MA - hearing to extend archery deer hunting season

[pupchow]

Public hearing to extend archery deer hunting season

MassWildlife is holding a hybrid public hearing on Tuesday, August 15, 2023 on proposed regulations that would extend the dates of the archery deer hunting season in Wildlife Management Zones 1–9 by two weeks.

www.mass.gov

A hybrid public hearing will be held on Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at 1 p.m. on proposed regulatory amendments to 321 CMR 3.02 Hunting of Particular Game in Massachusetts. The proposed regulations would extend the dates of the deer archery hunting season in Wildlife Management Zones 1–9 by two weeks. The archery deer season would begin statewide in all zones on the eighth Monday prior to Thanksgiving, and end on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The public can attend the hearing and provide oral comments either in-person at the MassWildlife Field Headquarters (1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough) or via a Zoom video webinar. Click here to join the webinar (Meeting ID: 872 1636 1535; Passcode: 3giq1H) or join by phone (Dial 646-931-3860; Meeting ID: 872 1636 1535; Passcode: 049312).

 

[ccm75]

Sunday hunting.........F&W refuses to make any effort to achieve what almost all other NE states have.

 

[67ray]

What about spear hunting season? We have been snubbed for years.

 

[HorizontalHunter]

Sunday hunting.........F&W refuses to make any effort to achieve what almost all other NE states have.

They can’t. It’s up to our illustrious legislators just like a moose season.

Bob

 

[bigben111435]

I would rather be able to hunt into January. Too damn warm in September

 

[arlow]

I would rather be able to hunt into January. Too damn warm in September

It is not about september.

Eastern mass opens up the first week of oct Zones 1 through 9 cant hunt till the third week of oct. It is about allowing zones 1-9 to start the same date as 10-14

 

[ddeck]

So just bringing it inline with zones 10+.

Archery season is now 3 months in zones 10+. One year it was 77 degrees and hunting deer. Felt a little weird, but I wasn’t complaining

 

[bigben111435]

It is not about september.

Eastern mass opens up the first week of oct Zones 1 through 9 cant hunt till the third week of oct. It is about allowing zones 1-9 to start the same date as 10-14

still too warm the first week of october nowadays. I would rather the two extra weeks on the back end of the season.

 

[arlow]

still too warm the first week of october nowadays. I would rather the two extra weeks on the back end of the season.

I would rather the two weeks of Oct while the acorns are still falling. and bucks on food are way easier to pattern

 

[bigben111435]

I would rather the two weeks of Oct while the acorns are still falling. and bucks on food are way easier to pattern

I am in it for the meat, big bucks aren't my game.

 

[ccm75]

They can’t. It’s up to our illustrious legislators just like a moose season.

Bob

Ya, I get that. That is their canned response. But they could initiate an effort of some kind?
Who is "proposing regulatory amendments to 321 CMR 3.02 Hunting of Particular Game in Massachusetts...."
A legislator?

 

[HorizontalHunter]

Ya, I get that. That is their canned response. But they could initiate an effort of some kind?
Who is "proposing regulatory amendments to 321 CMR 3.02 Hunting of Particular Game in Massachusetts...."
A legislator?

Nobody is proposing a moose season to my knowledge. I only mentioned it as it gets the same canned response and I see more moose than deer when I hunt Quabbin these days.

Sunday hunting and crossbow hunting gets proposed every year. It never goes anywhere. Hunters in this state are about 432nd in line behind gun owners when it comes to getting a pro piece of legislation through the process.

 

[arlow]

I am in it for the meat, big bucks aren't my game.

Does are 1000 times easier to pattern when the acorns are still falling. Do you even bowhunt? Do you even have any "game"? All I hear is ignorance and bad assumtions.

 

[arlow]

Nobody is proposing a moose season to my knowledge. I only mentioned it as it gets the same canned response and I see more moose than deer when I hunt Quabbin these days.

Sunday hunting and crossbow hunting gets proposed every year. It never goes anywhere. Hunters in this state are about 432nd in line behind gun owners when it comes to getting a pro piece of legislation through the process.

View attachment 780841

exactly!

 

[Mark from MA]

I would rather the two weeks of Oct while the acorns are still falling. and bucks on food are way easier to pattern

This. Bucks tend to get lost by the end of October.

However, September is better for shooting does as they are still lactating, hungry and active. When i hunted September in CT, I shot my 2 does usually the first hunt down there. You can ;pattern them like clockwork.

Other than more time afield, I find no real advantage to buck hunting earlier in MA in October.....I do see more does on food, but bucks generally are still noctournal, even on food. That's my area in MA to a tee though, bucks generally very noctournal until rut...even then.....low deer population anyway...no need to kill any does. Even if the state thinks there is.

 

[bigben111435]

Does are 1000 times easier to pattern when the acorns are still falling. Do you even bowhunt? Do you even have any "game"? All I hear is ignorance and bad assumtions.

the deer I take is the smallest one I see.
they taste the best.
you can have the trophies buddy.
All I hear is a fag from Western Mass.

 

[arlow]

the deer I take is the smallest one I see.
they taste the best.
you can have the trophies buddy.
All I hear is a fag from Western Mass.

You are projecting again clown

 

[bigben111435]

You are projecting again clown

go get em big buck hunter!!!

 

[HuntMaine]

Sunday hunting.........F&W refuses to make any effort to achieve what almost all other NE states have.

Been fighting for it in Maine for years just won’t happen. I even put the proposal to give up a weekday in return. Nope. The liberal tree huggers know it’s easier to keep a law on the books.

