Sudbury Reservoir Watershed Deer Hunt

There are over 3,000 acres of undeveloped land controlled by DCR's Division of Water Supply Protection surrounding the Sudbury and Foss Reservoirs, which are the emergency water supplies for the DCR/Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) drinking water system.

DCR's watershed management goals include having an actively growing, diverse, multi-age forest for regulating stream flow, maintaining water quality, and preventing erosion. Due to the impacts on the forest surrounding the reservoir from deer, DCR opened 2,000 acres of land around the Sudbury Reservoir and Crane Swamp to hunting starting in 2019.  From 2019-2021, hunters applied for an annual hunting permit to hunt deer on designated DWSP lands in the Sudbury Watershed.

Beginning in 2022, hunting on this property requires a free five-year permit from the Division of Water Supply Protection and is open to all regulated hunting and trapping seasons designated by the MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Please note that hunting with dogs and boats is not permitted on DWSP properties. This 5-year permit also includes access to DWSP properties at Wachusett Reservoir watershed (not including the Reservoir Zone) and Quabbin Reservoir watershed (not including the Reservoir Zone).   Please see the Hunter Field Map below for hunting lands available with this permit.

Permits: Hunting Sudbury Reservoir Watershed Lands

• A free, 5-year permit from DCR's Division of Water Supply Protection is REQUIRED to hunt on the designated property in the Sudbury Reservoir watershed.

• Click here for DCR hunting access permit on Sudbury Reservoir watershed management lands.
   There is no deadline to apply.

• A valid Massachusetts Hunting License is required.

• Your permit will be emailed to the address provided on the application.  DCR has been notified that the return message with the permit is sometimes flagged as spam by email providers (hotmail, gmail, yahoo, outlook, etc.) and is sent to a junk/spam folder. To prevent this, please add [e-mail] to your “Safe Sender” list to ensure you receive your permit.  Please also check your junk/spam folder. If you have still not received your permit a week before the hunting season begins, please email [e-mail].  

• These areas are open during all regulated Massachusetts hunting seasons for all legal game as designated by the MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Please note that dogs and boats are not permitted on DWSP lands under this hunting permit.
• Deer season is the most popular with hunters.  Deer Hunting will begin on Monday, October 3, 2022 and be open until Friday, Dec 31, 2022.  All Massachusetts Deer Hunting Laws and Regulations apply.
  Archery (Zone 10): Oct. 3 - Nov. 26 (open DWSP lands around Sudbury Reservoir)
  Archery Season (Zone 9): Oct. 17 - Nov. 26 (DWSP lands at Crane Swamp in Northborough)
  Shotgun: Nov. 28 - Dec. 10 (Zones 9 and 10)
  Primitive Firearms: Dec. 12 - Dec. 31 (Zones 9 and 10)

• You must use your Zone 9 and 10 antlerless tags during this hunt
  The Sudbury Reservoir Zone in Southborough and Marlborough is in Wildlife Management Zone 10
  The Crane Swamp Zone in Southborough and Northborough is in Wildlife Management Zone 9 

Turkey Hunting

• The Sudbury Reservoir Watershed lands are open for turkey hunting during the Spring and Fall hunting seasons.  
• During certain periods of the fall season, only archery equipment is permitted;  click here for details.

Interactive Maps

The Division of Water Supply Protection (DWSP) has developed several interactive maps with detailed information about hunting areas on DWSP property.  There are two ways to access these maps: one is an online program that is accessible from your desktop computer or mobile device’s web browser; the other is through an App you can download directly to your mobile device and use in the field.  The mobile device App is recommended for use in the field.

Click on the link below to directly access the on-line program.  Please see the Instructions for Using DCR Division of Water Supply Protection's Deer Hunt Interactive Maps for information about the mobile app.

• DCR DWSP Deer Hunter Field Map Watershed Lands Open to Hunting 
  View huntable areas across the DCR Watershed System that are not part of a Controlled Hunt, including areas in the Sudbury Reservoir watershed.  Click on any location to find additional information about rules, regulations, and contact information.

Note: Location information on these maps is for reference purposes only.  The maps are not meant to be used to determine accurate location with regards to boundaries or other features.  Please obey signage and respect our neighbors.  Hunters should be aware that these maps are updated as needed and setbacks, boundaries and available features may change.  

Special Rules and Requirements for Hunting Deer on Sudbury Reservoir Watershed Lands

• Any violation of 313 CMR 11.09 will be deemed sufficient cause for revocation of hunting permit for a period of time not less than one year from the time of violation.
• All permittees MUST have a copy of their permit on them at all times.
• Access on DWSP property is one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. This will be strictly enforced.
• If you shoot a deer and it enters a restricted area or the reservoir itself call a Wachusett/Sudbury Watershed Ranger at 508-769-4199 (Hunting Hours).
• Parking is allowed in designated areas only. Do not block gates. Subject to fine or tow.
• Use of tree stands is permitted. Allowed 14 days prior to the Deer Hunting season and must be removed 30 days after the hunting season. All tree stands must be visibly labeled with Permit Number.

