Buy a surplus Antlerless Deer Permit

• Zones 3, 7, 8, 9, and 12 are sold out.
• Zones 10, 11, 13, and 14 are available for purchase throughout the entire 2024 season and have no daily or season purchase limit.

You need a hunting license in order to purchase a surplus antlerless deer permit. The easiest way to buy a license or a surplus permit is online through the MassFishHunt system. In-person sales are also available at license vendor locations. 

2024 Surplus ADP information

• Tuesday, September 24 at 9 a.m.: Surplus ADPs in zones 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14 go on sale.
  • Zone 9 are first-come, first-served and limited to 1 permit per day.
  • Zones 10, 11, 13, and 14 have no daily or season purchase limit and are available for purchase throughout the entire 2024 season.
• Wednesday, September 25 at 9 a.m.: Surplus ADPs in zones 3, 7, 8, and 12 go on sale.
  • Zones 3, 7, 8, and 12 are first-come, first-served and limited to 1 permit per zone per day.

Tips to improve your chances of getting a limited permit
A limited number of zone 9 permits go on sale at 9 a.m. on September 24 and are likely to last throughout the day. A more limited number of permits for zones 3, 7, 8, and 12 go on sale at 9 a.m. on September 25 and are likely to sell out very quickly. Prepare ahead of time to improve your chances of getting a zone 3, 7, 8, or 12 permit.

• Purchasing online through MassFishHunt is your best chance for securing a limited surplus permit. Make sure you know your email address and password to log in. Make sure you have already purchased your hunting or sporting license beforehand. Log into MassFishHunt by 8:50 a.m. on September 25 and refresh the page at 9 a.m. Do not log in on more than 1 internet browser or device. After you add a permit to your cart, it will be reserved for 4 minutes.
• If you are purchasing at a MassWildlife office, arrive on time as sales begin promptly at 9 a.m. Make sure you have purchased your hunting or sporting license beforehand and bring your customer ID. You will only be able to buy one surplus permit at a time per person. If you plan to buy for someone else, you will be asked to wait in line again to ensure the process is fair for other waiting customers. Note: only cash or checks are accepted at MassWildlife offices.

Printing your permit

After purchase, you will receive an email with your permit attached so you can print it from the convenience of your home. You can also access your permit to reprint at any time by logging into your MassFishHunt account.

About Antlerless Deer Permits

Antlerless Deer Permits (ADP) are required to harvest antlerless deer (deer without antlers or antlers less than 3” long) in Massachusetts. Hunters can only harvest antlerless deer in the zone specified on their ADP.

Each year, MassWildlife allocates a certain number of ADPs for each wildlife management zone to meet deer management goals in different areas of the state. Hunters with a valid hunting or sporting license can apply for an ADP in the wildlife management zone of their choice; the deadline for applying is July 16 each year. The difference between allocation and demand determines the odds of winning an ADP.

In some years, and in some zones, hunter demand is lower than the number of allocated ADPs. When this happens, the odds of winning a permit in that zone are 100% and MassWildlife can offer Surplus Antlerless Deer Permits. Hunters with a valid hunting or sporting license can buy Surplus ADPs even if they did not previously apply for a permit. Surplus ADPs usually go on sale in late September and provide additional opportunity for hunters and minimize the number of permits that go unused.

Learn more about deer management in Massachusetts.