Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Just wondering how many of us there are on this site? Won't be long till' the Opener!

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

i can't wait for the opener wish it was today. stands and blinds all set, got the first three days off. then i have the last week in october off and the first week in november. i hunt zone 6 in belchertown.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

I hear ya there big ten.....have been hunting the same area for a couple years so, I know it fairly well...I will be going in again soon for a quick peek before the Opener, but I already know where I'll be.....I hunt Zone 11 Plymouth County....looking forward to this year...I have the 1st 2 days off and another couple the last week of October....

Keep in touch, good to talk to some other Mass. Bow guys!

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Same here as well I hunt zones 7 and 8 for the most part. I also started hunting Connectict last year as their season opens on September 15th so at least I don't have to wait to much longer to hunt some deer. I also try to get out during bear season. It helps me with all of the waiting for deer season.

HH

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Best of luck guys. I'll be looking for pics and bidding my time until Shotgun season.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

I am also a zone 11 hunter. I have been shooting and puting uo stands now this week. I still have a bunch of stands to go. I am looking forward to the season I am hoping for a banner year. I am hunting a bunch of new places this year I sure hope they pan out.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Best of Luck to you guys....keep me posted as to how you do....still looking for my 1st with a bow....hoping this is the year.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Good Luck Fellas, I will be hunting Zone 8 & 9 this year. I still have a few stands to place before the season.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Gonna beat Z11 up real bad this year. Have a Z3 doe permit on the way and will get a Z11 or two when they go on line. Loads of places all ready to go which I won't see again until the wind is right.
I'm gonna go out monday. Figure to get a jump on the season...
Make sure you send your five bucks in if you drew a doe permit. Not that I would shoot a doe, but they are nice to have. Well, I guess i'm gonna pop the first doe I see and then work on antlers. Bridgewater,Halifax,Norwell, Scituate,Pembroke,Hanson,Marshfield are all looking pretty good and I hope to hit East mountain and Beartown areas if time permits. Like those woods, but we have more deer here in the burbs if you can find a place to hunt. I do think the Western part of the state is picking up due to a lack of hunters. Some really big deer there.. See yuh in the woods and if you see anyone in my stand ask them nicely to leave. "Without" the stand!

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

I can't wait.. Got 4 stands set. Lots of sign..
I'll be hunting zones 1 - 3. Had one stand stolen the other day... Ba@#$ds!

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

I am almost ready! Start hunting in NH Sept 15th and then Mass...I have some stands set up and have been seeing some nice deer on the trail cam...check out the pics

http://www.huntingnet.com//forum/tm.aspx?m=2157073

I think I got like 2 8 pointers and a 10 in there....

HJim

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

I agree, the mild witners really helped,and gun pressure is way down. There still are way more deer in the east though. Funny how it changes through the years. It used to be all about western MA.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

You are right... I remember driving over Beartown & October Mtn years ago and seeing dozens of cars lined up at a time. It was a see of orange up there. All it would take is for one hunter to get ansy and start walking. Kick some deer up and all hell would break loose!
Now you are lucky to see 1 -2 vehicles over the entire mountain. Works for me!
The deer densities are down in some areas out here, but very abundant in others.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Works for me too. :)We used to hunt 3 back in the 80's. You couldn't even get a hotel room in Great Barrington!!The rush to "get in" before the madness started opening day...and the fast decline of sigtings after the deer smartened up.

Now I hunt many publicareas of 1,2 and 4N and rarely see hunters. Its nice to see deer acting natural the second week of shotgun. The mgt could be better but I'll take the light pressure.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

JF5,
I only hunt zones 1,2, & 3. Primarily 2 & 3. I have lots of little "pockets" with the bow that hold deer. Usually good for a doe or 2 the first couple of days.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Good luck, although it sounds like you don't need it. Some nice areas in 3..even on public lands

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Going in this weekend for 1 last peek......maybe trim a couple new trees for my climber.....1 more trip to the archery store and I am ready to rock....getting close now Boys!!

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

yea ill be out in zone 11 westport ma and ill be hunting my spots.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

im in zone 5yall got stands set up and ready to rock em got a nice 10pnt set up for this fall how many yall got your doe tags i got mine

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

I have my Doe tags coming......I'm ready....need some venison

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

I've got my tags comin' soon. So does my father...

