Bill Sladyk Wildlife Management Area: hunting, map and deer in WMU E1
Bill Sladyk Wildlife Management Area is 9,038 acres of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department land in Essex and Orleans counties, inside WMU E1. 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 196 deer in WMU E1 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary: ANR. Description: VFWD's Bill Sladyk WMA sheet, last edited 9/30/22. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons.
Fish and Wildlife landState forestBill Sladyk WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 9,038 acres (ANR) |
|---|---|
| County | Essex, Orleans |
| Wildlife Management Unit | WMU E1 |
| VFWD region | Northeast |
| Open to (VFWD) | regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing |
| Game named on VFWD's sheet | white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, ruffed grouse, snowshoe hare and waterfowl |
| Legal buck, 2026 | At least one antler 3 inches or longer |
| Deer taken in WMU E1, 2025 | 196 (158 bucks) |
| Nearest villages | Derby Line (8 mi), Island Pond (8 mi) and Derby Center (9 mi) |
What is Bill Sladyk WMA like?
VFWD describes where it is: "The WMA is located 8 miles north of Island Pond on VT Route 114 and ranges from Norton Pond, northwest to the Canadian Border just north of Holland Pond." Of the land: "Elevations on the WMA range from 1400 feet along Hurricane Brook to 2000 feet on an un-named summit east of Beechnut Ridge." On its past: "In 1983 the WMA name was changed from the Hurricane Brook WMA to the Bill Sladyk WMA in memory of State Wildlife Forester William F." On its animals: "Black bears are present throughout the year." The sheet names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, ruffed grouse, snowshoe hare and waterfowl among its wildlife.
Quoted from VFWD's Bill Sladyk WMA sheet. VFWD notes its WMA maps are a general guide, not survey boundaries.
When can you hunt Bill Sladyk WMA in 2026?
Seasons follow WMU E1: 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 only, October 1 to November 13.
| WMU | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 | Legal buck |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU E1 | 9,038 | 196 | 158 | 14 | 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 Bill Sladyk WMA?
Highways within five miles: VT 114 and VT 111. Nearest villages: Derby Line (8 miles), Island Pond (8 miles), Derby Center (9 miles) and Newport (13 miles). Other WMAs nearby: Averill Mountain (9 miles), Eagle Point (14 miles), South Bay (15 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Bill Sladyk WMA?
Yes. VFWD's sheet says Bill Sladyk WMA is open to regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Seasons and the legal buck rule follow WMU E1: 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 Bill Sladyk WMA in?
WMU E1. Hunters took 196 deer in WMU E1 in 2025, 158 of them bucks, and 14 bears (VFWD).
Where is Bill Sladyk WMA?
VFWD: "The WMA is located 8 miles north of Island Pond on VT Route 114 and ranges from Norton Pond, northwest to the Canadian Border just north of Holland Pond." The nearest villages are Derby Line (8 miles), Island Pond (8 miles) and Derby Center (9 miles).
What game lives on Bill Sladyk WMA?
VFWD's sheet for the area names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, ruffed grouse, 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.