Atherton Meadows Wildlife Management Area: hunting, map and deer in WMU P
Atherton Meadows Wildlife Management Area is 1,036 acres of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department land in Windham County, inside WMU P. VFWD's sheet says it is open to regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. A legal buck here needs at least one antler 3 inches or longer, and hunters took 435 deer in WMU P in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary: ANR. Description: VFWD's Atherton Meadows WMA sheet, last edited 9/30/22. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons.
Fish and Wildlife landAtherton Meadows WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 1,036 acres (ANR) |
|---|---|
| County | Windham |
| Wildlife Management Unit | WMU P |
| VFWD region | Southeast |
| Open to (VFWD) | regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing |
| Game named on VFWD's sheet | white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, woodcock, snowshoe hare and waterfowl |
| Legal buck, 2026 | At least one antler 3 inches or longer |
| Deer taken in WMU P, 2025 | 435 (303 bucks) |
| Nearest villages | Whitingham (next to it), Readsboro (next to it) and Jacksonville (4 mi) |
What is Atherton Meadows WMA like?
VFWD describes where it is: "Atherton Meadows Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located in the town of Whitingham approximately 8 miles west of the village of Jacksonville." Of the land: "The topography of Atherton Meadows WMA is quite variable." On its past: "The larger parcel was once a sheep farm owned by John Atherton in the 1870's." On its animals: "Game animals present on the WMA include white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, snowshoe hare, beaver, mink, otter, bobcat, coyote and fisher." The sheet names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, woodcock, snowshoe hare and waterfowl among its wildlife. On parking: "This parcel can be accessed from a parking lot located along Route 100 on the south end of the property, or from a trailhead maintained by USGen at Harriman Dam on the north end of the parcel."
Quoted from VFWD's Atherton Meadows WMA sheet. VFWD notes its WMA maps are a general guide, not survey boundaries.
When can you hunt Atherton Meadows WMA in 2026?
Seasons follow WMU P: archery October 1 to December 15, youth and novice weekend November 7 to 8, regular season November 14 to 29 and December muzzleloader November 30 to December 13. A legal buck needs at least one antler 3 inches or longer. Fall turkey: bow and arrow October 1 to November 13; shotgun or bow October 24 to November 1.
| WMU | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 | Legal buck |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU P | 1,036 | 435 | 303 | 51 | one antler of 3 inches |
Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons; VFWD 2026 Vermont Hunting and Trapping Seasons. Harvest: VFWD 2025 White-tailed Deer Harvest Report; VFWD 2025 Black Bear Harvest Report.
How do you get to Atherton Meadows WMA?
Highways within five miles: VT 100, VT 112 and VT 8. Nearest villages: Whitingham (next to it), Readsboro (next to it), Jacksonville (4 miles) and Wilmington (6 miles). Other WMAs nearby: South Stream (14 miles), Roaring Brook (19 miles), Whipstock Hill (20 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Atherton Meadows WMA?
Yes. VFWD's sheet says Atherton Meadows WMA is open to regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Seasons and the legal buck rule follow WMU P: a buck needs at least one antler 3 inches or longer, and the 2026 regular deer season runs November 14 to 29.
What WMU is Atherton Meadows WMA in?
WMU P. Hunters took 435 deer in WMU P in 2025, 303 of them bucks, and 51 bears (VFWD).
Where is Atherton Meadows WMA?
VFWD: "Atherton Meadows Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located in the town of Whitingham approximately 8 miles west of the village of Jacksonville." The nearest villages are Whitingham (next to it), Readsboro (next to it) and Jacksonville (4 miles).
What game lives on Atherton Meadows WMA?
VFWD's sheet for the area names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, woodcock, snowshoe hare and waterfowl. It does not count them; the WMU figures on this page are the nearest harvest numbers.
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Where these facts come from
- Boundary and acres: Vermont ANR land units (Wildlife Management Areas). Description: VFWD's WMA sheets, linked from its regional WMA pages.
- Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons; VFWD 2026 Vermont Hunting and Trapping Seasons. WMU harvest: VFWD 2025 White-tailed Deer Harvest Report; VFWD 2025 Black Bear Harvest Report.
- Public land around it: Vermont ANR land units (state forests, parks and Fish and Wildlife land) for state land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land. Highways and villages: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.