Les Newell Wildlife Management Area: hunting, map and deer in WMU M
Les Newell Wildlife Management Area is 8,470 acres of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department land in Windsor County, inside WMU M and J1. 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 347 deer in WMU M in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary: ANR. Description: VFWD's Les Newell WMA sheet, last edited 9/30/22. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons.
Fish and Wildlife landNational forestState forestState parkNational wildlife refugeNational Park ServiceLes Newell WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 8,470 acres (ANR) |
|---|---|
| County | Windsor, Rutland |
| Wildlife Management Unit | WMU M, WMU J1 |
| 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 3 inches or longer |
| Deer taken in WMU M, 2025 | 347 (292 bucks) |
| Nearest villages | Killington Village (3 mi), Bethel (3 mi) and Rochester (6 mi) |
What is Les Newell WMA like?
Of the land: "Les Newell WMA is located in the Southern Green Mountains biophysical region of Vermont." "Elevations reach heights of 2,625 feet on Sable Mountain in central Stockbridge, and just over 2,500 feet between Burbee Peak and Quimby Mountain on the Stockbridge-Killington border." On its past: "In 1851 the region around the WMA was subjected to the "Bridgewater Gold Rush;" but historical records suggest that no one got rich." On its animals: "Moose and white-tailed deer are present in good numbers on the WMA." The sheet names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, wild turkey and ruffed grouse among its wildlife.
Quoted from VFWD's Les Newell WMA sheet. VFWD notes its WMA maps are a general guide, not survey boundaries.
When can you hunt Les Newell WMA in 2026?
Seasons follow WMU M: 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 M | 7,886 | 347 | 292 | 48 | one antler of 3 inches |
| WMU J1 | 585 | 1,035 | 521 | 57 | 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 Les Newell WMA?
Highways within five miles: VT 100, VT 12, VT 107, US 4 and I-89. Nearest villages: Killington Village (3 miles), Bethel (3 miles), Rochester (6 miles) and South Royalton (7 miles). Other WMAs nearby: Riley Bostwick (8 miles), Ottauquechee (11 miles), Rochester (12 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Les Newell WMA?
Yes. VFWD's sheet says Les Newell WMA is open to regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Seasons and the legal buck rule follow WMU M: 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 Les Newell WMA in?
WMU M (7,886 acres) and WMU J1 (585 acres). Hunters took 347 deer in WMU M in 2025, 292 of them bucks, and 48 bears (VFWD).
Where is Les Newell WMA?
In Windsor County, inside WMU M. The nearest villages are Killington Village (3 miles), Bethel (3 miles) and Rochester (6 miles).
What game lives on Les Newell 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.