South Bay Wildlife Management Area: hunting, map and deer in WMU D1
South Bay Wildlife Management Area is 2,554 acres of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department land in Orleans County, inside WMU D1. 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 1,742 deer in WMU D1 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary: ANR. Description: VFWD's South Bay WMA sheet, last edited 9/30/22. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons.
Fish and Wildlife landSouth Bay WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 2,554 acres (ANR) |
|---|---|
| County | Orleans |
| Wildlife Management Unit | WMU D1 |
| 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 D1, 2025 | 1,742 (979 bucks) |
| Nearest villages | Newport (next to it), Coventry (next to it) and Orleans (2 mi) |
What is South Bay WMA like?
VFWD describes where it is: "It is located primarily in two separate blocks totaling 2,063 acres." Of the land: "A diverse mosaic of wetlands dominates the WMA." On its past: "The wetlands of South Bay were originally forested with conifers such as northern white cedar, larch and white spruce." On its animals: "The wetlands of South Bay WMA are important habitat for several aquatic mammals, including muskrat, mink, river otter, raccoon and beaver." The sheet names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, ruffed grouse and waterfowl among its wildlife.
Quoted from VFWD's South Bay WMA sheet. VFWD notes its WMA maps are a general guide, not survey boundaries.
When can you hunt South Bay WMA in 2026?
Seasons follow WMU D1: 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 D1 | 2,554 | 1,742 | 979 | 120 | 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 South Bay WMA?
Highways within five miles: I-91, US 5, VT 105, VT 58, VT 14 and VT 100. Nearest villages: Newport (next to it), Coventry (next to it), Orleans (2 miles) and Newport Center (4 miles). Other WMAs nearby: Willoughby Falls (4 miles), Eagle Point (8 miles), Bill Sladyk (15 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on South Bay WMA?
Yes. VFWD's sheet says South Bay WMA is open to regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Seasons and the legal buck rule follow WMU D1: 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 South Bay WMA in?
WMU D1. Hunters took 1,742 deer in WMU D1 in 2025, 979 of them bucks, and 120 bears (VFWD).
Where is South Bay WMA?
VFWD: "It is located primarily in two separate blocks totaling 2,063 acres." The nearest villages are Newport (next to it), Coventry (next to it) and Orleans (2 miles).
What game lives on South Bay 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.