Birdwatching in Vermont, p. 88.

Ruffed grouse may be hunted in season. Peregrine falcons and other raptors may be found soaring around the cliff near Route 5. Woodpeckers and a wide variety of songbirds are present in the wooded sections of the WMA.

Skitchewaug Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a 216-acre parcel, which is owned by the State of Vermont and managed by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. One hundred seventy-five (175) acres are owned in fee simple. The previous owner has retained timber rights on the remaining 43 acres.

The WMA is located four miles east of Springfield on VT-143. It is bounded on the west by Interstate 91, and on the east by US-5. The only access is over a permanent right of way from US-5 across the Kendall property.

The topography of the Skitchewaug WMA is gently rolling. It is located in the Southern Vermont Piedmont biophysical region of Vermont. Elevations range from 400 feet along US-5 to 800 feet at the northern edge. The headwaters of two tributaries of Spencer Brook begin at the northern edge of the parcel. There is also a wetland in that area.

Though small, the entire WMA functions as a wintering area for white-tailed deer. Oak and hickory trees on the parcel are an important food source for deer as well as other wildlife species. The steep cliff facing US-5 is a historical nesting site for peregrine falcons. Records from the State archives suggest the presence of rattlesnakes in the very early 1900s.

Significant natural communities include hemlock swamp and red maple-black gum swamp. Glyceria acutiflora, (sharp manna-grass) has been found along the northeast border of the WMA. It is listed as endangered in the State of Vermont.