September 2026
2026 fishing & hunting seasons
September 1: Squirrel Hunting, Zoom – Join MassWildlife staff and folks from the New England Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (BHA) for a one hour virtual class about September squirrel hunting from 6-7 p.m. This class will highlight tried and true tactics for September squirrel season, which starts the following week. There will also be time available for questions and answers. Click here to register.
September 2: Family Fishing Clinic, Lexington – Join us for a free, family friendly, learn to fish clinic at Old Reservoir from 5–7 p.m. Bring your fishing equipment or borrow ours; limited equipment and bait will be provided. Open to the public, pre-registration is required; pre-registration is required for the Family Fishing Clinic in Lexington. This event is being held in cooperation with the MassWildlife's Angler Education Program and the Lexington Recreation Department.
September 12: Disabled American Veterans Fishing Festival, Hudson – This family friendly fishing event is open to disabled veterans and their families at the Riverside Rod and Gun Club from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Bring your fishing equipment or borrow ours; equipment and bait will be provided. This event is in cooperation with the Riverside Rod and Gun Club and the Hudson AMVETS. No pre-registration is required. For more information, email Jim.Lagacy@mass.gov.
September 12: Family Fishing Festival, Andover– Join the fun at this free, family friendly, learn to fish event at Sudden Pond in the Harold Parker State Forest from 10 a.m.– 2 p.m. Bring your fishing equipment or borrow ours; limited equipment and bait will be provided. Open to the public, pre-registration is required for the Family Fishing Festival in Andover. For more information, email Jim.Lagacy@mass.gov.
September 12: Deer Scouting, Westborough – Join MassWildlife for a free event to learn how to scout for deer. This event will be held on Saturday, September 12 from 9 a.m.–12 p.m. at MassWildlife’s Field Headquarters in Westborough. During this three-hour class, you will learn what to look for when scouting for deer while out in the field. This class will be taught mostly outside and will take place rain or shine. Registration is required and space is limited. Click here to register for Deer Scouting in Westborough.
September 13: Grandparents' Day Family Fishing Festival, Westborough – Join the fun at this free, family friendly, learn to fish event at Lake Chauncy from 10 a.m.– 1 p.m. Bring your fishing equipment or borrow ours; all equipment and bait will be provided. Open to the public, pre-registration is required for the Family Fishing Festival in Westborough. For more information, email Jim.Lagacy@mass.gov.
September 13: Deer Hunting 101, Westborough – Join MassWildlife for a free event to learn deer hunting basics! This event will be held on Sunday, September 13 from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at MassWildlife's Field Headquarters in Westborough. During this in-person class, students will learn about deer biology, hunting regulations, scouting, tips for during the hunt, and what to do after the hunt. Click here to register for Deer Hunting 101.
September 16: Family Fishing Clinic, Andover– Join us for a free, family friendly, learn to fish clinic at Pomps Pond from 5–7 p.m. Bring your fishing equipment or borrow ours; limited equipment and bait will be provided. Open to the public, pre-registration is required for the Family Fishing Clinic in Andover. This event is being held in cooperation with the MassWildlife's Angler Education Program and the Andover Recreation Department.
September 17: Family Fishing Clinic, Peabody – Join us for a free, family friendly, learn to fish clinic at Crystal Lake from 5–7 p.m. Bring your fishing equipment or borrow ours; limited equipment and bait will be provided. Open to the public, pre-registration is required for the Family Fishing Clinic in Peabody. This event is being held in cooperation with the MassWildlife's Angler Education Program and the Peabody Recreation Department.
September 19: Infestation to Restoration: Managing for Invasive Species Walk, Belchertown – Join us at Herman Covey Wildlife Management Area from 9:30 – 11 a.m. for a habitat walk to explore the surprising world of invasive species. Learn how to identify the spotted lanternfly, tree of heaven, and other invasives while discovering the impacts they have on local ecosystems. Along the way, you'll learn how MassWildlife uses habitat restoration to manage invasive species and restore native habitats. Participants should be prepared for a ~1.5 mile walk and dress for the weather and walking on uneven ground. One CEU pesticide credit available for 35, 36, and CORE. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required for the Invasive Species Walk in Belchertown.
September 19: Deer Scouting, Rochester – Join MassWildlife for a free event to learn how to scout for deer. This event will be held on Saturday, September 19 from 9 a.m.–12 p.m. at Haskell Swamp Wildlife Management Area in Rochester. During this three-hour class, you will learn what to look for when scouting for deer while out in the field. This class will be taught mostly outside and will take place rain or shine. Registration is required and space is limited. Click here to register for Deer Scouting in Rochester.
