Opening day of archery season
Massachusetts
Are we the last state to start archery season? And who decides the date because its different every year.
In MA we get 9 weeks total, 6 wks archery, 2 wks shotgun, 1 wk ML. This is determined by legislature not MA Wildlife.
It shouldn't be this way but MA being MA, it is. MA Wildlife is scared of the moonbats at the state house and will not seek control over management decisions, as they should.
I voiced this at a MA Wildlife meeting many years ago and was told "you're lucky you get that much".
In most other states the wildlife agency controls season dates based on science. Not here, it's all politics.
MA. makes it so tough for us, just want to bow hunt. Even N.H. opened their deer season on the 15th, just brutal but it will not change. I have fought with high channels to say, they wont do it. Just give us the Sunday bow hunt, foooooooooooooooolish!
Just to clarify muzzleloader runs to Dec 31st....
You caught that for me Let's Go.
The Archery start is earlier than it used to be, I remember that trusty first Monday of november date well.
That said, I believe they updated it last year or the year prior to always have hunting open the week of turkey day. I believe the new "rule" is basically that:
Archery start is determined by counting 6 weeks back from the saturday after thanksgiving.
Shotgun is 2 weeks starting the monday after thanksgiving.
ML runs from the end of SG to the 31st.
this year it feels later than normal becuase of the later turkey day.
Will
It has everything to do with people wanting to go on fall walks and be safe than it has to do with anything else. It's ridiculous but that's the state we live in.
Then again, we have so few deer (comparatively) it just shortens the frustration.
I hate to disagree but I think that is just an excuse Sage. just like the "if we allow hunting on Sunday then no one can enjoy the woods during hunting season" sorry but it's just a BS excuse they use. Hunters are disliked in MA. Hunters are looked down upon in MA. to 'them' we're nothing but red neck killers looking to shoot any/every animal we see.
I'm sorry but it really frustrates me. We (hunters) help pay for the state lands. our licenses help to fund MA Wildlife. Every year we have to 'donate' $5/ year to the MA wild lands. We pay the state to manage the wildlife in MA. Think of that. They take our $$ and in return they allow us to manage the wildlife in MA by hunting. but to the people of this state we are a nuisance.
sorry to go off, not going off on anyone rather on MA itself.
I suspect the majority of the money collect, even thru does tags sales, goes to raising pheasants and stocking trout.
It just seems like it starts so late.
I would like it earlier however as Will stated it used to be much later and only a 3 weeks.I remember when it went to 10/15 I gave up small game and waterfowl because of the earlier start. I think at one point it was one week if memory serves me right. We used to get only 1 week of gun and there was no ML when I started but I guess im showing my age.
Bad juju. That's what I was implying. It's ridiculous. No reason not to start earlier. My last comment was tongue in cheek.
Remember they pushed the start back a week when they opened it for thanksgiving week going forward. It used to be because of the way Calender fell every 4 th year the season was close thanksgiving week. Doesnt happen that way anymore.
my bad, and sorry to go off. just frustrated.
the $5 wildlands 'tax' is supposed to go to securing new lands and maintaining existing lands. it's a mandatory tax in addition to the cost of the license.
the federal excise tax for hunting / fishing gear is allocated back to the states based on land area and hunting/fishing licenses sold.
I guess my point is that hunters and fishermen/women pay to fund MA Wildlife in excess of our state taxes. We pay more because we use the land more than other residents. And I'm actually OK w/ that providing the state and MA Wildlife returns this in more access and a better hunting/fishing experience. The trout and pheasant stocking is a part of this. I wonder how much $$ goes into that and what the ROI is on it.
Correct Proline, but we should be open Oct. 1st at the latest!
I guess my main gripe is that MA Wildlife is restricted from managing wildlife (in this case whitetail deer) based on science. They should keep politics out of it.
Personally I dont care that it isnt open Oct 1. There are other states very close to us (with more deer) that open early so we can go there if needed. I also dont think we have enough deer in this state anymore that herd could take additional culling. If archery opened earlier the gun hunters would be seeking the same.
