Buck Lake Wildlife Management Area: hunting, map and deer in WMU H
Buck Lake Wildlife Management Area is 616 acres of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department land in Washington County, inside WMU H. 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 with two or more points 1 inch or longer, and hunters took 892 deer in WMU H in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary: ANR. Description: VFWD's Buck Lake WMA sheet, last edited 9/30/22. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons.
Fish and Wildlife landBuck Lake WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 616 acres (ANR) |
|---|---|
| County | Washington |
| Wildlife Management Unit | WMU H |
| VFWD region | Central |
| 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 and snowshoe hare |
| Legal buck, 2026 | At least one antler with two or more points 1 inch or longer |
| Deer taken in WMU H, 2025 | 892 (468 bucks) |
| Nearest villages | Hardwick (2 mi), Cabot (5 mi) and Wolcott (6 mi) |
What is Buck Lake WMA like?
VFWD describes where it is: "Buck Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located in the central Vermont town of Woodbury." Of the land: "Buck Lake WMA sits on the divide between the Winooski River and Lamoille River watersheds." On its past: "There are remnants of granite quarry operations south and west of Buck Lake." On its animals: "Game animals include white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, snowshoe hare, beaver, otter, mink, raccoon and coyote." The sheet names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, woodcock and snowshoe hare among its wildlife.
Quoted from VFWD's Buck Lake WMA sheet. VFWD notes its WMA maps are a general guide, not survey boundaries.
When can you hunt Buck Lake WMA in 2026?
Seasons follow WMU H: 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 with two or more points 1 inch 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 H | 616 | 892 | 468 | 59 | two points on one antler |
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 Buck Lake WMA?
Highways within five miles: VT 14, VT 15 and VT 16. Nearest villages: Hardwick (2 miles), Cabot (5 miles), Wolcott (6 miles) and Marshfield (7 miles). Other WMAs nearby: East Hill (7 miles), Worcester Woods (9 miles), Steam Mill Brook (11 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Buck Lake WMA?
Yes. VFWD's sheet says Buck Lake WMA is open to regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Seasons and the legal buck rule follow WMU H: a buck needs at least one antler with two or more points 1 inch or longer, and the 2026 regular deer season runs November 14 to 29.
What WMU is Buck Lake WMA in?
WMU H. Hunters took 892 deer in WMU H in 2025, 468 of them bucks, and 59 bears (VFWD).
Where is Buck Lake WMA?
VFWD: "Buck Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located in the central Vermont town of Woodbury." The nearest villages are Hardwick (2 miles), Cabot (5 miles) and Wolcott (6 miles).
What game lives on Buck Lake WMA?
VFWD's sheet for the area names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, woodcock and snowshoe hare. 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.