Gale Meadows Wildlife Management Area: hunting, map and deer in WMU L
Gale Meadows Wildlife Management Area is 868 acres of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department land in Bennington County, inside WMU L. 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 332 deer in WMU L in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary: ANR. Description: VFWD's Gale Meadows WMA sheet, last edited 9/30/22. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons.
Fish and Wildlife landNational forestState parkArmy Corps of EngineersGale Meadows WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 868 acres (ANR) |
|---|---|
| County | Bennington, Windham |
| Wildlife Management Unit | WMU L |
| 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, snowshoe hare and waterfowl |
| Legal buck, 2026 | At least one antler 3 inches or longer |
| Deer taken in WMU L, 2025 | 332 (254 bucks) |
| Nearest villages | South Londonderry (3 mi), Stratton Mountain (3 mi) and Londonderry (5 mi) |
What is Gale Meadows WMA like?
VFWD describes where it is: "Gale Meadows Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is an approximately 868-acre parcel located in the towns of Londonderry and Winhall." Of the land: "Though located in the Southern Green Mountains region of Vermont, the terrain on Gale Meadows WMA is gently rolling." On its past: "Several miles of stonewalls and the 200-year-old farmhouse and barn are evidence that the lands of Gale Meadows WMA were used for agricultural purposes for several generations." On its animals: "Upland game mammals inhabiting the forestland include black bear, white-tailed deer, moose, coyote, snowshoe hare and fisher." The sheet names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, snowshoe hare and waterfowl among its wildlife.
Quoted from VFWD's Gale Meadows WMA sheet. VFWD notes its WMA maps are a general guide, not survey boundaries.
When can you hunt Gale Meadows WMA in 2026?
Seasons follow WMU L: 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 L | 868 | 332 | 254 | 55 | 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 Gale Meadows WMA?
Highways within five miles: VT 30, VT 11 and VT 100. Nearest villages: South Londonderry (3 miles), Stratton Mountain (3 miles), Londonderry (5 miles) and Jamaica (6 miles). Other WMAs nearby: Turner Hill (13 miles), Kesick Swamp (14 miles), Star Lake (18 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Gale Meadows WMA?
Yes. VFWD's sheet says Gale Meadows WMA is open to regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Seasons and the legal buck rule follow WMU L: 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 Gale Meadows WMA in?
WMU L. Hunters took 332 deer in WMU L in 2025, 254 of them bucks, and 55 bears (VFWD).
Where is Gale Meadows WMA?
VFWD: "Gale Meadows Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is an approximately 868-acre parcel located in the towns of Londonderry and Winhall." The nearest villages are South Londonderry (3 miles), Stratton Mountain (3 miles) and Londonderry (5 miles).
What game lives on Gale Meadows WMA?
VFWD's sheet for the area names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, wild turkey, 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.