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Deer hunting season expanded in Mass. amid ballooning population
New regulations will expand the deer hunting season on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket this winter and in fall 2026.
Massachusetts deer hunters will have some new opportunities this winter due to an expanded season on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
The Healey-Driscoll administration announced new regulations that will permit a six-week primitive firearms and bowhunting season on the two islands from Jan. 1 to Feb. 14. The regulations will also create an early fall deer season on the islands, with an additional 10 days of primitive hunting from Sept. 21 to Oct. 1.
“Hunting has always been woven into Massachusetts’ history — supporting families, boosting local economies, and helping keep our deer populations healthy,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. “These expanded regulations carry that tradition forward, creating more opportunities for hunters while protecting public health and ensuring we’re maintaining balance in our wildlife populations.”
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Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Tom O’Shea further announced at a Dec. 10 Fisheries and Wildlife Board meeting that the administration will consider expanding the season further or allowing hunting on Sundays. Massachusetts and Maine are currently the only states nationwide that do not allow Sunday hunting.
Officials have attributed the expanded season to an increasing deer population on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. The islands have the highest deer densities statewide, which can result in the spread of tick-borne diseases, increased deer and vehicle collisions, habitat damage, and coastal erosion.
An overabundant deer population can also lead to forest and wildlife damage, officials said. The statewide goal is a density of 12 to 18 deer per square mile, but MassWildlife estimates that some areas on the islands have a density of over 100 deer per square mile.
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“Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket are facing rapidly increasing deer populations,” O’Shea said in the statement. “By expanding opportunities for licensed hunters to harvest deer, we can achieve healthier deer populations while protecting biodiversity and increasing public health, safety, and food security.”
These changes to the season are currently acting as a trial run, officials said. However, public hearings will be held in early 2026 to decide if the changes will be made permanent.
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