Opening Day Deer in MA

My Coworkers and I fully believe that our employers plan work around boat/golf season because every year come opening day they expect us to be at work 6 days a week when there's no overtime to be had all summer.

Cant even have the "sniffles" anymore, covid ruined that excuse...
 
Oh wow. Is it time already???? I guess it's time to wear orange in the woods. Not that I think a bow hunter will be taking any sort of pot-shot in this AO. Better to be safe than sorry.

Stay warm and dry and good luck!
 
Perfect weather for still hunting. If it will rain for extended periods, the deer go about their business. Heavy rains for a short time and they will hunker down until it passes. Just like their cousin the cow.
 
Wife was in some public park in Hing-Ham this morning around 9. On the trail, she heard a buck snort to her right. On the left was a harem of about 6 does. She never saw the buck but the does didn't move. They were in a field next to the trail with some scrub breaking up the barrier some. They could clearly see her.

No hunting there. Sorry. :(
 
Some of us have to wait a while
No one "has to" ...there are other states and other parts of the state that are open for archery.

When I was serious into it.....Sept 15th was all I waited for, both CT and NH were open.

Here though, things don't tend to really heat up til November, unless your on a good food source being hit in daylight.
 
No one "has to" ...there are other states and other parts of the state that are open for archery.

When I was serious into it.....Sept 15th was all I waited for, both CT and NH were open.

Here though, things don't tend to really heat up til November, unless your on a good food source being hit in daylight.
True. I'm getting ready for the 14th.
 
Wife was in some public park in Hing-Ham this morning around 9. On the trail, she heard a buck snort to her right. On the left was a harem of about 6 does. She never saw the buck but the does didn't move. They were in a field next to the trail with some scrub breaking up the barrier some. They could clearly see her.

No hunting there. Sorry. :(
Wampatuck state park? Used to be open for archery but not anymore unfortunately
 
Maybe. I didn't get details, just a snapchat. The does did NOT MOVE. They kept browsing. Not sure if they were horny or knew it was hunter-free or what. 20-25' away.
 
Maybe. I didn't get details, just a snapchat. The does did NOT MOVE. They kept browsing. Not sure if they were horny or knew it was hunter-free or what. 20-25' away.
I thoroughly believe they've just adapted to the point where they know the difference between a human hunting and a human hiking/biking
 
Had a small doe i passed on this morning . Also saw a fawn that was tiny. When the doe came in she was with 4 other does all running from a guy and his dog. Shes the only one that stopped right in front of me . She was small and i didn't feel like taking her on my first day out, plus i don't shoot a lot of does.
 
Whoever makes the first kill should make a 2021 Massachusetts meat pole thread.

Bob

Lets make this the 2021 Mass Meatpole thread!

I had my first Z10 sit yesterday morning (10/6). In stand by 6:10am. Had a doe come in behind me, but then had a little Buck following her. By 7:30 I stuck him at 15 yds. He was with the doe quartering away with his head behind a tree. The arrow didn’t pass through and he bounded away. I saw the arrow fall out after only 10 yds so I wasn’t sure how good I hit him with the Muzzy. I gave him 45 min and got down. Good blood right away and found the arrow snapped off and covered pretty good. He went down just out of sight over a ridge. Didn’t go more than 30 yds. Turns out that I smoked him good on the quartering shot. Went in slightly back on right side but hung up on his left shoulder. That’s why it didn’t pass through and snapped off. It was a great heart shot that put him right down. He’s a small 8 point with one broken off (7 pnt). All in all it was a great first morning after the two previous rainy days. My days of sitting through the rain are over. Good luck all!
 

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1. Congrats.

2. Dammitall if I can remember teh guy on MeatEater a month or two ago that has a website/company that rates all broad heads. EDIT Ashby Reports — Ashby Bowhunting Foundation. YMMV. But the guy has shot possibly thousands of arrows into thousands of animals and carcasses.

3. You know, I HEAR 8 pointer and I'm thinking a buck that looks like a deer-crossing sign. I think the buck I saw crumpled up on the side of 495 a few weekends ago was at least a 6 if not 8. We don't develop very full racks around here, do we.

4. You don't eat antlers. (Unless you are a field mouse.)

5. Congrats again. Nicely done.
 
Lets make this the 2021 Mass Meatpole thread!

