- Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Media Contact for Public hearing on proposed deer regulations set for January 23
Media Contact, MassWildlife

Public hearings have been scheduled to gather public feedback about proposed regulatory changes related to deer hunting seasons, as well as new rules designed to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) to deer in Massachusetts. Scroll down for a summary of proposed changes along with information about how to attend a hearing or submit a comment.
Public hearings
January 23 at 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Zoom: The public can learn more about the proposed deer regulations and provide comments at the public hearings. Click this link to join either session on Zoom from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, or Android device; use Passcode: 246642, or join by phone: (929) 205-6099 with Webinar ID: 835 1354 3444 and Passcode: 246642.
Written comments can be submitted using this feedback form, or by mail to: MassWildlife Re: Deer Public Hearing, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581. All comments must be received by 4 p.m. on February 5, 2025.
A brief summary of the proposed regulations is outlined below.
Proposed deer regulation changes
Island deer hunting season extension
Background: Martha’s Vineyard, Elizabeth, and Nantucket Islands are facing a rapidly increasing deer population and a declining number of licensed hunters. Deer overabundance can lead to habitat damage, beach erosion, spread of tick-borne disease, and increased deer/vehicle collisions.
Proposed regulation changes:
- Create a winter primitive firearms deer season for the month of January on Martha’s Vineyard and Elizabeth Island (WMZ 13) and Nantucket (WMZ 14).
Clarifying regulations and increasing opportunities for deer hunting
Proposed regulation changes:
- Clarify that food plots are legal to use for hunting.
- Authorize the use of deer decoys for hunting during the archery-only season.
- Remove the daily antlerless bag limit. (Season limits are still in effect.)
- Authorize the use of the Youth Deer Permit for any open deer season.
- Exempt antler shed hunting from possession permit requirements. Under current laws, a tag is required for possession of any deer parts, including antlers. The proposed regulation would allow anyone to collect and possess naturally shed antlers without needing any permit, tag, or license.
CWD prevention
Background: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an untreatable disease that kills members of the deer family, including white-tailed deer and moose. While CWD has not been detected in Massachusetts, it is highly contagious and has spread rapidly across North America over the last two decades.
Proposed regulation changes:
- Sunset all remaining captive cervid operations under propagator and education permits.
- Expand deboning requirements to all states outside of New England.
The public can review the full proposed regulatory language at this link: DRAFT - DFW Deer Hunting Regulations 321 CMR 2.00 and 321 CMR 3.02
Deer hunting regulation proposals: questions and answers from the hearings
MassWildlife is committed to providing equitable access to information, public processes, resources, and programs to ensure all have the opportunity to meaningfully engage with our work and all voices are heard. Live interpretation will be available in 中文, Kreyòl Ayisyen, Português, Español, and Tiếng Việt. American Sign Language (ASL) and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) captioning will be provided. To request additional accommodations, please contact Susan Sacco at susan.sacco@mass.gov.