Kibling Hill Wildlife Management Area: hunting, map and deer in WMU J2
Kibling Hill Wildlife Management Area is 908 acres of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department land in Orange County, inside WMU J2. VFWD's sheet says it is open to regulated hunting, trapping, 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 1,462 deer in WMU J2 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary: ANR. Description: VFWD's Kibling Hill WMA sheet, last edited 9/30/22. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons.
Fish and Wildlife landKibling Hill WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 908 acres (ANR) |
|---|---|
| County | Orange |
| Wildlife Management Unit | WMU J2 |
| VFWD region | Central |
| Open to (VFWD) | regulated hunting, trapping, hiking and wildlife viewing |
| Game named on VFWD's sheet | white-tailed deer, black bear, 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 J2, 2025 | 1,462 (742 bucks) |
| Nearest villages | Chelsea (6 mi), South Royalton (7 mi) and Bethel (11 mi) |
What is Kibling Hill WMA like?
VFWD describes where it is: "Kibling Hill Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located in the east central Vermont town of Strafford." Of the land: "The WMA is forested with red and sugar maple, yellow birch, beech, and a scattering of red oak." On its past: "The WMA was named after the Kibling family, which was a prominent family in earlier days of Strafford." On its animals: "Game animals include white-tailed deer, black bear, and grey squirrel." The sheet names white-tailed deer, black bear, wild turkey and ruffed grouse among its wildlife.
Quoted from VFWD's Kibling Hill WMA sheet. VFWD notes its WMA maps are a general guide, not survey boundaries.
When can you hunt Kibling Hill WMA in 2026?
Seasons follow WMU J2: 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 J2 | 909 | 1,462 | 742 | 135 | 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 Kibling Hill WMA?
Highways within five miles: VT 110, VT 113 and VT 132. Nearest villages: Chelsea (6 miles), South Royalton (7 miles), Bethel (11 miles) and Fairlee (11 miles). Other WMAs nearby: Clover Hill (3 miles), Podunk (4 miles), West Fairlee (7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Kibling Hill WMA?
Yes. VFWD's sheet says Kibling Hill WMA is open to regulated hunting, trapping, hiking and wildlife viewing. Seasons and the legal buck rule follow WMU J2: 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 Kibling Hill WMA in?
WMU J2. Hunters took 1,462 deer in WMU J2 in 2025, 742 of them bucks, and 135 bears (VFWD).
Where is Kibling Hill WMA?
VFWD: "Kibling Hill Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located in the east central Vermont town of Strafford." The nearest villages are Chelsea (6 miles), South Royalton (7 miles) and Bethel (11 miles).
What game lives on Kibling Hill WMA?
VFWD's sheet for the area names white-tailed deer, black bear, 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.