Kesick Swamp Wildlife Management Area: hunting, map and deer in WMU N
Kesick Swamp Wildlife Management Area is 127 acres of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department land in Bennington County, inside WMU N. 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 690 deer in WMU N in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary: ANR. Description: VFWD's Kesick Swamp WMA sheet, last edited 9/30/22. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons.
Fish and Wildlife landNational forestKesick Swamp WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 127 acres (ANR) |
|---|---|
| County | Bennington |
| Wildlife Management Unit | WMU N |
| VFWD region | Southwest |
| 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, woodcock and waterfowl |
| Legal buck, 2026 | At least one antler with two or more points 1 inch or longer |
| Deer taken in WMU N, 2025 | 690 (463 bucks) |
| Nearest villages | Arlington (next to it), Manchester (6 mi) and Manchester Center (8 mi) |
What is Kesick Swamp WMA like?
VFWD describes where it is: "The WMA is located in the town of Sunderland just off Route 7 between Exits 3 and 4." Of the land: "Kesick Swamp WMA is an historic beaver pond meadow." On its past: "During colonial times, Kesick Swamp was designated the King's Parade Ground by the town of Sunderland." On its animals: "Beavers are an active and integral part of Kesick Swamp WMA." The sheet names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, ruffed grouse, woodcock and waterfowl among its wildlife.
Quoted from VFWD's Kesick Swamp WMA sheet. VFWD notes its WMA maps are a general guide, not survey boundaries.
When can you hunt Kesick Swamp WMA in 2026?
Seasons follow WMU N: 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 8.
| WMU | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 | Legal buck |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU N | 127 | 690 | 463 | 48 | 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 Kesick Swamp WMA?
Highways within five miles: US 7 and VT 313. Nearest villages: Arlington (next to it), Manchester (6 miles), Manchester Center (8 miles) and South Shaftsbury (10 miles). Other WMAs nearby: Gale Meadows (14 miles), Whipstock Hill (15 miles), South Stream (19 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Kesick Swamp WMA?
Yes. VFWD's sheet says Kesick Swamp WMA is open to regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Seasons and the legal buck rule follow WMU N: 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 Kesick Swamp WMA in?
WMU N. Hunters took 690 deer in WMU N in 2025, 463 of them bucks, and 48 bears (VFWD).
Where is Kesick Swamp WMA?
VFWD: "The WMA is located in the town of Sunderland just off Route 7 between Exits 3 and 4." The nearest villages are Arlington (next to it), Manchester (6 miles) and Manchester Center (8 miles).
What game lives on Kesick Swamp WMA?
VFWD's sheet for the area names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, ruffed grouse, woodcock 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.