Riley Bostwick Wildlife Management Area: hunting, map and deer in WMU J1
Riley Bostwick Wildlife Management Area is 386 acres of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department land in Windsor County, inside WMU 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 with two or more points 1 inch or longer, and hunters took 1,035 deer in WMU J1 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary: ANR. Description: VFWD's Riley Bostwick WMA sheet, last edited 9/30/22. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons.
Fish and Wildlife landNational forestState forestRiley Bostwick WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 386 acres (ANR) |
|---|---|
| County | Windsor |
| Wildlife Management Unit | WMU J1 |
| 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, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, woodcock and snowshoe hare |
| Legal buck, 2026 | At least one antler with two or more points 1 inch or longer |
| Deer taken in WMU J1, 2025 | 1,035 (521 bucks) |
| Nearest villages | Rochester (next to it), Randolph (6 mi) and Bethel (7 mi) |
What is Riley Bostwick WMA like?
VFWD describes where it is: "It is located 1.5 miles east of the town of Rochester in Windsor County." Of the land: "The terrain of Riley Bostwick WMA is typical of the eastern foothills of the Green Mountains, ranging from relatively flat fields to extremely steep, rough, stony land." On its past: "The WMA has an interesting and colorful history." On its animals: "In the spring and early summer, deer can often be seen grazing in the agricultural fields of the parcel." The sheet names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, woodcock and snowshoe hare among its wildlife.
Quoted from VFWD's Riley Bostwick WMA sheet. VFWD notes its WMA maps are a general guide, not survey boundaries.
When can you hunt Riley Bostwick WMA in 2026?
Seasons follow WMU J1: 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 J1 | 386 | 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 Riley Bostwick WMA?
Highways within five miles: VT 100, VT 73, VT 12A and VT 125. Nearest villages: Rochester (next to it), Randolph (6 miles), Bethel (7 miles) and South Royalton (13 miles). Other WMAs nearby: Rochester (3 miles), Les Newell (8 miles), Pomainville (16 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Riley Bostwick WMA?
Yes. VFWD's sheet says Riley Bostwick WMA is open to regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Seasons and the legal buck rule follow WMU J1: 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 Riley Bostwick WMA in?
WMU J1. Hunters took 1,035 deer in WMU J1 in 2025, 521 of them bucks, and 57 bears (VFWD).
Where is Riley Bostwick WMA?
VFWD: "It is located 1.5 miles east of the town of Rochester in Windsor County." The nearest villages are Rochester (next to it), Randolph (6 miles) and Bethel (7 miles).
What game lives on Riley Bostwick WMA?
VFWD's sheet for the area names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, woodcock and snowshoe hare. 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.