Zone 4S, Massachusetts
Unit info
- Game species
- Deer, Turkey, Bear
- Group
- Zone 4
- Area
- 409 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 361
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 · sourcedZone 4S covers 308 square miles of Hampden County in southwestern Massachusetts, west of the Connecticut River and bordered by Connecticut to the south, featuring mixed hardwood forest, agricultural fields, and hill country with one of the highest deer densities in the state at roughly 35 deer per square mile. Hunters have access to Tolland State Forest, Granville State Forest, and several WMAs across the zone, with 600 antlerless deer permits allocated annually and black bear hunting available as part of the western Massachusetts bear range (Zones 1-8). Turkey hunting is strong in both spring and fall seasons across the zone's mix of farmland edge and mature forest.
Mixed hardwood forest, agricultural fields, and rolling hill country in Hampden County west of the Connecticut River. Elevations rise toward the Berkshire foothills in the west. Cover types include mature oak-hickory forest, hemlock stands, and farmland edge habitat that concentrate deer. The southern edge borders Connecticut with continuous forest blocks across the state line.
moderate
Antlerless Deer Permits (ADP) are issued by lottery with a July 16 application deadline; results available August 1. Zone 4S had 600 ADPs allocated in the 2023 season — one of the more generous interior zone quotas, reflecting the high deer density of 35 per square mile. Surplus ADPs typically go on sale in late September. Each ADP is zone-specific and valid only in 4S. No zone-specific season date restrictions apply (standard statewide seasons in effect); Zones 12-14 (Cape/Islands) carry special restrictions that do not affect 4S.
DEER: Archery Oct 5 – Nov 28; Shotgun Nov 30 – Dec 12; Primitive Firearms (muzzleloader) Dec 14 – 31. Two antlered deer allowed annually statewide; antlerless requires ADP. No Sunday hunting restrictions unique to this zone. TURKEY: Spring season approx. April 27 – May 23 (2 bearded birds); Fall season Oct 5 – Nov 28 (1 bird, either sex); shotgun, muzzleloading shotgun, and archery legal. BEAR: Season runs in three segments (early archery/primitive ~Sept 7–Oct 3; concurrent with archery deer Oct 5–Nov 28; concurrent with shotgun Nov 30–Dec 12); bear permit required ($10 resident/$30 nonresident); 1 bear per year; Zone 4S falls within the open bear zone (1-8). No island or suburban shotgun-only safety-zone restrictions apply to this zone.
High deer density (~35 deer/sq mi) makes Zone 4S one of the more productive interior zones in Massachusetts. Large contiguous state forest blocks in Tolland and Granville offer low-pressure archery and primitive firearms hunting. Bear hunting is available (Zones 1-8 open); 4S sits in the core western MA bear range with populations expanding eastward from Berkshire County. Strong turkey populations on farmland-forest edges support both spring and fall seasons.
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about Zone 4S— 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 4S.
Be the first — ask a question (“Best public access on the north end?”) or share a tip (“Glass the burn scars off the main ridge at first light”).
Boundaries: MassWildlife official Wildlife Management Zones. Community info last updated 23d ago.