Baxtertown Woods Wildlife Management Area: hunting, parking and access
Baxtertown Woods Wildlife Management Area is 250 acres (DEC) managed by DEC in the town of Fishkill, Dutchess County, in WMU 3F (Southern Zone). DEC lists 3 parking areas with coordinates.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: DEC's page for Baxtertown Woods WMA, read 2026-10-18. Boundary: DEC GIS.
DEC landState parkOther state landBaxtertown Woods WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 250 acres (DEC) |
|---|---|
| Location (DEC) | Town of Fishkill, Dutchess County |
| WMU | WMU 3F |
| Zone | Southern Zone |
| DEC region | Region 3 |
| Open | Year-round |
| Fee | Free |
| Parking areas (DEC) | 3 |
| Activities DEC lists | Hunting, Trapping and Watchable Wildlife |
| Nearest towns | Fishkill (2 mi), Beacon (3 mi) and Merritt Park (3 mi) |
Where do you park at Baxtertown Woods WMA?
DEC lists 3 parking areas for Baxtertown Woods WMA:
| DEC's description | Latitude, longitude |
|---|---|
| Baxtertown Road | 41.54794, -73.93036 |
| Baxtertown Road | 41.54445, -73.92351 |
| Cynwyd Drive | 41.53567, -73.94270 |
From DEC's page for Baxtertown Woods WMA.
What can you hunt on Baxtertown Woods WMA, and when?
DEC's map of hunting on DEC-managed lands marks the area open to hunting. DEC lists these activities for the area: hunting, trapping and watchable wildlife. Hunting on a WMA follows the seasons of the WMU the ground is in. In WMU 3F, the 2026 regular firearms deer season runs November 21 to December 13.
| WMU | WMA acres in it | Deer harvested (whole WMU) | Adult bucks | Bears (whole WMU) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 3F | 249 | 735 (2025) | 462 | 5 (2025) |
Harvest: DEC 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; DEC 2025 Bear Harvest Summary. Seasons: DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October.
DEC's plans for the area: a Habitat Management Plan approved October 2020.
What DEC says about each activity here
- Hunting. "Big game and wild turkey hunting are restricted to bows and crossbows only."
- Trapping. "Trappers are reminded that the adjacent Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center remains closed."
From DEC's page for Baxtertown Woods WMA.
How do you get to Baxtertown Woods WMA?
Highways within five miles: I-84, US 9, NY 52, NY 32 and NY 82. Nearest towns: Fishkill (2 miles), Beacon (3 miles), Merritt Park (3 miles) and New Hamburg (3 miles). State land nearby, as DEC names it: Stewart State Forest.
Which other WMAs are near Baxtertown Woods?
| WMA | Miles away (straight line) | WMU | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Swamp WMA | 18 | 3G | 444 |
| Bog Brook WMA | 19 | 3G | 131 |
| Cranberry Mountain WMA | 20 | 3G | 1,085 |
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Baxtertown Woods WMA?
Yes. DEC's map of hunting on DEC-managed lands marks it open to hunting. Baxtertown Woods WMA lies in WMU 3F, and seasons follow the WMU's: in 2026 the regular firearms deer season there runs November 21 to December 13.
Where do you park at Baxtertown Woods WMA?
DEC lists 3 parking areas: Baxtertown Road (41.5479, -73.9304), Baxtertown Road (41.5444, -73.9235) and Cynwyd Drive (41.5357, -73.9427).
What WMU is Baxtertown Woods WMA in?
All of Baxtertown Woods WMA is in WMU 3F. DEC estimates 735 deer were taken in the whole WMU in 2025.
What is the nearest town to Baxtertown Woods WMA?
Fishkill, about 2 miles away, by the Census map of places. Beacon is 3 miles away.
How big is Baxtertown Woods WMA?
DEC gives 250 acres.
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Where these facts come from
- Area facts, habitat, parking and plans: DEC, Baxtertown Woods WMA.
- Boundary: DEC Wildlife Management Areas. Public land around it: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1). Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
- WMU harvest: DEC 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; DEC 2025 Bear Harvest Summary. Seasons: DEC, 2026-27 early big game hunting seasons in September; DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October.
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