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 three distinct seasons (archery, shotgun, and primitive firearms) to manage the deer population. 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 

2024 deer harvest preliminary summary

Preliminary results indicate that the 2024 hunting season had a harvest of 15,032 deer, which was a decline of approximately 3% from 2023 and 5% from the record-setting 2022 season. Archery season had a record high harvest of 6,988 deer, likely due to excellent hunting weather and a two-week longer archery season in Wildlife Management Zones (WMZs) 1-9. This exceeded the previous record of 6,655 set in 2020. The shotgun and primitive season harvests were negatively impacted by poor weather and a 4-day shorter primitive season due to the late Thanksgiving. There was a record antlerless harvest of 7,237 deer exceeding the previous record of 7,146 set in 2022.

Thanks to donations of harvested deer by generous hunters, over 30,000 meals of venison were distributed during the 2024 season through MassWildlife’s Hunters Share the Harvest program. Since the program’s inception in 2022, over 50,000 meals of venison have been distributed to Massachusetts communities experiencing food insecurity.

• Youth Deer Hunt Day: 114
• Paraplegic Hunt: 3
• Archery Season: 6,988
• Shotgun Season: 5,607
• Primitive Season: 2,320

Historic deer harvest