Zone 6, Massachusetts
Unit info
- Game species
- Deer, Turkey
- Group
- Zone 6
- Area
- 312 mi²
- Public land
- N/A
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Reported harvest
- 385
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 also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedMassachusetts Wildlife Management Zone 6 covers rolling forested terrain in north-central Massachusetts spanning Worcester and Middlesex counties, with a healthy deer herd and moderate hunting pressure across a mix of MassWildlife WMAs, DCR state forests, and the Wachusett Reservoir watershed. Hunters can apply for Antlerless Deer Permits (ADP) through the annual MassWildlife lottery (apply by July 16, results August 1), with surplus permits often available in late September; both spring and fall turkey seasons are open statewide including Zone 6, while black bear is restricted to western Zones 1-5 only.
Rolling hills and mixed hardwood-conifer forests typical of the central Massachusetts uplands; elevation ranges roughly 400-1,200 ft with the Wachusett Mountain massif as a prominent landmark; habitat is predominantly oak-maple-pine forest with brushy edges, wetland drainages, and agricultural pockets that concentrate deer and turkey; the area transitions from the higher elevation western zones toward more suburban-fragmented landscapes in eastern Middlesex County
moderate
Antlerless Deer Permit (ADP) required for any antlerless deer; hunters apply by July 16 each year through MassWildlife lottery, with results available August 1; surplus ADPs typically go on sale in late September when zone allocation exceeds demand; Zone 6 is a non-restricted zone (no shotgun or archery-only limitations unlike Zones 12-14); hunters may take multiple antlerless deer equal to the number of valid ADPs held; one antlered buck per season statewide
Deer: archery season Oct 5-Nov 28 (2026 dates); shotgun season Nov 30-Dec 12; primitive firearms Dec 14-31; all zones including 6 are open to standard weapon choices (no shotgun-only restriction unlike coastal zones 12-14). Turkey: spring season late April through late May (Zones 1-13), 2 bearded birds, hunting hours sunrise-noon; fall season Oct through Saturday after Thanksgiving (Zones 1-13), 1 turkey either sex, archery and shotgun legal. Bear: Zone 6 is NOT in the black bear hunting zone; bear hunting is restricted to western Zones 1-5 only. No island or suburban-only firearm restrictions apply to Zone 6.
Wachusett Reservoir watershed controlled hunt is a standout opportunity with less pressure than surrounding public parcels; Leominster State Forest provides solid contiguous acreage for deer and turkey; fall turkey season coincides with early archery deer season creating multi-species opportunity; ADP availability in Zone 6 has historically been favorable with reasonable odds of drawing a permit
Questions, tips & discussion
Ask anything about Zone 6— 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 6.
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.