White-Tailed Deer Management Plan

The overabundance of White-tailed Deer on some of our properties is severely impacting plants, ground-nesting birds such as Wood Thrush and Ruffed Grouse, and other wildlife. Massachusetts forests can sustainably host fewer than 20 deer per square mile. Field observations and population models from MassWildlife suggest that there are more than twice -and up to eight times- that number at several of our properties. At this density, the ecological impacts are very serious, and include:

• Thinning of shrubs and groundcover, removing plants necessary for insects and nesting birds. Several bird species that nest in the lower reaches of forests are declining in Massachusetts.
• Reduced diversity of native plants and shrubs. Deer prefer native species, leaving behind only a few that are resistant to browse, such as sweet pepperbush, witch hazel, and certain ferns and enabling the spread of invasive plants. A less-diverse forest is more vulnerable to stresses such as climate change.
• Loss of tree seedlings and saplings that will become the next generation of canopy trees. Without seedling and sapling trees, large trees that are periodically lost to age and storms will not be replaced, which threatens the future existence of the forest.

We investigated various options for addressing this problem and concluded that a limited hunting program is the only feasible approach at this time. 

We have invited hunters to assist in habitat management by taking deer in hunts that we coordinate at each of the following sites: Moose Hill (Sharon), Ipswich River (Topsfield, Hamilton, Wenham), Arcadia (Easthampton), Daniel Webster (Marshfield), Broadmoor (Natick, Sherborn), Brewster’s Woods (Concord), Waseeka/Broad Hill (Hopkinton/Holliston), Allens Pond (Dartmouth), Cedar Pond (Wenham), Great Neck (Wareham) and Nashoba Brook (Westford).

In addition, we permit public hunting—without our planning or coordination—in some sanctuaries. In 2026, Elm Hill (Brookfield/North Brookfield) and Sesachacha Heathlands Wildlife Sanctuary (Nantucket) are open to all White-tailed Deer hunting in accordance with state laws and regulations.

White-tailed Deer populations were historically kept in check by large predators such as mountain lions and wolves. With the loss of large predators from New England and the expansion of suburban areas with forest edges, deer populations have grown unchecked. Coyotes will kill older deer and fawns, but not nearly enough to keep population numbers down.

In 2026, archery hunting for deer is permitted from October 5 to December 31. Shotgun season is November 30–December 12; primitive firearms season is December 14–31. Within those dates, hunting is allowed from 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset.

Under current state law, hunting is not permitted on Sundays. Archery is the only form of hunting permitted at Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries, with the exception of Daniel Webster, Elm Hill, and Sesachacha Heathlands, where all forms of hunting are permitted in accordance with all applicable state regulations. 

We care for land in a way that maintains thriving and sustainable habitats for a full variety of native species. Deer browse is severely reducing habitat for native plants, birds, and other animal species on some of our properties.

Yes. Several other conservation groups permit hunting on some of their properties. The list includes The Trustees, Wildlands Trust, Sudbury Valley Trustees, Essex County Greenbelt Association, New England Forestry Foundation, Mount Grace Land Trust, Berkshire Natural Resources Trust, Opacum Land Trust, and all of the major conservation landowners on Nantucket.

We reviewed published scientific research, spoke with land managers in public and private organizations and subsequently evaluated numerous alternatives for reducing deer populations. We have concluded that a limited and carefully controlled hunting program is the only practical, feasible, and effective option. 

Contraceptives - Use of contraceptives for wildlife management is currently not permitted in Massachusetts. It is important to note this approach does not reduce the number of deer in the near term but only slows population growth with potential longer-term impact on total population.

Fencing - Erecting and maintaining fencing around a large property, crisscrossed by trails, would be financially exorbitant and essentially infeasible in practical terms. We would need to drive deer off the property, continually monitor and repair miles of fencing, and maintain gates at every trailhead. Fencing would interfere with the movement of other animals and would only drive the deer off of the sanctuary onto adjacent forested, agricultural, and residential lands, intensifying the damage there. 

Sharpshooting - Culling deer by sharpshooters is currently not permitted in Massachusetts.  

A carefully managed hunting program initiated at Quabbin Reservoir watershed lands in 1991 reduced the population to the target range in 5 years. We are working with partners, over several years, to bring deer density at specific sanctuaries to a sustainable level. We will also monitor plants, birds, and other animals to gauge the response of the forest.

Archery is the only appropriate method of hunting on some of our properties. Each of the invited hunters has passed a proficiency test to prove their ability to accurately place a lethal shot.

To reduce deer density from current levels, we have set a goal of removing a specific number of deer in each sanctuary. Actual annual numbers will vary based on a range of factors.

Reducing Lyme disease incidence is not a primary goal of this program. While some studies suggest that reducing deer density contributes to reduced tick density and lower Lyme incidence, other studies are contradictory. Our motivation is to reduce damage to woody and herbaceous plants caused by deer browsing.

Safety of our visitors is always a primary concern, and there will be no hunting near Nature Centers or heavily used program areas and trails when the sanctuaries are open to the public.

In sanctuaries where we plan and coordinate hunts, there are generally no more than 15 hunters enrolled. All of them are licensed, have passed background checks, are known to Mass Audubon, and commit to following our program rules and procedures in pursuit of conservation goals. They are allowed to hunt only in precisely designated areas of each sanctuary. We have established these hunting zones based on legally required set-backs from roads and buildings and our own set-backs from trails. Most of their hunting will occur from tree stands, and the location of every tree stand is pre-approved. Arrows released from a tree stand are aimed downward towards the ground and typically travel less than 30 yards from the stand. According to MassWildlife, an archery hunter has never injured a non-hunter in Massachusetts.

In sanctuaries that are open to hunting by the public without our planning or coordination, hunters may use any legally permitted methods, as in other lands across the Commonwealth. Sesachacha Heathlands and Elm Hill are much less developed properties with no structures and very few trails. Sesachacha lies adjacent to other large conservation areas where hunting has long been permitted. We will post signs at the major entrances to alert visitors that hunting may be taking place on the property.

No. Hunting is allowed only on those sanctuaries described in this document. As our conservation needs and successes change over the years, we will change where hunting is allowed. Our wildlife sanctuaries are posted and do not allow uninvited hunting.

Prior to 2016, we did not allow any hunting on our properties. That year, the Mass Audubon Board of Directors approved hunting as a conservation strategy to reduce forest damage from overabundant White-tailed Deer.

Our experienced program coordinators have managed similar hunting programs on nearby properties. They select hunters they have worked with in the past. If you are interested in joining a Mass Audubon-coordinated hunt, please contact the sanctuary of interest to learn more.