Deer harvest data

Get information about the number of deer harvested in Massachusetts across wildlife management zones and hunting seasons.

Deer management

White-tailed deer are common in Massachusetts, and their numbers are increasing statewide. MassWildlife uses regulated hunting during established seasons to manage deer densities across the state. MassWildlife's deer management strategy seeks to balance deer abundance with social tolerance and to maintain deer populations below levels where major habitat impacts start to occur.

Deer densities vary widely in different parts of the Commonwealth. In most of central and western Massachusetts, densities are about 12–18 deer per square mile, which is within the statewide goal. In areas of eastern Massachusetts, densities can reach over 30–50 deer per square mile. Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket densities are over 55 and 85 deer per square mile respectively. Deer densities are even higher in areas where hunting access is restricted.

Without population management, deer become overabundant. In areas with too many deer, forests and other habitats can be damaged by over-browsing and vehicle collisions can increase public safety risks.

Learn more about deer management in MA 

2025 deer harvest summary

The 2025–26 deer season was a year of many new harvest records resulting from a combination of rising deer densities, new hunting seasons, increased antlerless permit allocations, expansion of the Hunters Share the Harvest program, reduced regulatory barriers, and prime hunting weather throughout most of the seasons with extended snow cover. There was a new statewide harvest record of 16,681 deer, exceeding the previous record set in 2022 of 15,853 deer. This was an 11% increase from the 2024–25 season. A new archery season harvest record was set at 7,283 deer, exceeding the record set just a year prior at 6,991 deer. The shotgun season harvest of 6,353 deer was the highest since 2018. The primitive season harvest increased 10% to 2,560 deer but was still lower than the 5-year average of 2,697 deer. The rise in harvest was consistent across the state, with 14 out of 15 Wildlife Management Zones having increases, including new harvest records in zones 4N, 9, and 14. 

The new winter primitive firearms and archery season that ran from January 1 through February 14 in zones 13 (Martha’s Vineyard) and 14 (Nantucket) exceeded expectations with a total of 330 deer harvested. This new season was a draw for many non-resident hunters including many that had not previously hunted in Massachusetts, particularly from New Hampshire and Maine.  

Due to the generosity of participating hunters, over 55,000 meals of venison were distributed during the 2025–26 seasons through MassWildlife’s Hunters Share the Harvest program. This was an increase of an astounding 84% over the 2024 season and lead to the venison donation program surpassing 100,000 meals distributed to those in need since the program's inception in 2022.

• Youth Deer Hunt Day: 97
• Paraplegic Hunt: 6
• Archery Season: 7,283
• Shotgun Season: 6,353
• Primitive Season: 2,560
• Winter Season: 330

Historic deer harvest