I had my first Z10 sit yesterday morning (10/6). In stand by 6:10am. Had a doe come in behind me, but then had a little Buck following her. By 7:30 I stuck him at 15 yds. He was with the doe quartering away with his head behind a tree. The arrow didn’t pass through and he bounded away. I saw the arrow fall out after only 10 yds so I wasn’t sure how good I hit him with the Muzzy. I gave him 45 min and got down. Good blood right away and found the arrow snapped off and covered pretty good. He went down just out of sight over a ridge. Didn’t go more than 30 yds. Turns out that I smoked him good on the quartering shot. Went in slightly back on right side but hung up on his left shoulder. That’s why it didn’t pass through and snapped off. It was a great heart shot that put him right down. He’s a small 8 point with one broken off (7 pnt). All in all it was a great first morning after the two previous rainy days. My days of sitting through the rain are over. Good luck all!
good shootin! congrats on an early victory
 
Lets make this the 2021 Mass Meatpole thread!

I had my first Z10 sit yesterday morning (10/6). In stand by 6:10am. Had a doe come in behind me, but then had a little Buck following her. By 7:30 I stuck him at 15 yds. He was with the doe quartering away with his head behind a tree. The arrow didn’t pass through and he bounded away. I saw the arrow fall out after only 10 yds so I wasn’t sure how good I hit him with the Muzzy. I gave him 45 min and got down. Good blood right away and found the arrow snapped off and covered pretty good. He went down just out of sight over a ridge. Didn’t go more than 30 yds. Turns out that I smoked him good on the quartering shot. Went in slightly back on right side but hung up on his left shoulder. That’s why it didn’t pass through and snapped off. It was a great heart shot that put him right down. He’s a small 8 point with one broken off (7 pnt). All in all it was a great first morning after the two previous rainy days. My days of sitting through the rain are over. Good luck all!
Congrats!

Please don't take this the wrong way. I'm just trying to get down to the thinking of MA hunters. If the buck was with a doe and you had a doe tag (zone 10 plenty of deer) , why wouldn't you shoot the doe instead and let the little buck grow?

Again.....not trying to be an ahole. It could be your first buck, you could be on public land, you might care less about antlers, buck might have presented a much better shot......... I have no idea, its just a question and of course your right to shoot whatever you want.

My father had see antlers and shoot it disease, he would take a legal small buck over a legal doe every time........finally after a few years of hunting CT he started shooting the does for meat and leaving the little guys alone, and we ended up shooting some very nice bucks over the years.
 
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Congrats!

Please don't take this the wrong way. I'm just trying to get down to the thinking of MA hunters. If the buck was with a doe and you had a doe tag (zone 10 plenty of deer) , why wouldn't you shoot the doe instead and let the little buck grow?
Obviously the doe didn’t give me a shot. The Buck did. You take the shot your given if you want to fill the freezer. Where I hunt, the taking of does is encouraged by the conservation commission to reduce deer density. I’ve harvested many. I still have two doe tags and a couple months left to fill them this season - Reply sent from the treestand!
 

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I had another thread but will post here since we are making this the MA meat pole thread.

Shot this little guy last night. 6pt dressed at 105. double lung, 80 yard sprint and he piled up. Wanted a doe since i have 6 tags but none showed and i couldn't help myself and shot him.

Congrats 5king, nice shot!!
 

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Obviously the doe didn’t give me a shot. The Buck did. You take the shot your given if you want to fill the freezer. Where I hunt, the taking of does is encouraged by the conservation commission to reduce deer density. I’ve harvested many. I still have two doe tags and a couple months left to fill them this season - Reply sent from the treestand!
Awesome! Good luck!!

Where I hunted CT, passing a buck didn't mean not filling the freezer, there would always be another deer coming by...... they were pretty overpopulated.........
 
I had another thread but will post here since we are making this the MA meat pole thread.

Shot this little guy last night. 6pt dressed at 105. double lung, 80 yard sprint and he piled up. Wanted a doe since i have 6 tags but none showed and i couldn't help myself and shot him.

Congrats 5king, nice shot!!
Nice work bdb. Like I said, we have almost 3 months left to fill those doe tags!!
 
Awesome! Good luck!!

Where I hunted CT, passing a buck didn't mean not filling the freezer, there would always be another deer coming by...... they were pretty overpopulated.........

I’ve done the - pass on the little buck - thing in previous years and found myself sitting in a stand in the December weather, still trying to fill my first tag. With this buck already in the freezer during the opening week, now I can be more selective & target Does and the big Buck. I am more apt to letting a small buck pass now and hold out for a doe or a trophy.
 
I’ve done the - pass on the little buck - thing in previous years and found myself sitting in a stand in the December weather, still trying to fill my first tag. With this buck already in the freezer during the opening week, now I can be more selective & target Does and the big Buck. I am more apt to letting a small buck pass now and hold out for a doe or a trophy.
Same, I learned to not be too picky about the first one. Put meat in the freezer then you can be picky with the second
 
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