Maquam Bay Wildlife Management Area: hunting, map and deer in WMU B
Maquam Bay Wildlife Management Area is 935 acres of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department land in Franklin County, inside WMU B. 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 3,079 deer in WMU B in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary: ANR. Description: VFWD's Maquam Bay WMA sheet, last edited 9/30/22. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons.
Fish and Wildlife landNational wildlife refugeMaquam Bay WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 935 acres (ANR) |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin |
| Wildlife Management Unit | WMU B |
| VFWD region | Northwest |
| Open to (VFWD) | regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing |
| Game named on VFWD's sheet | white-tailed deer, 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 B, 2025 | 3,079 (1,306 bucks) |
| Nearest villages | Swanton (next to it), Highgate Springs (4 mi) and Highgate Center (5 mi) |
What is Maquam Bay WMA like?
VFWD describes where it is: "Maquam Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located in the town of Swanton in northwestern Vermont." Of the land: "Maquam Bay WMA is located in the Champlain Valley and has both upland and wetland environments." On its past: "The word "maquam" means beaver in the Algonquian language." On its animals: "Wetland mammals may be found in the WMA, including beaver, muskrat, mink, river otter, water shrew and star-nosed mole." The sheet names white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, woodcock and waterfowl among its wildlife.
Quoted from VFWD's Maquam Bay WMA sheet. VFWD notes its WMA maps are a general guide, not survey boundaries.
When can you hunt Maquam Bay WMA in 2026?
Seasons follow WMU B: 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 B | 936 | 3,079 | 1,306 | 29 | 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 Maquam Bay WMA?
Highways within five miles: I-89, VT 78, US 7, VT 36, US 2 and VT 207. Nearest villages: Swanton (next to it), Highgate Springs (4 miles), Highgate Center (5 miles) and Alburgh (5 miles). Other WMAs nearby: Carmans Marsh (5 miles), Black Creek (6 miles), Rock River (7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Maquam Bay WMA?
Yes. VFWD's sheet says Maquam Bay WMA is open to regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Seasons and the legal buck rule follow WMU B: 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 Maquam Bay WMA in?
WMU B. Hunters took 3,079 deer in WMU B in 2025, 1,306 of them bucks, and 29 bears (VFWD).
Where is Maquam Bay WMA?
VFWD: "Maquam Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located in the town of Swanton in northwestern Vermont." The nearest villages are Swanton (next to it), Highgate Springs (4 miles) and Highgate Center (5 miles).
What game lives on Maquam Bay WMA?
VFWD's sheet for the area names white-tailed deer, 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.