Deer Hunting Season Expanded Into February On Nantucket And Martha's Vineyard

The state announced new regulations on Wednesday to expand the deer hunting seasons on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, with a six-week winter primitive firearms and bowhunting season from January 1 through February 14.

The move was made in recognition of the fact that the islands have the highest deer densities in Massachusetts, which can lead to the spread of tick-borne disease, increased deer/vehicle collisions, habitat damage, and coastal erosion.

The regulations will also establish an early fall deer season on the islands, allowing an additional ten days of hunting with primitive firearms and archery equipment. That season will run from September 21 through October 1 in 2026.

Additionally, Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Commissioner Tom O’Shea announced at a Fisheries and Wildlife Board meeting on Wednesday that the administration will hold public listening sessions in early 2026 to consider additional tools to manage the deer population, including allowing for expanded hunting season or hunting on Sundays. Massachusetts is one of two states in the country that does not allow Sunday hunting.

"Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket are facing rapidly increasing deer populations. Overabundant deer negatively impact forest health, increase deer-vehicle collisions on roadways, and increase public health risks through tick-borne illness,” O’Shea said. “By expanding opportunities for licensed hunters to harvest deer, we can achieve healthier deer populations while protecting biodiversity and increasing public health, safety, and food security.”

While the statewide goal for deer across Massachusetts is 12 to 18 deer per square mile, MassWildlife estimates there are over 100 deer per square mile on the islands in areas closed to hunting. When deer populations are too high, they eat too many young trees and plants, the state asserted in its announcement of the extended season. This harms forest health and negatively impacts many other wildlife species.

“Protecting biodiversity is especially important on the Islands because they have unique habitats and species not found elsewhere in the state and they are already vulnerable to climate change,” said MassWildlife Deer Project Leader Martin Feehan. “High deer numbers also worsen coastal erosion along the shorelines of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.”