Deer harvests in 2022 set a new record and are aligned with deer management goals for Massachusetts.
Preliminary figures for the 2022 deer hunting season set a new annual record of 15,853 harvested deer, well within the expected range permitted under strict regulations set by MassWildlife.
“The statewide deer population has been increasing for several decades,” said Deer and Moose Project Leader Martin Feehan. “Hunting is a critical tool for balancing deer populations with forest health while feeding tens of thousands of families across Massachusetts every year. It really is a win-win for both people and wildlife conservation.”
Massachusetts has an estimated statewide deer herd of more than 150,000 but densities vary widely from an ideal range of about 12 to 18 deer per square mile in most of central and western Massachusetts to more than 30 to 50 deer per square mile in areas of eastern Massachusetts and on the islands.
The 2022 statewide harvest of 15,853 deer highlights growing deer abundance statewide and increased access to permits, with the previous 3-year average of 14,007. Preliminary harvest figures for the 2022 deer hunting seasons include Youth Deer Hunt Day 114; Paraplegic Hunt Days 7; Archery Season 6,543; Shotgun Season 5,823; and Primitive Firearms Season, 3,366. For more deer harvest data, click here.
In an effort to reduce deer numbers in eastern Massachusetts, more permits were made available to hunters. Biologists are encouraged by the preliminary results, with record harvests in Bristol and Plymouth counties and on Nantucket, where deer numbers are too high.
In its pilot year of the Hunters Share the Harvest program, hunters donated more than 1,500 meals of processed venison to veterans’ families through the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation.
Hunters are required to report harvested deer to help collect important data as biologists monitor the deer population throughout the state.