The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) is hosting 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.
The proposed regulatory amendments to 321 CMR 3.02 Hunting of Particular Game in Massachusetts would extend the dates of the deer archery hunting season in Wildlife Management Zones 1–9 by two weeks, making the Zone dates congruent with Zones 10–14. 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 move would add an additional 12 hunting days in Massachusetts – where Sunday hunting is not legal – and no population impact is expected.
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.
The full hearing notice, including the text of the proposed regulations, is available on MassWildlife’s Public Hearings page. Written comments will be accepted for 2 weeks after the hearing until Tuesday August 29, 2023 at 5 p.m. Written comments should be emailed to susan.sacco@mass.gov to the attention of the Fisheries and Wildlife Board, or mailed to Chair, Fisheries and Wildlife Board, c/o Director of MassWildlife, Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough,
MA 01581.
The National Deer Association (NDA) encourages our Massachusetts members and supporters to attend the public hearing and offer verbal or written comments. Conserving deer and protecting hunting requires participation in the rooms where wildlife policy and legislation are formed, and these hearings provide the opportunity for just that.