New Fall Deer Hunting Season On Nantucket Begins Monday

A new fall deer hunting season on Nantucket will begin this Monday, Sept. 21st.

The special hunt was approved by the state last December for just two areas in Massachusetts: Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. It was proposed as an initiative to reduce the large deer herds on the islands, which have been blamed for the high incidence of tick-borne diseases, as well as increased deer/vehicle collisions, habitat damage, and coastal erosion.

The new fall hunting season is for primitive firearms, such as muzzleloaders, and archery equipment only. Shotgun hunting is not permitted until the designated season that begins Nov. 30.

“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,” said Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game Commissioner Tom O’Shea in December 2025, when the special hunt was announced. “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.”

The early special hunt will run from Monday, Sept. 21, through Thursday, Oct. 1. Here are the specifics:

• Hunters need a 2026 hunting or sporting license, which includes two antlered deer tags.
• Hunters may use primitive firearms or archery equipment. Hunters are not allowed to use shotguns during the early hunt.
• Hunters need a primitive firearms or archery stamp.
• Hunters may buy unlimited antlerless deer permits at any time for Zones 13 and 14 (Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket).
• Hunters may take as many antlered or antlerless deer as they have valid permits for.
  

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

While the statewide goal for deer across Massachusetts is 12–18 deer per square mile, MassWildlife estimates there are over 100 deer per square mile on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard in areas closed to hunting. According to the state, when deer populations are too high, they eat too many young trees and plants, which 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.”