New dates archery deer
Massachusetts
Zone 1-9 oct 21 start Zone 10-14 oct 7 start
Man do I wish we cold get that earlier start out here in the Berkshires... I get it though...
Oct 21 sounds awfully late for 1-9??? it was the 15th in 2018 anc by law it has to be 6 weeks prior to the monday following thanksgiving...
yup, just checked the calendar...late thanksgiving this year (11/28)
Well, Ill definitely invest in a CT license again this year... almost 6 weeks earlier this year than my areas of MA. That said, time to open outlook and pencil in the fall. Just so everyone knows, I'm unavailable from Sept 15 through Nov 28, with sporadic availability through the new year :)
Interesting Will, I know a lot of guys hunt the neighboring states but it never occurred to me to try. 6 weeks is a lot of time though....
Will, come with me to NY! hunt in the am...train midday...hunt the eve... pure bliss lol.
The dates are always different each year as they always start on a Monday. CT on the other hand always starts on the 15th. I’m with you Will!
Thumbs up Spike. Hick, that sounds super fun. Besides, what deer camp dosent want a 45 year old in spandex walking around :) ha ha ha! That said, in all seriousness, if one was to kill a deer, do you know if there are butchering services that work fast out there? Can't bring whole deer back correct?
correct, but you could bone it out and keep in on ice for a while. haven't nailed down a location yet, but I'm sure finding a butcher wont be too hard
Killing is the hard part, the butchering part is easy. Gutless method in the field. It really is extremely easy and almost no mess. And a hell of a lot easier to carry out several game bags than dragging the entire beast. Skinning a deer when it is still warm is like peeling off a glove. Take it all the way and debone right there or carry quarters back to the truck or camp and do the deboning at your leisure. You do not need to check it in immediately like you do in Mass. You take it down to roasts and big chunks in no time at all. Do the steaks and other fine cuts when you get home.
Tekoa
Guys, it's a "late calendar" this year. I was laughing at the shotgun start date, December 2nd. Like the old school 1st full week of December. Ungie, would you do a October 1st start, but drop last 2 weeks of muzzleloader to protect the deer yards ?
Now and I usually don't shoot does what's the story on the endless doe permits in the south east seems I heard guys on here shooting several does out here your lucky if you draw 1 doe tag my buddy finally drew one this year after many years trying I'm in z6 I'm talking about 10 11 12
Will how long for u to get to CT
Tekoa correct me if I’m wrong. Since we can check it in online then once we get confirmation number then we should be allowed to cut up in woods?
Snowshoe.
There are so many does down here that you can just walk into the woods and kill them with a rock !!!
All kidding aside it depends where you are if you have a large doe herd. I don’t like to travel to far ( 15 ) min. One of the areas I hunt has a couple of does the other has a couple of does so on and so on. There is an area I used to hunt that is about 40 min away that has at least 7-10. I primarily hunted just two areas this past year and i learned a lot. I would see the same deer over and over again during the season. I am in those specific deers core area. Move a mile or so in another direction and you see different deer over and over again. Sooner or later if you take those deer out of the herd they might be replaced by other deer, but keep in mind Those deer had to come from somewhere
Let these guys keep killing a ton of does and watch what happens. They will be looking for new places to hunt or wondering why they aren’t seeing as many does as they used to. We are our own worst enemy sometimes. It is up to us to be the stewards of the forest and think about the future. This is not a renewable resource that will never be depleted.
