Zone 4N, Massachusetts
Unit info
- Game species
- Deer, Turkey, Bear
- Group
- Zone 4
- Area
- 435 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 581
Draw odds for White-tailed Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Season & harvest data is published for White-tailed Deer so far. Deer, Turkey, Bear also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedMassachusetts Wildlife Management Zone 4N covers the Connecticut River valley corridor in Hampshire and southern Franklin counties, stretching north to the Vermont border and bounded east by the Connecticut River near Northampton and Hadley. Hunters find a productive mix of fertile agricultural bottomlands, forested ridgelines, and significant public WMA acreage that supports solid deer and turkey populations alongside one of the state's most active black bear ranges.
Connecticut River valley bottomlands with rich agricultural fields and wetlands transitioning to mixed hardwood ridges and upland forest; fertile alluvial soils along the river corridor support high deer browse; elevation rises into forested hills west toward the Berkshire foothills; habitat diversity includes grasslands, riparian corridors, beaver flowages, and mature oak-hickory forest
moderate
Antlerless Deer Permits (ADP) required to harvest antlerless deer; hunters apply annually by July 16 lottery deadline via MassFishHunt portal with results available August 1; Zone 4N has historically offered moderate ADP availability with odds improving in years of surplus; surplus ADPs go on sale in late September for oversubscribed zones; 2 antlered deer tags included with standard hunting license; no daily antlerless bag limit (2025 regulatory change); deer decoys now legal during archery-only season
DEER: Archery season Oct 5-Nov 28 (2026); Shotgun season Nov 30-Dec 12; Primitive firearms (muzzleloader) Dec 14-31; Youth Deer Hunt Day Oct 3; ADP required for antlerless harvest during all seasons; muzzleloaders must be .44-.775 cal shoulder-fired with 18-inch minimum barrel, single projectile only, scopes legal. TURKEY: Spring season Apr 27-May 23 (Zones 1-13, Zone 4N included); Fall season Oct 5-Nov 28 (archery only Oct 5-17 and Nov 2-28; shotgun/muzzleloader Oct 19-31); Spring bag limit 2 bearded birds; Fall bag limit 1 of either sex; Youth Turkey Day Apr 25. BEAR: Zone 4N is within prime Massachusetts black bear range (Hampshire and Franklin counties rank among top statewide); three seasons: Early Sep 7-Sep 20, Mid Nov 3-Nov 22, Late Dec 1-Dec 13 (2026 dates approximate); statewide bag limit 1 bear annually; all zones 1-14 open; mandatory registration within 48 hours; estimated 4,500+ bears statewide with heaviest concentration in western zones including 4N. No suburban shotgun-only or archery-only restrictions apply to Zone 4N (those restrictions are limited to Zones 13 and 14 on Cape Cod and islands).
Connecticut River valley agricultural edge habitat produces exceptional deer including mature bucks working crop fields and forest edges; Zone 4N sits within prime Massachusetts black bear range with Berkshire/Franklin/Hampshire counties leading statewide harvest; excellent wild turkey populations throughout with Worcester County and Pioneer Valley consistently ranking top for harvest; abundant public WMA acreage in Connecticut Valley Wildlife District; river corridor creates natural deer travel funnels between agriculture and forest cover
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about Zone 4N— or drop a tip or trick: access points, where game holds, glassing spots, conditions, crowding, gear that worked. This is where the unit's species-specific intel gets built, hunter by hunter.
Nothing posted yet about Zone 4N.
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Boundaries: MassWildlife official Wildlife Management Zones. Community info last updated 23d ago.