Personally I dont care that it isnt open Oct 1. There are other states very close to us (with more deer) that open early so we can go there if needed. I also dont think we have enough deer in this state anymore that herd could take additional culling. If archery opened earlier the gun hunters would be seeking the same.
I agree with that. Aren't many deer here compared to other states. Maybe they should shorten the season for a few years. I know that's not popular but it could be what's needed for a rebound.
There are still too many deer. Same with turkeys. Over populated. Doing more bad then good.
When I lived in NJ, I had plenty of hunting opportunities and miss the time in the field. I took only the deer I needed even though I could have shot unlimited does. I never felt the need to hunt out of state because of the season and the herd.. Here, I will now start doing some hunting out of state b/c of the short season and smaller herd here. That also means that i will spend less money here and more in other states that help their economy and not ours.
I'd love to go to an 10/1 start, but if could have anything it would be Sundays and the 150' rule.
Not everywhere bowhunter3176. It's not even close to what is was 10 years ago.
Too clarify, I'm talking about statewide. Some pockets in zone 10 have higher densities and some guys I know in 11 say numbers are higher but overall the herd is not what it was. Mass wildlife has acknowledge they are getting closer to there density goals in zone 9 and 10.
To clarify also, season dates are set by regulation by masswildlife and not controlled or set by the legislature, as someone posted. The season length is the same every year, but where it falls in October depends on when Thanksgiving falls. This year it is late. Regulations are set by the fish and wildlife board, following public hearings and with scientific supporting input from masswildlife biologists. Regulations can be looked at/changed if the board or masswildlife receives official requests from interested parties. Here is the actual language of the reg that sets the archery season.
2. a. Beginning on the sixth Monday prior to Thanksgiving and ending on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving, all days inclusive, except on the tribal lands of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head in the Town of Aquinnah in Dukes County, there shall be a special season for archers exclusively and during this period deer may be hunted only by means of a bow and arrow.
Would love to be hunting now (like they are in NH, CT and RI), but also realize that herd is managed by harvest and, typically, the longer the season, the more harvest and something would likely have to give (issue less tags or something). Either way, this weather is killing me....
I have no problem with the seasons the way they are now but what do you think about changing the buck limits to one buck per season with a max of 2 like one in bow and maybe one in shot gun and if you get a doe permit then great you can harvest a extra deer
One buck period would be fine with me. I tried my butt off to F&G to go to one buck tag a few years back. Did no good. They claim very few take two bucks which likely is frue. My point was that everyone only had one buck tag some guys would hold off on those spikes and forks they take if they only had one tag. Lot of young bucks go down because guys know they still have another tag. Like BC eluded to its all politics. F&G doesn't manage the herd for the hunting opportunity.
there should be antler restrictions on bucks
If that's the case something has changed or MA Wildlife is not being completely honest about what they can or can not do.
In the 90's we petitioned MA Wildlife to consider authorizing a late season hunt (Jan) because deer were decimating landowners shrubs at that time of year. It would be very effective to use bowhunting as a management tool.
We were told that in order to make a change in the established season or authorize additional time, would require a change in MA law. Changing the MA statute, we were told, required action by the legislature.
This was from the Deer Project manager (at that time).
yea...there has been a bill introduced the last couple of years, which would give the Director (or commissioner...I can't remember the wording) sole legal discretion to set season dates and what species can be hunted.
it dies in committee or never gets called for a vote.
however...I will say...A longer season with no change in bag limits will decimate the herd in areas where is small already.
unless of course they limit open season to zones...and if they do you will hear every hunter in tha zone complaining about being overrun with hunters from other zones trying to take avantage of the longer season...
just my2c
You can't hunt sunday cause i want to walk my dog and kids on the lands you paid for with your 5 dollar wildlife stamp she said. Plus i like to ride my horse in there and its dangerous for me to be riding with all you psycho hunters in there shooting at any thing that moves. Sometimes i like to just go in there with my binoculars and watch wildlife. but these dam pesky hunters are always in the way. can't we just make them pay the 5 dollar wildlands aquisition stamp and throw them out.
