Otter Creek Wildlife Management Area: hunting, map and deer in WMU L
Otter Creek Wildlife Management Area is 1,576 acres of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department land in Rutland County, inside WMU L. 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 332 deer in WMU L in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary: ANR. Description: VFWD's Otter Creek WMA sheet, last edited 9/30/22. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons.
Fish and Wildlife landNational forestOtter Creek WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 1,576 acres (ANR) |
|---|---|
| County | Rutland |
| Wildlife Management Unit | WMU L |
| 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, snowshoe hare and waterfowl |
| Legal buck, 2026 | At least one antler 3 inches or longer |
| Deer taken in WMU L, 2025 | 332 (254 bucks) |
| Nearest villages | Danby (next to it), Wallingford (2 mi) and East Dorset (5 mi) |
What is Otter Creek WMA like?
VFWD describes where it is: "It is located along the Mount Tabor- Danby town line in Rutland County." Of the land: "The terrain of Otter Creek WMA is typical of the western foothills of the Green Mountains, ranging from relatively flat valley floor to extremely steep, rough, stony slopes." On its past: "Otter Creek WMA was formerly farm and pastureland." On its animals: "The WMA's 480 acres of deer wintering habitat is important for maintaining a healthy deer population." The sheet names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, ruffed grouse, woodcock, snowshoe hare and waterfowl among its wildlife. On parking: "There is an improved parking lot and a couple of pullouts along Route 7 which provide access to the WMA."
Quoted from VFWD's Otter Creek WMA sheet. VFWD notes its WMA maps are a general guide, not survey boundaries.
When can you hunt Otter Creek WMA in 2026?
Seasons follow WMU L: 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 L | 1,576 | 332 | 254 | 55 | one antler of 3 inches |
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 Otter Creek WMA?
Highways within five miles: US 7 and VT 140. Nearest villages: Danby (next to it), Wallingford (2 miles), East Dorset (5 miles) and Dorset (7 miles). Other WMAs nearby: Tinmouth Channel (4 miles), Clarendon Gorge (6 miles), Town Farm (8 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Otter Creek WMA?
Yes. VFWD's sheet says Otter Creek WMA is open to regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Seasons and the legal buck rule follow WMU L: 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 Otter Creek WMA in?
WMU L. Hunters took 332 deer in WMU L in 2025, 254 of them bucks, and 55 bears (VFWD).
Where is Otter Creek WMA?
VFWD: "It is located along the Mount Tabor- Danby town line in Rutland County." The nearest villages are Danby (next to it), Wallingford (2 miles) and East Dorset (5 miles).
What game lives on Otter Creek WMA?
VFWD's sheet for the area names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, ruffed grouse, woodcock, snowshoe hare 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.