Roy Mountain Wildlife Management Area: hunting, map and deer in WMU J2
Roy Mountain Wildlife Management Area is 1,595 acres of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department land in Caledonia County, 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 Roy Mountain WMA sheet, last edited 9/30/22. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons.
Fish and Wildlife landRoy Mountain WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 1,595 acres (ANR) |
|---|---|
| County | Caledonia |
| Wildlife Management Unit | WMU J2 |
| VFWD region | Northeast |
| 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 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 | Barnet (3 mi), Peacham (3 mi) and Groton (5 mi) |
What is Roy Mountain WMA like?
VFWD describes where it is: "The WMA is located within the towns of Barnet and Ryegate, and ranges from the top of Roy Mountain, west to Jewett Pond, and south to the shores of McLam Pond and Symes Ponds." Of the land: "Elevations on the WMA range from 900 feet to 2,091 feet atop Roy Mountain." On its past: "The lands on and around Roy Mountain were in the Roy family since the late 1800's." On its animals: "Roy Mountain WMA is an important deer wintering area." The sheet names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, ruffed grouse and waterfowl among its wildlife. On parking: "Use the parking area on Roy Mountain Road for foot access."
Quoted from VFWD's Roy Mountain WMA sheet. VFWD notes its WMA maps are a general guide, not survey boundaries.
When can you hunt Roy 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 | 1,595 | 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 Roy Mountain WMA?
Highways within five miles: I-91, US 5 and US 302. Nearest villages: Barnet (3 miles), Peacham (3 miles), Groton (5 miles) and Wells River (6 miles). Other WMAs nearby: Levi Pond (5 miles), Pine Mountain (7 miles), Keiser Pond (9 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Roy Mountain WMA?
Yes. VFWD's sheet says Roy 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 Roy 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 Roy Mountain WMA?
VFWD: "The WMA is located within the towns of Barnet and Ryegate, and ranges from the top of Roy Mountain, west to Jewett Pond, and south to the shores of McLam Pond and Symes Ponds." The nearest villages are Barnet (3 miles), Peacham (3 miles) and Groton (5 miles).
What game lives on Roy Mountain WMA?
VFWD's sheet for the area names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, ruffed grouse 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.