Whortleberry Hill Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 8
Whortleberry Hill Wildlife Management Area is 324 acres of MassWildlife land in New Braintree and West Brookfield (Worcester County), in Wildlife Management Zone 8. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 1,004 deer in Zone 8 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Whortleberry 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)Whortleberry Hill WMAZone lineHighway
| Size | 324 acres (MassWildlife), in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | New Braintree and West Brookfield |
| County | Worcester |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 8 |
| MassWildlife district | Central District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | None mapped |
| Pheasant | Stocked; blaze orange hat required in pheasant season |
| Deer taken in Zone 8, 2025 | 1,004 (625 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | West Brookfield (under a mile), New Braintree (3 mi) and North Brookfield (4 mi) |
What is Whortleberry Hill WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "This property consists of hardwood ridges, open fields, and reclaimed fields with Mill Brook flowing through it."
On its habitat work: "Management for this property consists of reclaiming overgrown fields and active agriculture on the leased fields. This area is also managed for open space."
On wildlife: "Open fields provide for raptor and songbird sighting opportunities."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Whortleberry Hill WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Whortleberry Hill WMA?
"Hardwood ridges provide hunting opportunities for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and gray squirrel. River edge cover and fields provide predator hunting and American woodcock hunting opportunities. This WMA is stocked with ring-necked pheasants during the open pheasant season."
Its rules for the area: "During the pheasant season, a “hunter orange” hat is required for all hunters except while night-hunting raccoons or opossums, or while hunting waterfowl from within a blind or boat."
How do you get into Whortleberry Hill WMA?
"Parking for this area is on Wickaboag Valley Road and can accommodate 4 vehicles."
MassWildlife's parking layer shows no lot for Whortleberry Hill WMA.
Highways within five miles: MA 67, MA 9, MA 32, MA 148 and MA 19. Distances to the nearest town centers: West Brookfield under a mile, New Braintree 3 miles, North Brookfield 4 miles and Warren 5 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Sucker Brook (2 miles), Coy Hill (3 miles), Ware River (4 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Whortleberry Hill WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 8: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31. In 2025 the zone gave 429 deer to archers and 410 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 8 | 347 | 1,004 | 625 | 865 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Whortleberry 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 Whortleberry Hill WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 8, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Whortleberry Hill WMA in?
Zone 8, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 1,004 deer in Zone 8 in 2025, 625 of them adult males, after 865 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
How do you get into Whortleberry Hill WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Parking for this area is on Wickaboag Valley Road and can accommodate 4 vehicles."
What can you hunt on Whortleberry Hill WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Hardwood ridges provide hunting opportunities for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and gray squirrel. River edge cover and fields provide predator hunting and American woodcock hunting opportunities. This WMA is stocked with ring-necked pheasants during the open pheasant season."
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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).