Deer Harvest Reporting

Harvest data is important to understand the deer populations on DCR Division of Water Supply Protection lands.  Information collected about the deer harvest helps DCR with the management and logistics of the hunts held on the Quabbin Reservoir, Wachusett Reservoir, and Sudbury Reservoir watersheds, which provide drinking water to 3 million people. 

Harvest data must be submitted to two agencies: Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) and DCR Division of Water Supply Protection (DWSP). It is a LEGAL REQUIREMENT to submit your harvest information to MassWildlife through the MassFishHunt system. It is also required that you submit your harvest information to DWSP’s database. 

Online Deer Harvest Reporting Instructions

• Each deer harvested is legally required to be reported to MassWildlife.
  • Submit data by clicking here (MassFishHunt).
  • When asked about antlered and antlerless deer in the MassFishHunt system, please select the following for all harvests on DWSP lands regardless of whether you harvested in a controlled hunt or under a 5-year permit:
    • “Was this deer harvested during a permitted or special controlled hunt”: Select “YES”
    • “Select the controlled hunt this deer was harvested during”: select “DCR Water Supply Property”
• Once you have your MassFishHunt Confirmation Number for your harvest, you must then submit your data to DWSP.  
  • Please click here to go to the DWSP on-line harvest report form. 
  • Please have your MassFishHunt confirmation number available as it is required in the DWSP report.
• Each deer harvested must be reported separately.  If you have two harvests, then two separate reports are required.
• Please answer all of the questions. You will need to examine your deer to answer some of these questions.

Deer Management Issues in the Sudbury Reservoir Watershed

Photo courtesy of Dale Monette, North Quabbin Photography

Overview

• The forest provides an important filter to the water at the Sudbury Reservoir; without that forest filter there can be a degradation of water quality.

• The current Sudbury Reservoir watershed forest originates primarily from plantations established between 1907 to 1947.  Approximately 1.75 million seedlings were planted during this period, the majority from 1913 to 1921. That means that most of DCR's Sudbury Reservoir watershed forest is over 75 years old.

• Due to deer browse and the persistence of invasive species, the Sudbury Forest is significantly lacking the regeneration needed to provide the future forest needed to replace the current overstory.

• Prior to 2019, there was no deer management in the Sudbury Reservoir watershed by the Division of Water Supply Protection.

Deer and Tree Surveys

• In 2017 and 2018, the Sudbury Reservoir was surveyed using pellet group counts to estimate deer density. 
  In both years the deer density was well above a level that allows for forest health.  Scientific literature states that deer densities above a certain threshold (20 deer/mi²) have an impact on tree regeneration and growth. 

• In 2018, Foresters surveyed tree regeneration to document and evaluate the levels of invasive species, native interfering species and the level of deer related damage (browse) in the Sudbury Forest. 
  Transects were laid out and 136 plots were surveyed.  Of those plots, 70% had no regeneration above 4.5 ft tall.  This height is generally the height of a tree that can escape the effects of deer eating them.  In fact, 63% of the plots had no tree regeneration present at all.

• The Division uses a benchmark of 2,000 stems/acre at or above 4.5 ft to ensure adequate regeneration. 
  The 2018 tree survey found that only a quarter of that goal was being met (448 stems/acre). 

• The level of deer browse was also measured at each plot.  
  Ninety-four percent (94%) of the plots found over half of the stems browsed and 56% of the plots suffered from severe damage of repeated browsing over the years resulting in the trees having a stunted appearance.

• Due to the lack of tree regeneration and the high deer density, invasive plant species have gained a significant foothold- occupying the space where trees have been previously harvested.

Deer Management

• Due to the high densities of deer and lack of tree regeneration, future forestry would be limited to salvage operations and dangerous tree removal.  This deviates from the active forest management done at our other water supply reservoirs as described in the DCR Division of Water Supply Protection 2017 Land Management Plan. 

• DCR proposed opening parts of the Sudbury Reservoir watershed to deer hunting in 2019.  A public meeting was held on September 18, 2019 and comments were taken until October 2, 2019.

• A decision was made to open 2,000 acres of Sudbury Reservoir watershed lands in 2019 for deer hunting only.

Additional Resources

Sudbury Deer Hunt Informational Meeting Presentation September 2019

Deer Hunt Reports and Surveys

• DWSP Deer Hunt Summary 2021
• DWSP Deer Hunt Summary 2020
• DCR Watershed Sudbury Hunt 2019 Survey Results