BigBuck28

Would you support an antler restriction in MA. I live on the cape and i think it would make some really nice deer. Its so hard to let the younger deer walk when you knowthat the guy down the road will def wack him.

Horizontal Hunter

I would support it if it would be enforced. Unfortunately there are a lot of hunters out there with the "if its brown its down" mentality. What I would really like to see is more (ie: more than 1) bow hunting only areas throughout the state. There are quite a few in Connecticut and it is a real pleasure to be able to hunt these areas during all of the seasons with a bow. I emailed Bill Woytek about it and his response was that there is one and that was the end of that.

HH

Mike Hill

I really don't think I could support such a law. There are so many deer now that we have to control them any way we can even by taken imature bucks. If we don't do it our way belive me when I tell you they will do it theirs and that won't be benificial to us.

I do like the idia of bow hnting only areas such as in Brocktoin where the deer are everywhere but there is a no discharge of a firearm law. So to let you know there are quite a few bow hunting only areas out there. Contact the fish and game department they have a list of the no firearms discharge citys and towns and most of them allow bow hunting.

jf5

I would be for it in the western Zones, but in central and eastern MA the herd needs to be kept down to acceptable levels due to the dense human populations.

I am against makingbow only zones. Why serve one segment of the hunting population that already benefits from suburban deer, long seasons, and no-discharge laws?? I would only support that in areas that are currently closed to hunting.

But in reality, all the AR's in the world won't mean anything without habitat work.

BigBuck28

I live in the eastern zones and there arnt as many deer as they say there are.. and i ahve been to nantucket and there arnt 20 deer per sqaure mile at all. The deer down here on cape cod dont have the chance to get really big bc everyone kills everything that coems buy them. And in PA they have more deer than we have and they have some nice bucks...

jf5

40 DPSM reported for Nantucket by F & G but I think they overstate the density statewide.

They are shotting big bucks all over central and eastern MA. But if you still feel they are not any there, come hunt western MA. The density is very low in zones like 2,4n, 4s, and the western end of 5. But the pressure is way downtoo,so there are mature deer to be hunted. Just get ready to see allotless deer overall.

But we are taking more trophy deer in MA now than ever. Worcester county espcially. (Check out Northeast Big buck club)Remember, they are allot harder to see, and even harder to harvest.

PA is not comparable toMA. Different soils, habitatterrain and herd.

BigBuck28

i agree 100% with yah jf5... PA is a diff type of world. an i have been to westen MA and its god counrty.. i love just going out there never mind hunting it.....

neck4752

They say that zone 10 is overpopulated but I dont see that many deer. There are areas that are loaded like Ipswich but they dont allow hunting. Not even with a bow.

How many deer are you guys in MA seeing in a season that you are for passing up on young bucks?

Jim

jf5

Well, in zones10 and 11"overpopulated" means too many deer for the density of people. Car collisions and garden damage and the like. They want to keep the deer populations in check with acceptable levels to the non-hunting public. Off course you and I would love to see more deer

I currently hunt western MA. I see very few deer during shotgun season. I am not the best hunter, butnot the worst either, so take that for what it is.Deer density in much of western MA is low IMO. habitat is the issue. I do pass on does in covers that I feel need the deer. But will take one out of covers I feel could use a doe harvest. I never pass on legal bucks and I see very few of them while hunting. (Seen decent amounts scouting and the like)

My recent seasons:

2003 I huntedzone 3 for 6 days of shotgun.I saw two deer. My buddy shot a button (only deer he saw), I got nothing.

2004 Zone 2, 7 days shotgun. Me and buddy saw no deer at all.

2005 Zone 2, 4 days,I saw3 deer. Zone 1,2 days I saw 12 deer and took a small buck.

2006 Zone 2, 5.5 days, saw zero deer. Zone 1, 2.5 days, saw2 deer. No harvest.

Retaks

I currently live in PA where they have the antler restrictions and i think its a good thing. Ive been seeing larger deer because of it. I lived in AL and hunted alot in FL, GA, and MS and they all have small deer there unless you go to a ranch. In PA the average deer is 6 to 8 points. Down there the average deer as lucky to make it to 4 points.