MassBowhunter

Haven'theard much about anything happening in MA so far. Anyone have any info from the check stations, personal experiences, etc.? Deer kill up, down, normal? Haven't had a chance to check a deer yet this year so I haven't talked to anyone.

I'll be heading out shortly (Very happy about yesterdays snow!!) and can't wait to hunt the rest of the season with (hopefully) snow on the ground after tomorrow's stom.

Just wondering.

jf5

I hunted Mon-Wed, and then Sat in zone 2. We have very low density where we hunt (low pressure public land). Mon/tues, nothing. Wednesday I had a deer come into my stand just after shooting light. I scared it away getting out of my blind. Saturday I still hunted and had two does come in at one of my "stops", tried to move over to catch them to see if there was a buck, but they circled around. No buck tracks in the snow. One of the guys huntingour area missed a 10 point.

Hunting zone 1 Wed-Friday this week, and then back to Zone 2 for the last Saturday.

I stopped at B & G in Westfield. No longer a check station, but did have some nice bucks in the pool. General reports from western MA has low quantity, but good quality deer.

DLuke

I just picked up a deer at a meat cutters in Fall River. He said this year has been extremely busy for him...out straight.. DL

djgj200

My hunting experiences are in the Quabbin Deer Hunt thread.

So far deer kill has been way down in the Quabbin. One guy on the board here says 30-35 deer in Petersham, I don't think enough deer were shot at to make 20 killed in Hardwick. I would be surprised if 20 were killed.

Like JF said, low quantity but high quality deer. The only deer I saw was a monster buck. Buck of a lifetime. I would say probably a mainframe 12 point typical with some kickers. That is a guess, didn't get a good look. I though it would have been too good to be true for a first deer and it was, I missed him. My dad saw a big doe too.

Mike Hill

This is the worst year shotgun I have ever had I have seen very few deer and the ones I did see were all spooked. And this is from a guy who usually gets 2 or 3 deer during shotgun. Thank god for bow season and out of state. Well 2 more days. Maybe the black powder season will be better. I know one thing I hope it don't get any colder. Good Luck Mike

djgj200

This is the worst I have heard a shotgun season go. Especially in the Quabbin. I don't have much experience with deer let alone the shotgun season for deer, but I definitely believe you when you say this is the worst shotgun deer season.

MassBowhunter

I know my season has been dead.(A few trespasserswho came in off the highway and put up stands on posted land certainly didn't help the cause.)All I saw was 1 doe and3 yearlings. And that was on a video my Mother took of them wandering aroundher backyard. Seems like the check stations and butchers are pretty busy though so I guess folks are getting deer somewhere. Looking forward to the '05 harvest numbers. At least it seems like we'll have cold weather and snow on the ground for most of the BP season.

neck4752

Im up in zone 10 but not all of zone 10 has huge densities where I am is about 5 deer per square mile i was told versus some areas south that are 20. Anyway I seen 3 deer during bow season. Only really been out once with the shotgun. Im goin out today. Its gonna be nasty with that wind! good luck to you all.
PS out of my area and a few other guys I think I have heard of 3 deer taken. That kinda sucks. Opening day of shotgun I counted seven shots all day which is down from the usual 25 or so over the past two years.

Jim

djgj200

Where in Zone 10? I live in Zone 10. Where I am there isn't a ton of deer, maybe a little over 5/sq. mile. We produce some good deer though. Not world class but nice 8-10 point racks withgood mass is pretty common around here.

About 5 minutes from my house, the next town over, last year there was a massive 9-point that got hit by a car. Below is a picture of the buck.

I know down in the Middleborough area they have a good deer population but down there it is mostly swamps and lots of ticks!!!

djgj200

Here is another picture of the buck. This buck weighed 210-220 dressed. It goes to show you the potential of deer in Massachusetts, although we don't have the high densities as other states.