Mass Wildlife announcement: Surplus Anterless Deer Permits

[whacko]

I’m loaded up too. 2 antlered and 3 antlerless is plenty. I’ll be happy to get one on my first go around.

That's way definitely plenty. I get the 2 antlered and one altlerless for 9 plus one antlerless for 10 and never even come close to using them all lol

 

[ThePreBanMan]

Yea, I think most people consider themselves lucky if they fill 1 tag. I ate tag soup last year, but I'm pretty selective these days. I don't even know why I buy doe tags.

 

[HorizontalHunter]

I've got more than I need and there's still tags left. I got 3 surpluses in zone 11. One in every other zone available... I've never seen it like this. They're usually gone in the first 2 days... Either people don't know about the on sale date or we've lost a lot of bowhunters.

Everyone who has a license got the email so they know.
State has lost a lot of hunters. I often hunt and don’t see another during bow season hunter these days.

My bow hunting is mostly out of state these days. I pretty much only bow hunt in mass these days when the season verbals with the bear season. I would rather go south. Going south for me is 1/2 the drive going east is and the traffic is better.

I also am having more trouble getting around these days so I get out less and less every year.

Bob

 

[whacko]

Everyone who has a license got the email so they know.
State has lost a lot of hunters. I often hunt and don’t see another during bow season hunter these days.

My bow hunting is mostly out of state these days. I pretty much only bow hunt in mass these days when the season verbals with the bear season. I would rather go south. Going south for me is 1/2 the drive going east is and the traffic is better.

I also am having more trouble getting around these days so I get out less and less every year.

Bob

You may have a point about the bow hunter numbers and data does support it. Last year was a record shattering year for total harvest......yet archers harvest stayed flat (actually down a littl e over 2017) despite the extra 2 weeks of archery season in high population zones.

 

[HorizontalHunter]

The data would be far more useful and interesting if it was broken out by zone or at least by eastern/central/western Massachusetts. They have the data but I have never seen it published.

Government organizations , DFW included, are notorious for reacting far too late and over reacting. Quabbin is the perfect example. MDC/DFW didn’t react until the deer were nearly exterminated and the hunters stopped applying for the hunt.

In western Mass you will see far fewer deer. Bigger but much fewer. The forests in western Mass are mature forest which are the absolute worst when it comes to critters as they offer the least cover and food.

Bob

 

[whacko]

The data would be far more useful and interesting if it was broken out by zone or at least by eastern/central/western Massachusetts. They have the data but I have never seen it published.

Government organizations , DFW included, are notorious for reacting far too late and over reacting. Quabbin is the perfect example. MDC/DFW didn’t react until the deer were nearly exterminated and the hunters stopped applying for the hunt.

In western Mass you will see far fewer deer. Bigger but much fewer. The forests in western Mass are mature forest which are the absolute worst when it comes to critters as they offer the least cover and food.

Bob

Ask and you shall receive. They publish this every year by zone. Total....by sex....archery.....primitive and shotgun.

 

[whacko]

The data would be far more useful and interesting if it was broken out by zone or at least by eastern/central/western Massachusetts. They have the data but I have never seen it published.

Government organizations , DFW included, are notorious for reacting far too late and over reacting. Quabbin is the perfect example. MDC/DFW didn’t react until the deer were nearly exterminated and the hunters stopped applying for the hunt.

In western Mass you will see far fewer deer. Bigger but much fewer. The forests in western Mass are mature forest which are the absolute worst when it comes to critters as they offer the least cover and food.

Bob

Also here is the link to the website that has all the data in clickable PDF format for multiple historical years.

Deer harvest data

 

[Squire]

I've got more than I need and there's still tags left. I got 3 surpluses in zone 11. One in every other zone available... I've never seen it like this. They're usually gone in the first 2 days... Either people don't know about the on sale date or we've lost a lot of bowhunters.

Really? Last couple years Zone 10 were available for at least a week.

 

[ThePreBanMan]

Really? Last couple years Zone 10 were available for at least a week.

I'm speaking more my local zone - 11. They're usually gone in 2 days, tops. Have been in years past anyway.

 

[Squire]

I'm speaking more my local zone - 11. They're usually gone in 2 days, tops. Have been in years past anyway.

Ah, ok. Good luck this season!

 

[ThePreBanMan]

Ask and you shall receive. They publish this every year by zone. Total....by sex....archery.....primitive and shotgun.

View attachment 304994 View attachment 304995 View attachment 304996 View attachment 304997

Man, people are really knocking them down here in 11.... Funny thing is I felt like the population was going down compared to years ago. I'm having fewer encounters. Maybe I just suck.

 

[HorizontalHunter]

Also here is the link to the website that has all the data in clickable PDF format for multiple historical years.

Deer harvest data

Thanks. I didn’t see it.

Bob

 

[DJBrad]

I’m tempted to take an 11 once I saw those numbers but how much more work it is to scout and work another Zone? Too much! Fugettaboutit.

 

[Mark from MA]

Everyone who has a license got the email so they know.
State has lost a lot of hunters. I often hunt and don’t see another during bow season hunter these days.

My bow hunting is mostly out of state these days. I pretty much only bow hunt in mass these days when the season verbals with the bear season. I would rather go south. Going south for me is 1/2 the drive going east is and the traffic is better.

I also am having more trouble getting around these days so I get out less and less every year.

Bob

Like Bob, I think a lot of the larger generation of older archers are either aging out, or going out of state to better hunting. I know many that hunt NY, CT, PA and other better states now that they have more experience and more money. Most of these guys fill tags every year without fail, usually multiple tags with the bow. Which means they are seeing deer, because archery is not that easy.

Like them, as well, I've killed my deer, have lots of deer on the wall and hell, I'm just not as serious as I used to be about it. I will however go where I will see deer, and not waste my vacation time in unproductive states. I'll also not do my local area a disservice by killling the one or two deer I may see. I'll go where deer are very plentiful.

This year, I'm headed to South Carolina. They kill 200,000 deer per year. Unlike MA's measly 12-14K per year. The Zone I'm hunting in takes average of 12K per year....that's equal to the whole state of MA. And average success rate is 6% in MA compared to 65% in SC. Rifle started already and you can use any weapon. I'll spend my time seeing and passing deer everyday, using whatever means to kill I want. Its much better then seeing nothing all day.

Then we'll be slamming pheasants in late October and November on weekends.

Then it will be off to PA for rifle, and NH will be a fill in on Sundays. Wont see much in NH, but sometimes there a big one around.

If I do hunt MA it will be only shotgun probably for a few days, so I can hunt with my son whos in college here and doesn't get out much. Basically I'll push for him and hopefully he can shoot a big buck. He won't shoot anything else even though we have doe permits.

Then in March we have a Florida Hog Hunt planned.

Should be a good few months ahead.

 

[HorizontalHunter]

Good luck Mark.

I have been thinking of a NC trip to hunt with a revolver as my brother lives down there. I always wanted to pop one with a revolver.

Bob

 

[Mark from MA]

Good luck Mark.

I have been thinking of a NC trip to hunt with a revolver as my brother lives down there. I always wanted to pop one with a revolver.

Bob

Thanks Bob. You as well.

That would awesome to bag one with a handgun. Now you have me thinking I should take the SW629 or the Model 19 to SC as well. That would be fun.

 

[Mark from MA]

If the young woman in the OP needs any help dragging that deer out of the woods...

She works for MA wildlife. That deer was taken on a Blue Hills hunt. I know her and her husband well.