West Fairlee Wildlife Management Area: hunting, map and deer in WMU J2
West Fairlee Wildlife Management Area is 92 acres of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department land in Orange County, inside WMU J2. VFWD's sheet says it is open to regulated hunting, trapping, 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 West Fairlee WMA sheet, last edited 9/30/22. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons.
Fish and Wildlife landState forestWest Fairlee WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 92 acres (ANR) |
|---|---|
| County | Orange |
| Wildlife Management Unit | WMU J2 |
| VFWD region | Central |
| Open to (VFWD) | regulated hunting, trapping, hiking and wildlife viewing |
| Game named on VFWD's sheet | white-tailed deer, moose, wild turkey, ruffed grouse and snowshoe hare |
| 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 | Fairlee (5 mi), Bradford (9 mi) and Chelsea (10 mi) |
What is West Fairlee WMA like?
VFWD describes where it is: "West Fairlee Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located in the east central Vermont town of West Fairlee, just west of the village of West Fairlee." Of the land: "The WMA lies within the Ompompanoosuc River watershed." On its past: "Locally known Beanville was named after Alvah Bean, who came to the town in the mid 1800's." On its animals: "Game animals include white-tailed deer, moose and snowshoe hare." The sheet names white-tailed deer, moose, wild turkey, ruffed grouse and snowshoe hare among its wildlife. On parking: "A parking lot is available where the east corner of the WMA touches Back Street."
Quoted from VFWD's West Fairlee WMA sheet. VFWD notes its WMA maps are a general guide, not survey boundaries.
When can you hunt West Fairlee 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 | 92 | 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 West Fairlee WMA?
Highways within five miles: VT 113, I-91, VT 244 and US 5. Nearest villages: Fairlee (5 miles), Bradford (9 miles), Chelsea (10 miles) and Norwich (13 miles). Other WMAs nearby: Podunk (3 miles), Fairlee Marsh (5 miles), Kibling Hill (7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on West Fairlee WMA?
Yes. VFWD's sheet says West Fairlee WMA is open to regulated hunting, trapping, 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 West Fairlee WMA in?
WMU J2. Hunters took 1,462 deer in WMU J2 in 2025, 742 of them bucks, and 135 bears (VFWD).
Where is West Fairlee WMA?
VFWD: "West Fairlee Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located in the east central Vermont town of West Fairlee, just west of the village of West Fairlee." The nearest villages are Fairlee (5 miles), Bradford (9 miles) and Chelsea (10 miles).
What game lives on West Fairlee WMA?
VFWD's sheet for the area names white-tailed deer, moose, wild turkey, ruffed grouse 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.