September 21: Fly Fishing 101, Marlborough – Join us to learn about fly fishing gear, how to rig, and cast a fly rod, as well as tips on how to fly fish at the Marlborough Fish and Game Club from 4 – 7 p.m. Bring your fly fishing equipment or borrow ours. This class is designed for beginner fly anglers (ages 15+). Pre-registration is required for Fly Fishing 101 in Marlborough.
September 22: Family Fishing Clinic, Lincoln/Sudbury – Join us for a free, family friendly, learn to fish clinic at Camp Sewataro Fishing Pond from 4–6 p.m. Bring your fishing equipment or borrow ours; all equipment and bait will be provided. Open to the public, pre-registration is required for the Family Fishing Clinic in Lincoln/Sudbury. This event is being held in cooperation with the MassWildlife's Angler Education Program and the Lincoln-Sudbury Adult & Community Education Program.
September 23: Deer Scouting, Virtual – MassWildlife staff will share tips for finding areas to hunt, demonstrate how to use online maps to identify good deer habitat, and describe what sign to look for while scouting in the field. This class will be taught through Zoom from 6-8 p.m. Registration is required. Click here to register.
September 23: Fisheries and Wildlife Board Meeting, Westborough and Online – The September monthly business meeting of the Fisheries and Wildlife Board will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the MassWildlife Field Headquarters. Interested persons can attend the meeting either in person or via a Zoom video webinar. Register in advance to join the meeting from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android. After registering, you will automatically receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
September 24: Family Fishing Clinic, Medway – Join us for a free, family friendly, learn to fish clinic at Choate Park Pond from 4:30–6:30 p.m. Bring your fishing equipment or borrow ours; limited equipment and bait will be provided. Open to the public, pre-registration is required for the Family Fishing Clinic in Medway. This event is being held in cooperation with the MassWildlife's Angler Education Program and the Medway Parks and Recreation Department.
September 26: Reel Fun Fishing Day at Deer Island, Winthrop– Join us for a free, family friendly, learn to saltwater fish event at the Deer Island Fishing Pier from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Open to the public, pre-registration is required for the Reel Fun Fishing Day at Deer Island. This event is being held in cooperation with the MassWildlife's Angler Education Program, MA Division of Marine Fisheries, MA Water Resources Authority, The National Park Service, Boston Harbor Islands, Boston Harbor Now, and Save the Harbor Save the Bay.
September 27: Deer Scouting, Newbury – Join MassWildlife for a free event to learn how to scout for deer. This event will be held on Sunday, September 27 from 9 a.m.–12 p.m. at Martin Burns Wildlife Management Area in Newbury. During this three-hour class, you will learn what to look for when scouting for deer while out in the field. This class will be taught mostly outside and will take place rain or shine. Registration is required and space is limited. Click here to register for Deer Scouting in Newbury.
September 28: Family Fishing Clinic, Eastham – Join us for a free, family friendly, learn to fish clinic at Eastham Public Library on Depot Pond from 4–6 p.m. Bring your fishing equipment or borrow ours; limited equipment and bait will be provided. Open to the public, pre-registration is required for the Family Fishing Clinic in Eastham. This event is being held in cooperation with the MassWildlife's Angler Education Program and the Eastham Public Library.
September 30: Family Fishing Clinic, Framingham – Join us for a free, family friendly, learn to fish clinic at Lake Cochituate State Park Fishing Pier from 5–7 p.m. Bring your fishing equipment or borrow ours; limited equipment and bait will be provided. Open to the public, pre-registration is required for the Family Fishing Clinic in Framingham. This event is being held in cooperation with the MassWildlife's Angler Education Program, the Framingham Public Library, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
October 2026
October 1: Fall Turkey Hunting, Virtual – Join members of the NWTF and staff from MassWildlife for a one hour zoom panel discussion focused on 'Fall Turkey Hunting.' Topics will include laws and regulations, fall turkey hunting tactics and strategies, and fall turkey calling. The class is from 6–7 p.m. Click here to register.
October 1: Family Fishing Clinic, Shrewsbury – Join us for a free, family friendly, learn to fish clinic at Dean Park Pond from 5–6:30 p.m. Bring your fishing equipment or borrow ours; limited equipment and bait will be provided. Open to the public, pre-registration is required for the Family Fishing Clinic in Shrewsbury. This event is being held in cooperation with the MassWildlife's Angler Education Program and the Shrewsbury Recreation Department.
