Deer Hunting in Massachusetts from realtree

Season Dates (2017):

Archery season runs October 16 to November 25. Shotgun season runs November 27 to December 9. Primitive firearms season is December 11-30. Youth season falls on September 30. These are the dates set when published. Please check the state DNR’s website to confirm.

The Grade: C

Massachusetts’ deer herd benefited from a large mast crop and mild winter last fall and the fall before, too. The herd should be in great shape when the 2017 season starts. While public land is scarce and population density is high (third in the nation in people per square mile), good deer hunting can still be found for those who work at it. The increasing herd is starting to strain some local neighborhoods, and residents are increasingly looking to hunters as a way to protect their landscape and make their commutes safer. Bowhunters in particular are finding more and more openings in urban settings. Don’t overlook state-managed lands like parks and state forests which are experiencing the same deer overpopulation as surrounding neighborhoods. Hunters are needed there to help with population control, too.

Antler Nation Knowledge:

While Massachusetts doesn’t put a lot of deer in the record books, a lot of their entries, non-typical in particular, have came in recent years. All of the state’s non-typical bucks have been entered since 1995, including the state’s current non-typical record taken by a hunter, a 200 5/8-inch buck taken by Craig F. Luscier in Berkshire Co. in 2012.

The area along I-495, stretching from Billerica northward to Hopkinton and Bellingham in the south is seeing booming deer numbers, but the entire state should have a healthy population this fall.

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Author: mkmcst

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