Although not as big as some other state forests, at 1,112 acres there is plenty of room here, and at this time of year hunters will encounter little other human activity.

To get there, take I-95 north to Route 97 at Exit 53B. For maps and more information, call (978) 887-5931.

The southeast region of Massachusetts is home to 25 wildlife management areas covering about 30,000 acres. The deer density in parts of that region is about 50 whitetails per square mile!

Hockomock WMA
The Hockomock WMA in Horton, Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, Easton, Taunton and Raynham covers 4,453 acres in numerous parcels. Many areas consist of vegetated wetlands with islands of dry ground, (good spots for deer), while others consist of maple and cedar swamps and uplands with open farmland, such as on the Erwin Wilder section.

Only shoulder-fired muzzleloaders .44 to .775 caliber with a barrel at least 18 inches can be used during the muzzleloader season. In-line rifles, provided they are loaded from the muzzle, single projectiles, sabot loads, 209 primers and scopes are all legal. Propellants must be blackpowder or approved substitutes, and a special stamp is required.

For more information on hunting in Massachusetts and for information on the various WMAs, including maps, contact MassWildlife at (508) 792-7270, or visit their Web site at www.mass.gov/masswildlife.

RHODE ISLAND
Ocean State archers may hunt on the mainland through Jan. 31. The season opened back on Oct. 1 and is the longest archery season in New England.

In addition, archery hunting continues on several islands, with the season closing on Prudence and Patience islands Jan. 8 and on Conanicut and Aquidneck islands Jan. 31.

On the mainland, archers are allowed a total of three deer, one of either sex and two antlerless. On the islands, the limit is two deer of either sex and one antlerless. The shotgun season on Conanicut and Aquidneck islands also runs through Dec. 18.

Rhode Island doesn’t have a lot of public land open to hunting, but considering its size (just 1,214 square miles), the 46,000 acres of wildlife management areas where hunting is allowed make up about 7 percent of the land in the state. During the earlier hunting seasons, these areas are well utilized, but after the holidays, fewer sportsmen hit the woods, which means hunters won’t have to share the woods with crowds of other hunters.

Burlingame WMA
The Burlingame WMA in the town of Charlestown bordered by Burlingame State Forest is worth considering this month. Covering 1,390 acres, it is one of the largest public-hunting areas along Block Island Sound. It consists of over 900 acres of deciduous forest, over 70 acres of softwood forest and about 14 acres of agricultural land under game management, and has a good population of whitetails.

Access is off the north side of Buckeye Brook Road, which travels between Route 216 (Ross Hill Road) and Shumankanuc Road.

Great Swamp WMA
Another good spot is the Great Swamp WMA in South Kingstown and Richmond. The area covers over 3,300 acres and while much of it is wetland, nearly 1,000 acres of mixed forests and nearly 100 acres of agricultural land are earmarked for the management of wildlife.

Access is best off Liberty Road, which leads to the WMA off Great Neck Road.

Arcadia WMA
Rhode Island’s largest WMA is Arcadia WMA in West Greenwich, Exeter, Hopkinton and Richmond in the western part of the state. It covers over 13,800 acres, contains a mixture of hardwood and softwood forest, and has one of the largest deer herds of any wildlife management area in the state.