Hawks Mountain Wildlife Management Area: hunting, map and deer in WMU O
Hawks Mountain Wildlife Management Area is 2,282 acres of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department land in Windsor County, inside WMU O. 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 956 deer in WMU O in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary: ANR. Description: VFWD's Hawks Mountain WMA sheet, last edited 9/30/22. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons.
Fish and Wildlife landState forestHawks Mountain WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 2,282 acres (ANR) |
|---|---|
| County | Windsor |
| Wildlife Management Unit | WMU O |
| 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 and ruffed grouse |
| Legal buck, 2026 | At least one antler with two or more points 1 inch or longer |
| Deer taken in WMU O, 2025 | 956 (524 bucks) |
| Nearest villages | Cavendish (next to it), Proctorsville (2 mi) and North Springfield (3 mi) |
What is Hawks Mountain WMA like?
VFWD describes where it is: "Hawks Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located in the Southern Green Mountains biophysical region." Of the land: "The terrain on the WMA is very steep and rugged, ranging in elevation from approximately 700 feet along the Black River to 1,940 feet on the slopes of Hawks Mountain." On its past: "Hawks Mountain, to the south and east of the WMA, is named for Colonel John Hawks, a "Hero of Fort Massachusetts," and one of the builders of the historic Crown Point Road." On its animals: "Game animals include black bear, moose, white-tailed deer, bobcat and fisher." The sheet names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, wild turkey and ruffed grouse among its wildlife. On parking: "From the south, the property can be accessed from the Cavendish Gulf Road by parking on the shoulder of the road and walking up and over a steep, rocky ridge."
Quoted from VFWD's Hawks Mountain WMA sheet. VFWD notes its WMA maps are a general guide, not survey boundaries.
When can you hunt Hawks Mountain WMA in 2026?
Seasons follow WMU O: 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 O | 2,282 | 956 | 524 | 49 | 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 Hawks Mountain WMA?
Highways within five miles: VT 131, VT 106, VT 103, VT 10 and VT 44. Nearest villages: Cavendish (next to it), Proctorsville (2 miles), North Springfield (3 miles) and Ludlow (5 miles). Other WMAs nearby: Knapp Brook (5 miles), Little Ascutney (5 miles), Weathersfield (8 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Hawks Mountain WMA?
Yes. VFWD's sheet says Hawks Mountain WMA is open to regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Seasons and the legal buck rule follow WMU O: 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 Hawks Mountain WMA in?
WMU O. Hunters took 956 deer in WMU O in 2025, 524 of them bucks, and 49 bears (VFWD).
Where is Hawks Mountain WMA?
VFWD: "Hawks Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located in the Southern Green Mountains biophysical region." The nearest villages are Cavendish (next to it), Proctorsville (2 miles) and North Springfield (3 miles).
What game lives on Hawks Mountain WMA?
VFWD's sheet for the area names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, wild turkey and ruffed grouse. 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.