State guide

Public land that may allow hunting in Massachusetts

337 named public land units in Massachusetts from PAD-US 4.1: 199 state wildlife & game areas, 87 forests & grasslands, 9 wildlife refuges & WPAs, 1 lake & reservoir project lands, 41 other public land units. The largest are Camp Edwards Wildlife Management Area, Myles Standish State Forest, Pittsfield State Forest.

  • 337listed areas
  • 378Kacres (approx.)
  • 199state wildlife & game areas
2026 deer season opening dates by state. For Massachusetts, check the agency link below.

Regulations & licenses: Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife)

This site does not list seasons, bag limits, license or permit rules. Those change every year and differ by area. Check them with the state agency before you go, and confirm the specific area is open to the hunting you plan.

Check regulations with Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife)

Where the listed areas are

State wildlife & game areas (199)Forests & grasslands (87)Wildlife refuges & WPAs (9)Lake & reservoir project land (1)Other public land (41)

One dot per area at its reference point; larger dots are larger areas. Outline: U.S. Census Bureau.

Acres by land type

Forests & grasslands185K acState wildlife areas164K acRefuges & WPAs23K acOther6,284 acLake & reservoir75 ac

Approximate acres for the portion of each unit inside Massachusetts.

All 337 areas, largest first

Acreage is calculated from simplified PAD-US boundaries for the portion inside Massachusetts. “Access” is the PAD-US public access field, not a statement about hunting. National wildlife refuges are generally coded “restricted” in PAD-US because of seasonal or area closures.

Browse by county