State Route 165 divides the area into north and south sections. Access to the north portion is east of the bridge at Wood River along the Midway Trail, where hunters will find a parking area. Access to the south section may be gained from Old Nooseneck Road, the K-G Road or Summit Road.

The area features miles of roads and trails in both sections that lead to some prime hunting ground, although nearly all roads are gated to prevent vehicular access.

Another big area is the Big River WMA in West Greenwich, Exeter, Coventry and East Greenwich. It covers 8,319 acres and has just about every type of cover and terrain the deer hunter could ask for, including some agricultural land specifically managed for wildlife.

Interstate 95 separates the area into north and south portions. To reach the south section, Route 3 and Division Street are best. The north section is accessible from Hackney Road.

Other Options
While these are some of the biggest public hunting areas in the state, they are by no means the only ones available. The George Washington WMA in West Gloucester covers 3,489 acres, while the Buck Hill-Black Hut WMA in the northwest corner of the state covers nearly 3,600 acres. There is also the Carolina WMA in Richmond, offering 2,359 acres of public hunting land.

A complete list of wildlife management areas along with current information and regulations are listed in the Rhode Island Hunting and Trapping Abstracts.

Island Hunts
Then there are the islands, such as Prudence and Patience islands in Narragansett Bay. Each island has a good population of deer. Certain restrictions are in force, so check with the Division of Fish and Wildlife for details.

Access to either island is by private watercraft or via the Prudence Island Ferry. Call (401) 253-9898 for scheduling details.

For more information on late-season deer hunting in Rhode Island, contact the Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife at (401) 789-0281.

CONNECTICUT
Archery hunters in the Nutmeg State may hunt state land and state lands restricted to archery only until Dec. 31, and blackpowder enthusiasts may hunt state lands where muzzleloaders are allowed until Dec. 20. Archers may bag up to four deer annually, two of either sex and two antlerless. Muzzleloader hunters are allowed one deer of either sex on state lands.

With an estimated 35,000 deer in the state, according to Howard Kilpatrick, a Deer/Turkey Program biologist with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s Wildlife Division, the state’s deer population is doing well, and late-season hunters should have plenty of opportunities.

Hunting is allowed on wildlife management areas, state forests and some state parks, which means over 200,000 acres of woodland, wetland, farmland and coastal habitats are open to hunting. Hunters have a number of places to choose from. Areas open to fall archery and muzzleloader hunting include Algonquin State Forest in Colebrook, American Legion State Forest in Barkhamsted, Housatonic State Forest in Sharon (the largest chunk of public land in the state), 4,328-acre Mattatuck State Forest in Watertown, the nearly 3,000 acre Peoples State Forest in Barkhamsted and Tunxis State Forest in Hartland that covers nearly 9,200 acres.

If you prefer a bowhunting-only area to end your season, try Newgate WMA in East Granby, Robbins Swamp WMA in Canaan, Roraback WMA in Harwinton, John Minetto State Park, Mount Riga State Park, Red Cedar Lake State Park or Bigelow Hollow State Park in Union. Some of these areas, as well as some of those mentioned previously, are in Litchfield and Fairfield counties, which have produced a high percentage of Connecticut’s Pope and Young bucks. A list of state lands open to hunting, as well as maps and general information on hunting in Connecticut, are available by calling the Connecticut Wildlife Division at (860) 424-3011, or http://www.dep.state.ct.us/burnatr/wildlife/wdhome.htm.