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Healey pushes to get rid of Sunday hunting ban
The proposed legislation would also allow all hunters to use crossbows and reduce setback distances for bowhunting.
Gov. Maura Healey is filing legislation that would lift the Sunday hunting ban in Massachusetts, allow all hunters to use crossbows, and reduce the minimum distance that bowhunters are required to be from an occupied dwelling when using their bows.
The changes were unanimously endorsed by the board of MassWildlife following a public comment period in January and February.
Massachusetts and Maine are the two states in the country that still enforce a complete ban on Sunday hunting. The rule is an outdated relic of the past, Healey said.
“One of the funky things about Massachusetts is we have these ‘blue laws’ that go back to the Puritan times. Now, we’ve been able to overcome some of them through history. We stopped burning women at the stake and we allowed people to drink alcohol. But, we still have a Sunday ban on hunting. It doesn’t make any sense,” the governor said Thursday during a press conference at the Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area in Falmouth.
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The proposed changes come as deer populations in many parts of the state exceed population goals. MassWildlife officials have set a density goal of 12 to 18 deer per square mile, but only five of the state’s 15 wildlife management zones are within that goal, as of May 2025.
The deer density in much of central and western Massachusetts is between 18 and 30 deer per square mile, while the eastern parts of the state well exceed the goal with between 30 and 40 deer per square mile. The animals are even more abundant on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
The state maintains a program where hunters donate venison to people in need. More than 100,000 meals have been distributed through this program, Healey said.
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All told, 70% of the public comments MassWildlife received were in support of eliminating the Sunday hunting ban. Allowing hunting on Sundays will allow MassWildlife to “better manage wildlife populations, conserve biodiversity, and address agricultural damage from wildlife,” officials wrote in a detailed report about the proposed changes. Residents have been pushing for years to lift the Sunday ban.
Under current law, crossbow hunting is prohibited except for those with a permanent disability that prevents them from using a conventional bow and arrow. The crossbow hunting laws are some of the strictest in the Northeast, after states like New York and New Hampshire changed their laws, according to MassWildlife. Advocates of the proposed change told officials that crossbows are accurate and helpful for hunters that physically cannot pull back a bow. They also said that crossbows are beneficial for new hunters and older ones.
“This should be recognized as a bipartisan priority and achievement,” state Sen. Ryan Fattman, of Sutton, said in a statement. “Allowing Sunday hunting, and increasing crossbow hunting access to those with disabilities, will align the Commonwealth with most states and expand countless opportunities for residents to support conservation efforts and food security.”
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The state currently prohibits hunting within 500 feet of a dwelling except with permission. Hunting is also prohibited within 150 feet of a road. Officials are now proposing that the setback for bowhunters be reduced to 250 feet. MassWildlife noted that other densely populated states, like New Jersey and Connecticut, have less restrictive setbacks for bowhunting than Massachusetts. More than 40,000 acres of state-owned land would be opened up for bowhunting if the proposed changes go into effect.
The proposed changes are supported by Mass Audubon, which created a white-tailed deer management plan that allows hunting at some of the organization’s properties. The overabundance of white-tailed deer is having a significant negative impact on plants, ground-nesting birds, and other wildlife.
“Our position has evolved in recognition of the evidence of severe damage to forests from the overpopulation of deer in many parts of the state,” Heidi Ricci, director of policy and advocacy at Mass Audubon, said in a statement of support. “Restoring and conserving resilient forest habitats requires reductions of deer populations in much of the Commonwealth. Expanding access to hunting by modifying current laws and regulations is a step in that direction.”
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health also announced this week that it is now allowing residents to report cases of alpha-gal syndrome, a “tick bite-associated allergic condition.” Alpha-gal syndrome, also known as the “red meat allergy,” is linked to the northward expansion of lone star ticks — which often feed on white-tailed deer — due to climate change, according to officials.
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“By making alpha-gal syndrome a reportable condition by healthcare providers and laboratories, DPH will have the ability to measure the impact of this disease on public health and raise awareness among healthcare providers to improve diagnosis and management,” Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said in a statement.
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