West Mountain Wildlife Management Area: hunting, map and deer in WMU E2
West Mountain Wildlife Management Area is 22,736 acres of Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department land in Essex County, inside WMU E2. 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 3 inches or longer, and hunters took 197 deer in WMU E2 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary: ANR. Description: VFWD's West Mountain WMA sheet, last edited 9/30/22. Seasons: VFWD 2026 Vermont White-tailed Deer Seasons.
Fish and Wildlife landState forestState parkNational wildlife refugeWest Mountain WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 22,736 acres (ANR) |
|---|---|
| County | Essex |
| Wildlife Management Unit | WMU E2 |
| 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, snowshoe hare and waterfowl |
| Legal buck, 2026 | At least one antler 3 inches or longer |
| Deer taken in WMU E2, 2025 | 197 (156 bucks) |
| Nearest villages | Island Pond (6 mi), East Burke (12 mi) and Lunenburg (12 mi) |
What is West Mountain WMA like?
Of the land: "Elevations on the WMA range from 2,733 feet on West Mountain to 1,100 feet along the lower stretches of Paul Stream." On its past: "Long ago, the St. Francis Indians traveled from Canada to the upper Connecticut River to grow corn on the river's intervales and to hunt moose, deer, beaver and bear in the surrounding uplands." On its animals: "Black bears are present throughout the year." The sheet names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, snowshoe hare and waterfowl among its wildlife.
Quoted from VFWD's West Mountain WMA sheet. VFWD notes its WMA maps are a general guide, not survey boundaries.
When can you hunt West Mountain WMA in 2026?
Seasons follow WMU E2: 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 3 inches or longer. Fall turkey: bow and arrow only, October 1 to November 13.
| WMU | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Bucks, 2025 | Bears, 2025 | Legal buck |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU E2 | 22,735 | 197 | 156 | 44 | one antler of 3 inches |
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 Mountain WMA?
Highways within five miles: VT 102 and VT 105. Nearest villages: Island Pond (6 miles), East Burke (12 miles), Lunenburg (12 miles) and West Burke (12 miles). Other WMAs nearby: Wenlock (6 miles), Victory Basin (12 miles), Bald Hill (14 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on West Mountain WMA?
Yes. VFWD's sheet says West Mountain WMA is open to regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Seasons and the legal buck rule follow WMU E2: a buck needs at least one antler 3 inches or longer, and the 2026 regular deer season runs November 14 to 29.
What WMU is West Mountain WMA in?
WMU E2. Hunters took 197 deer in WMU E2 in 2025, 156 of them bucks, and 44 bears (VFWD).
Where is West Mountain WMA?
In Essex County, inside WMU E2. The nearest villages are Island Pond (6 miles), East Burke (12 miles) and Lunenburg (12 miles).
What game lives on West Mountain WMA?
VFWD's sheet for the area names white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, 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.