- Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
"This course was amazing. Thanks to everyone who makes it what it is!” This complimentary quote came from one of seventeen novice women deer hunters who recently participated in MassWildlife’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Deer Hunt Program.
On opening day of the shotgun season on November 29, seventeen women experienced a guided deer hunt with the assistance of volunteer mentors at Fort Devens. The hunt day dawned clear and cold with light breezes. Nearly all the women saw deer and all participants enjoyed their hunt. Two women harvest their first deer ever, sharing that the experience was both exciting and overwhelming. MassWildlife expresses sincere appreciation to our enthusiastic and dedicated volunteer mentors who shared their knowledge and support with these new hunters.
To prepare for the mentored hunt, the women attended a virtual seminar in October where they learned about deer biology and management, hunting regulations, where to find places to hunt deer, and deer hunting tips. Later in the month, they took part in an in-person field seminar at the Shirley Rod and Gun Club where they learned about proper clothing and other useful hunting gear, spent time on a shooting range, discovered how look for deer sign, estimated distances and when to shoot or not shoot at a deer, and followed a blood trail.
Click here to learn more about MassWildlife's Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Program and learn how to subscribe to become notified of upcoming workshops.
