William Forward Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 10
William Forward Wildlife Management Area is 2,083 acres of MassWildlife land in Newbury and Rowley (Essex County), in Wildlife Management Zone 10. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 2,515 deer in Zone 10 in 2025, and MassWildlife maps 8 parking areas for the property with room for about 21 vehicles.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's William Forward WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landNational wildlife refugeWilliam Forward WMAZone lineParkingHighway
| Size | 2,083 acres (MassWildlife), in 9 pieces |
|---|---|
| Town | Newbury and Rowley |
| County | Essex |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 10 |
| MassWildlife district | Northeast District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | 8 lots, about 21 spaces |
| Pheasant | Stocked; blaze orange hat required in pheasant season |
| Deer taken in Zone 10, 2025 | 2,515 (1,320 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Newbury (under a mile), Rowley (under a mile) and Newburyport (3 mi) |
What is William Forward WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "This property contains salt marsh and upland habitat from sea level to 45 feet. This area is approximately 700 acres of upland surrounded by more than 1,300 acres of salt marsh. The uplands are predominately mixed oak and white pine woodlands with mature stands of red pine and spruce. Old fields have been taken over by white cedar. There are also approximately 60 acres of open fields maintained under cooperative agreements with local farmers, and an additional 20 acres are maintained in an early successional stage for purposes of biodiversity management. Marsh grasses dominate the marsh acreage."
On its habitat work: "Mowing of the fields on Kents Island happens yearly. Fields off Rt 1A are mowed every 3 years. Early successional fields are maintained off Central Street near the marsh."
On wildlife: "Excellent bird watching from brackish pools and tidal creeks along Route 1. Kents Island attracts migrating birds during Spring and Fall. Furbearer populations appear low but numerous non-game species are present including several species of song, shore and wading birds."
Quoted from MassWildlife's William Forward WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting William Forward WMA?
"The uplands support ruffed grouse, deer, fox, cottontail rabbit, coyote, raccoon, woodcock and gray squirrel. Depending on weather and tide, ducks and geese may be in the rivers. The area is stocked with pheasant. Portions of the Parker River and two of its major tributaries, the Little River and the Mill River, run through or border the area. The Parker is about 100 feet across at this point, while it's tributaries are roughly 30 feet wide. These are all tidal waters and during high and flood tides the surrounding marshes are underwater. The Parker and Mill are known for their white perch runs in the spring. There are two very small ponds also located on the property. Freshwater Fishing Regulations"
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 William Forward WMA?
"The main entrance can be reached by taking Boston Road to Hay Street from Route 1. A second parking area and canoe access is directly off Route 1 at the south side of Parker River."
| Parking | Spaces | Surface | Condition | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nancy Begin Memorial Marsh Overloook | 6 | Gravel | Good | 42.77172 | -70.87444 |
| Seasonally inaccessible due to mud | 4 | Dirt | Poor | 42.76940 | -70.88734 |
| Canoe access | 4 | Dirt | Fair | 42.75879 | -70.89092 |
| Pull-off of Center Street | 1 | Dirt | Fair | 42.73494 | -70.88806 |
| Pull-off on Route 1 at chain link gate | 2 | Dirt | Good | 42.74233 | -70.89762 |
| Private Drive- access via 2 pull-offs on Red Gate Rd. | 1 | Dirt | Fair | 42.74721 | -70.86577 |
| Private Drive- access via 2 pull-offs on Red Gate Rd. | 1 | Dirt | Fair | 42.74800 | -70.86533 |
| Roadside parking on Middle St. | 2 | Dirt/Grass | Poor | 42.75916 | -70.90117 |
From MassWildlife parking for recreation.
Highways within five miles: I-95, US 1, MA 133, MA 113 and MA 110. Distances to the nearest town centers: Newbury under a mile, Rowley under a mile, Newburyport 3 miles and Ipswich 3 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Martin H. Burns (2 miles), Salisbury Salt Marsh (4 miles), Crane Pond (5 miles).
When can you hunt deer on William Forward WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 10: 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 1,435 deer to archers and 645 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 10 | 1,965 | 2,515 | 1,320 | 2,423 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on William Forward 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 William Forward WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 10, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is William Forward WMA in?
Zone 10, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 2,515 deer in Zone 10 in 2025, 1,320 of them adult males, after 2,423 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
Where do you park for William Forward WMA?
MassWildlife maps 8 parking areas: Nancy Begin Memorial Marsh Overloook (about 6 cars, gravel); Seasonally inaccessible due to mud (about 4 cars, dirt); Canoe access (about 4 cars, dirt); Pull-off of Center Street (one car, dirt). Its fact sheet adds: "The main entrance can be reached by taking Boston Road to Hay Street from Route 1. A second parking area and canoe access is directly off Route 1 at the south side of Parker River."
What can you hunt on William Forward WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "The uplands support ruffed grouse, deer, fox, cottontail rabbit, coyote, raccoon, woodcock and gray squirrel. Depending on weather and tide, ducks and geese may be in the rivers. The area is stocked with pheasant. Portions of the Parker River and two of its major tributaries, the Little River and the Mill River, run through or border the area. The Parker is about 100 feet across at this point, while it's tributaries are roughly 30 feet wide."
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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).