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

It's kind of funny. When I was a kid back in the 50's and 60's there wern't any deer around my area (zone 11) And as far as huning went you went west or don't bother in Mass. I left Mass in 1971 and returned in 1993 only to fine that everything has flipped around. Funn what can happen in 20 years. I think in another 20 years there will be no hunting in Eastern Ma. There just will be nowhere to hunt unless you want to fight the crowds that will flock to public land.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

I agree Mike.....I think we have alot of deer here.....but not alot of land to hunt them on.....I want to move North....deer herds are on the rise up there...and there is alotof land to hunt....everything is getting built up in zone 11.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Ya know Partsjay I know what you are saying but I still have more areas then I could ever hunt. All the little pockets of land hold deer and I love hunting small pockets they are much easier to figure out. I shot the biggest deer of my life (53 years) last year ot of a small pocket with my muzzle loader I aslo shot 2 other deer with my muzzle loader off the same stand. That was the best black powder season I ever had. So don't give up hunt those small pockets you may be plesently suprised.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Hey Sox fans im in zone s9 and 10 and ready to whack'em. Its nice to see some Mass guys here. I'm hoping to get my first bowkill this year but its gonna be tough. There are too many NO HUNTING towns near me and skittish landowners. Sweettalk only goes so far when you ask a soccer mom if you can kill bambi in her backyard hehe.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Fitz.. I got some pals who nail them in the Millis, Mendon and over to Franklin. Squeeze yourself into 10 acres and you might be surprized.
Have you checked with the division on WMA's in your area. Take a ride out to their headquartersin Westborough and pick up some WMA maps.
Don't overlook Hopkington either!!! Lots of woods and we don't need a ton of space and keep asking landowners.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

I too am still looking to get my first bow kill. I'm actually still looking to get a deer in Mass. I really got out a bunch last year from bow to muzzleloader and didn't see a deer! I hunt zone 9 and I'm stuck on public property.

I went out scouting on Sunday to try to find some new places to hunt. I think I found a couple spots. Now I just need to get back in there next weekend and really do some scouting to find a tree for my climbing stand. There area couple fields that I have access to on public land that I'm hoping will be productive for me this year.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

A friend of mine knew someone like that until she got lyme disease. Now she wants them all dead. Try adding it to the discussion. You never know.

HH

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Can't believe everyone else in the world is already hunting and us Mass guys are still waiting. Just don't know why they can't open it any earlier. Does not make any sense. My best stand got bulldozed this week for a new house or two. The tree and the stand are both gone.
I may be doing alot more roadtrips to my spots in Z3 as it's getting tough around here to even find a few spots to hunt where the stands of everyone else are like Christmas decorations.I'm down to a 1/2 dozen sites around here in Z11...

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Planter,

I hunt south of the border (CT) for $100 you get 4 tags and can hunt from Sept 15th thru the end of the year. Can't beat it.

HH

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

I am also from western ma and have been hunting CT for the last couple weeks. i thought i had some really nice state land all scouted out, lots of trail camera pics from a spot under an apple tree. and then i stayed out completely for the last week before the opener on saturday 9/15. just to come to my stand opening mourning to not find my trail camera where i left it and then i hunted that stand all day sat,mon,and tues and seen one deer 50 yds in brush, when i was seeing 7 different deer every mourning on the cam for weeks before that. tough luck i guess.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Tribute,

It has been slow for me as well. I hunted opening and one other evening. Just to darn hot to hunt. I will be back at it tomorrow when it cools down. Good luck. Hopefully your trail cam was not stolen. There seems to be a lot of that going around these days.

HH

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

I still can't believe the rest of the world is hunting and I'm just scratching myself waiting.Two more weeks of waiting is gonna kill me. Using the time to hang a couple of Loggy Bayou cheap seats. Boy I wish they still made them. $39.00 so it never mattered if I left them out year round or if someone pinched one.
PS.. Extra doe tags on line 10/9 @ 12:01 AM
I should have hunted CT... I even had a few little parcels I could have hunted.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

On occasion, just too busy these days

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

I haven't hunted CT yet this year...
My buddies are doing well.
Between the 2 of them, 3 bucks (5 & 2 8 points... one beauty).. and 2 does.. plus 2 wounded (both 6 points).1 wound was a shoulder shot... the other I do not know the details of.
I hope to get out next week w/ them!

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Feeling really good about some of my stands. Found a shed off a 12pt yesturday at one of my later season spots and found a BIG 8 pt shed at anothera couple a weeks ago. Both were chewed up a bit but these deer had the nerve to shed them within shooting range of my trees. Silly deer although I did not see either of those bucks last year.
As a side note, both those sheds were found in areas (small) that I can smell bacon cooking and hear the school bus picking up kids a few 100 yards away. Big deer do like those little chunks of woods.
Clock is ticking guys..see yuh in the woods.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Just catching up with this thread, Zone 11 should be great this yr. Found a couple of new stands near mine, but no one touched my set up so thats a relief. Are you guys hunting any where near Danielson, CT? Friend of mine lives out there and offered to show me around, I just havn't had time to take him up on the offer. Pheasants on Sat and Deer on Mon, here we go.

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

I'm looking good for next week I'm holding 2 doe tags for 14 as well as my 2 antlered.

I'm going F@$%ing Crazy sitting in my office counting down unable to focus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! !!!
Fever Spreading! Must Hunt Soon!!!!!!

RE: Massachusetts Bow Hunters?
 

Missed a pheasant and a woodcockfirst thing this morning ----- now thats out of my system so its time to stare at the wall until Monday morning.