October 3: Fearing Pond Family Fishing Festival, Plymouth – Join the fun at this family friendly, learn to fish event at Fearing Pond in the Myles Standish State Forest from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Learn to set up your rod, tie knots, cast, and identify fish. Bring your own fishing equipment or borrow ours. No pre-registration is required; contact Jim Lagacy at jim.lagacy@mass.gov or (508) 389-6309 for more information. This event is being held in cooperation with the Friends of Myles Standish State Forest and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).
October 4: Barrens and Buck Moths Walk, Carver/Plymouth – Join MassWildlife and DCR experts for a habitat walk at the Myles Standish Complex from 1 – 3 p.m. This area, which includes MassWildlife’s Southeast Pine Barrens WMA and DCR’s Myles Standish State Forest, is one of the few places on earth where you can explore an expansive, intact pine barrens. Learn about buck moths and other Species of Greatest Conservation Need that depend on pine barrens with open tree canopy maintained by fire or other disturbance. Participants should be prepared for a ~1.5 mile walk and dress for the weather and walking on uneven ground. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required for the Barrens and Buck Moths Walk in Carver/Plymouth.
October 6: Family Fishing Clinic, Easton – Join us for a free, family friendly, learn to fish clinic at New Pond from 4:30–6:30 p.m. Bring your fishing equipment or borrow ours; limited equipment and bait will be provided. Open to the public, pre-registration is required for the Family Fishing Clinic in Easton. This event is being held in cooperation with the MassWildlife's Angler Education Program and the Easton Recreation Department.
October 7: Waterfowl Hunting 101, Virtual – Join MassWildlife staff and partners to learn all about waterfowl hunting. Topics include basic waterfowl biology and identification, laws and regulations, gear and equipment, and hunting strategies/techniques for beginner waterfowl hunters. This class will be taught through Zoom from 6–8 p.m. Registration is required. Click here to register.
October 11: Restoring Woodlands for Wildlife Walk, East Falmouth – Join us for a habitat walk at Frances Crane Wildlife Management area from 12 – 2 p.m. This remarkable place provides critical habitat for wildlife, including more than 20 species listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern. Discover how more than a decade of successful habitat restoration has transformed the area and hear about the management activities planned there for this winter. Participants should be prepared for a ~2.5 mile walk and dress for the weather and walking on uneven ground. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required for the Restoring Woodlands for Wildlife Walk in East Falmouth.
Questions about an event?
Email Mass.Wildlife@mass.gov
Event accommodations
We will do our best to accommodate any needs to allow community members to participate as fully as possible.
- Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. To submit a request for an accommodation, please email eeadiversity@mass.gov or call 617-626-1282; an ADA Coordinator will receive your request. Please include a description of the request in as much detail as possible and a way we can contact you if we need more information. Please allow at least 2 weeks’ (14 days) advance notice. Last-minute requests will be accepted but we may be unable to fulfill the request.
- Please let us know of any language interpretation requests by email to susan.sacco@mass.gov at least 72 hours before the event.
- Se pueden solicitar servicios adicionales de traducción o interpretación enviando su solicitud por correo electrónico a susan.sacco@mass.gov al menos 72 horas antes de la reunión.
- Serviços adicionais de tradução ou interpretação podem ser solicitados ao enviar um e-mail para: susan.sacco@mass.gov com pelo menos 72 horas de antecedência da reunião.
- 如需额外的笔译或口译服务，请至少在会议开始前 72 小时发电子邮件至 susan.sacco@mass.gov 提出要求.
- Ou ka mande plis sèvis tradiksyon oswa entèpretasyon lè w adrese demann ou pou imèl susan.sacco@mass.gov omwen 72 èdtan anvan reyinyon an.
- Các dịch vụ biên dịch hoặc phiên dịch bổ sung có thể được yêu cầu bằng cách gửi yêu cầu của quý vị qua email đến susan.sacco@mass.gov ít nhất 72 giờ trước cuộc họp.
- Предоставление дополнительных услуг письменного или устного перевода можно запросить, отправив просьбу по электронной почте на адрес susan.sacco@mass.gov как минимум за 72 часа до начала встречи
- Des services de traduction ou d'interprétation supplémentaires peuvent être demandés en envoyant votre demande par e-mail à susan.sacco@mass.gov au moins 72 heures avant la réunion.