At least that is the way I approach Hunting. I like to see deer when I go out to hunt. Time is very valuable to me and if I keep shooting everything I see ( because I have the tags ). Then I will keep having to look for new areas to hunt every couple years. I am getting older and lazy. I like my spots because they are easy access and no one hunts them. Other hunters just screw things up unless they know the normal habits of the deer
Exactly dthfrabove they should stop the doe permits for a coupel of years maybe not in zones that are over run if I ever could find one of them in this state lol bucks only 4 points or better as I said I don't shoot does and I pass small bucks and I seem to kill one every few years but that's from scouting spending tons of time in the woods I have no problem with people shooting does in the zone I live zone 6 you got to be on your game to kill a good buck this year I missed a big buck but I also passed several small bucks that I could have killed it's hard out this way but I've killed some monsters over the years I'll be back on the cape in a few weeks checking out a early season spot down there
Totally spot on dthfrabove. You guys down there seem to still have a lot of deer but the tide will turn in time. I’ve seen lit in zone 10. The numbers are way down from years of doe tags but that’s what f&g wants.
True point DFA.
Moons, depends on the spot. 55' to one spot if 290 in Worcester is clear and the pike is good... But on average, I'd say 60' to one area, 1:05-1:10 to another area and 1:20 to another. Those are the spots I mostly hunt, there are a few others that are in the 60' to 1:10 range.
Worcester is the killer. The Pike can be dicey... But if I leave 5' late I could sit on 290 in Worcester for 30' and the whole thing is off.
This sucks ! :{
Just saying,.. but on the plus side,. like many of you I was out early last year hunting (first day) way before rut,.. spoiling my sites,.. happy to be hunting,.. scenting them up. Someone here mentioned backing off till rut , and waiting for perfect wind,.. that is my plan this year for a buck...
Ya I know ,.. good luck
This late date,.. forces me to wait later,.. well ya gotta find something positive about it?
I wanna cry about the late start date,... ! LOLOLOL
I have one small spot in CT I usually sit a few times a year.. can be good to break the ice with a small buck or doe or 2 early. I lost my good CT spot when it sold a couple years back. That place was unbelievable. That's where I shot my big velvet and 2 small velvets!
I only have 1 spot left in NY as well. The other I guess I could still hunt, but the guy put a shooting range in the small piece, so I don't expect much daylight activity. My current NY spot is also usually good for a small buck and a doe... good meat spot.
MA starting the 21st out here is going to be torture... the 15th is hard enough to wait for! Lol
You'd think the commonwealth wouldn't miss an opportunity to take money from people. Maybe stop competing with RI, NH, and CT with earlier archery dates. Would anyone pay a fee for an early archery season tag? I probably would. You can hunt does in VA til March I believe. Only thing is, you might be scooping out a fetus with your gut pile. Meh. I'd rather smack one early on.
You'd think the commonwealth wouldn't miss an opportunity to take money from people. Maybe stop competing with RI, NH, and CT with earlier archery dates. Would anyone pay a fee for an early archery season tag? I probably would. You can hunt does in VA til March I believe. Only thing is, you might be scooping out a fetus with your gut pile. Meh. I'd rather smack one early on.
You'd think the commonwealth wouldn't miss an opportunity to take money from people. Maybe stop competing with RI, NH, and CT with earlier archery dates. Would anyone pay a fee for an early archery season tag? I probably would. You can hunt does in VA til March I believe. Only thing is, you might be scooping out a fetus with your gut pile. Meh. I'd rather smack one early on.
I liked the earlier season this year, although I did not harvest one during it. I was talking to someone from WV today. WV started a "Heritage Hunt" I think it is called, a late season only 4 days of which you can only hunt with traditional implements, longbow/recurve or flintlock or side percussion BP. I think it would be cool in Mass to do one 2 weeks after Dec 31 for 1 week only. Let the woods rest from Dec 31 to around Jan 14 then one week "Heritage" style.
I'm not for antler restrictions. I see the tradition of hunting Mass as meat hunting, not trophy. Again, look how many incredible bucks we're harvested in Mass in 2018. The really good hunters usually find them every year. I'm not one of them. If I can beat a 4 yr old doe... I think I have accomplished something. Cheers
A week the beginning of January for buck only, archery only would be nice here. One last chance to fill a tag while they still have their head gear. Let's Go
I would pay extra for an early season opportunity