 

[Mark from MA]

Been fighting for it in Maine for years just won’t happen. I even put the proposal to give up a weekday in return. Nope. The liberal tree huggers know it’s easier to keep a law on the books.

I don't think its the tree huggers...its the large land holders is what I had heard.

They are against it, and would close land up to hunting, ATV and Snowmobiles....which is big money for Maines coffers as they get a lot of out of state money flowing in for snowmobile and atv people all around. Sunday hunting for Maine is a losing proposition.

 

[Uzi2]

Kentucky’s 2023-2024 deer season opens September 2 for archery hunters. Crossbow season opens September 16. Both seasons run through January 15, 2024. The 2023-2024 modern gun season in Kentucky is open November 11 – November 26.

September 2nd is still quite warm here and the leaves really haven't even started falling from the trees. Way too warm for my hunting preference. I'd rather be able to hang a deer for a couple of days in some cooler/cold weather after a couple of frosts have killed off the bugs.

 

[HorizontalHunter]

I don't think its the tree huggers...its the large land holders is what I had heard.

They are against it, and would close land up to hunting, ATV and Snowmobiles....which is big money for Maines coffers as they get a lot of out of state money flowing in for snowmobile and atv people all around. Sunday hunting for Maine is a losing proposition.

I was surprised that Connecticut actually got it passed; but then again it is fairly restrictive:

“Sunday Hunting: Archery deer hunters (including landowners hunting with a bow during the Free Landowner Deer Season) can hunt on Sundays on private land only in ALL Deer Management Zones (zone map). All archery deer hunting on Sundays must take place at least 40 yards away from blazed hiking trails.”

Kentucky’s 2023-2024 deer season opens September 2 for archery hunters. Crossbow season opens September 16. Both seasons run through January 15, 2024. The 2023-2024 modern gun season in Kentucky is open November 11 – November 26.

September 2nd is still quite warm here and the leaves really haven't even started falling from the trees. Way too warm for my hunting preference. I'd rather be able to hang a deer for a couple of days in some cooler/cold weather after a couple of frosts have killed off the bugs.

One of the nice things about that early start is that you have the opportunity to take a deer in velvet which is pretty cool. We occasionally run across one in Connecticut with the opener on September 15.

Bob

 

[Roof gunner]

You know fish and game are patrolling the woods on sundays looking for poachers so why not legalize Sunday hunting ?? Their already out there !!!

 

[sig shooter]

You know fish and game are patrolling the woods on sundays looking for poachers so why not legalize Sunday hunting ?? Their already out there !!!

I see more EPOs on Sunday than on the days hunting is allowed. Seems like a poor use of tax dollars.

 

[Roof gunner]

Hunting on sundays will also make it mandatory for the EPO to show up

 

[Mark from MA]

I was surprised that Connecticut actually got it passed; but then again it is fairly restrictive:

“Sunday Hunting: Archery deer hunters (including landowners hunting with a bow during the Free Landowner Deer Season) can hunt on Sundays on private land only in ALL Deer Management Zones (zone map). All archery deer hunting on Sundays must take place at least 40 yards away from blazed hiking trails.”

That was passed a few years ago.........i've killed deer quite few times on Sundays, its a handy law to have. Very restrictive though. They still care more about dog walkers than hunters on public land. The only reason it got passed is because the CTDEP is very proactive about the deer problem.

A little too much on state land if you ask me.....as state land is fairly sucky hunting. That said, they do manage the state land area firearm season by quota, which is really good. And what MA should do really.

However allowing crossbows, 4 deer take, unlimited does in some zones, and a 4 month long archery season......state land deer get hammered.

But being a private land state, deer have a lot of sanctuary.......... So they get to be a problem on unhunted private land, and when deer are moving around in November, state land can be OK because they get running around off of the private land sanctuaries sometimes.

 

[HorizontalHunter]

That was passed a few years ago.........i've killed deer quite few times on Sundays, its a handy law to have. Very restrictive though. They still care more about dog walkers than hunters on public land. The only reason it got passed is because the CTDEP is very proactive about the deer problem.

A little too much on state land if you ask me.....as state land is fairly sucky hunting. That said, they do manage the state land area firearm season by quota, which is really good. And what MA should do really.

However allowing crossbows, 4 deer take, unlimited does in some zones, and a 4 month long archery season......state land deer get hammered.

But being a private land state, deer have a lot of sanctuary.......... So they get to be a problem on unhunted private land, and when deer are moving around in November, state land can be OK because they get running around off of the private land sanctuaries sometimes.

Absolutely, my experiences as well. The closer to the Mass border you are the more it gets hammered when you add in the non-resident hunters.

 

[Mark from MA]

Absolutely, my experiences as well. The closer to the Mass border you are the more it gets hammered when you add in the non-resident hunters.

This......I've had friends from MA that hunt state land up north and the locals absolutely hate them and have fxcked with them and their trucks on many an occasion, as they've probably seen their local deer herd dwindle a bit where located next to state property.

 

[HuntMaine]

I don't think its the tree huggers...its the large land holders is what I had heard.

They are against it, and would close land up to hunting, ATV and Snowmobiles....which is big money for Maines coffers as they get a lot of out of state money flowing in for snowmobile and atv people all around. Sunday hunting for Maine is a losing proposition.

I have a few hundred acres and open it up to hunters all the time, from the meetings I attended it appears to be Mainers who just want everything to stay the same.

 

[HorizontalHunter]

Anyone hear anything on the expansion of bow season?