unkety Brook WMA?
MassWildlife maps 4 parking areas: Shawnee rd lot (about 3 cars, dirt/grass); River st pulloffs (about 2 cars, dirt/grass); Unkety pulloff (about 2 cars, dirt/grass); Unkety parking (about 4 cars, dirt/gravel). Its fact sheet adds: "The northern parcel can be accessed through the Nashua River Access Area on Groton Street as well as the Rail Trail parking area on Shawnee road and off of River Road in Dunstable."
What can you hunt on Unkety Brook WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Forests support ruffed grouse, deer, fox, cottontail rabbit, coyote, fisher, raccoon, woodcock, and gray squirrel. The beaver ponds support multiple waterfowl species. This WMA contains small sections of Unkety Brook which is a cold water fish resource and the Nissitissit River. Both are stocked with trout. Large sections of the Nashua River, which offer some limited warm water fishing opportunities, are also accessible through this WMA."
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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).