Pine Mountain Wildlife Management Area: hunting, map and deer in WMU J2
Pine Mountain Wildlife Management Area is 2,418 acres of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department land in Orange and Caledonia counties, inside WMU J2. 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 1,462 deer in WMU J2 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary: ANR. Description: VFWD's Pine Mountain WMA sheet, last edited 9/30/22. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons.
Fish and Wildlife landState forestPine Mountain WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 2,418 acres (ANR) |
|---|---|
| County | Orange, Caledonia |
| Wildlife Management Unit | WMU J2 |
| VFWD region | Central |
| 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, ruffed grouse, snowshoe hare and waterfowl |
| 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 | Groton (next to it), Wells River (5 mi) and Newbury (8 mi) |
What is Pine Mountain WMA like?
VFWD describes where it is: "Pine Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located at the intersection of the east central Vermont towns of Groton, Ryegate, Newbury and Topsham." Of the land: "The WMA lies within the Wells River watershed." "Elevations range from approximately 1,500 feet to 720 feet." On its past: "Pine Mountain WMA was named after Pine Mountain, which is situated in the middle of the property." On its animals: "Game animals include white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, coyote, snowshoe hare, fisher and bobcat." The sheet names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, snowshoe hare and waterfowl among its wildlife. On parking: "Developed parking lots are located on the entry road off Galusha Hill Road (a.k.a."
Quoted from VFWD's Pine Mountain WMA sheet. VFWD notes its WMA maps are a general guide, not survey boundaries.
When can you hunt Pine Mountain 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 | 2,418 | 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 Pine Mountain WMA?
Highways within five miles: US 302, I-91, VT 232 and US 5. Nearest villages: Groton (next to it), Wells River (5 miles), Newbury (8 miles) and Peacham (9 miles). Other WMAs nearby: Levi Pond (6 miles), Roy Mountain (7 miles), Keiser Pond (14 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Pine Mountain WMA?
Yes. VFWD's sheet says Pine Mountain WMA is open to regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, 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 Pine Mountain WMA in?
WMU J2. Hunters took 1,462 deer in WMU J2 in 2025, 742 of them bucks, and 135 bears (VFWD).
Where is Pine Mountain WMA?
VFWD: "Pine Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located at the intersection of the east central Vermont towns of Groton, Ryegate, Newbury and Topsham." The nearest villages are Groton (next to it), Wells River (5 miles) and Newbury (8 miles).
What game lives on Pine Mountain WMA?
VFWD's sheet for the area names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, 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.