Policy Priorities
Mass Audubon’s Position on MassWildlife Sunday Hunting Proposal
MassWildlife is considering allowing hunting on Sundays as well as other measures that will help control the white-tailed deer population, which is currently ballooning to harmful numbers and having a devastating effect on our forests.
Mass Audubon, along with the conservation and sporting communities, supports those recommendations. Our support for the state’s proposal is grounded in published science and in deer monitoring studies on our own sanctuaries. It is narrowly focused on the need to manage white-tailed deer populations. We do not have an opinion about expanded hunting of other species.
Expanding access to deer hunting by allowing hunts on Sundays, permitting more people to use crossbows, and reducing setback requirements are all science-backed wildlife management practices consistent with our shared goals of preserving biodiverse, climate-resilient lands.
The impacts of overabundant deer, which we have observed and documented in many of our sanctuaries, include the loss of native plant species, reduced habitat for birds and other wildlife, and the inability of forests to recover from disturbances. Given the absence of natural predators, it is imperative to increase deer hunting as an ecological management strategy.
We understand the concerns from many that birders and hikers deserve one day a week without the worry of encountering hunters. It’s important to note that if Sunday hunting is allowed on public lands, it will still be up to individual, private landowners to decide if they will implement it. Mass Audubon currently manages deer hunts on several sanctuaries by balancing the needs of conservation with the interests of visitors and will continue to do so if the proposed changes are enacted. If regulations are adopted to expand access to hunting, then Mass Audubon will have additional tools to choose from when deciding how to manage deer on its sanctuaries.
Please review frequently asked questions. If you have additional questions, you can reach out via email.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mass Audubon joins the conservation and sporting communities in supporting MassWildlife’s efforts to expand access to deer hunting by allowing hunts on Sundays, permitting more people to use crossbows, and reducing setback requirements.
Our goals for biodiverse, climate resilient lands across the Commonwealth and access for all people to nature requires that wildlife be managed based on science and in a responsible way.
The impact of overabundant deer, which we have observed and documented in many of our sanctuaries across the state, include the loss of native plant species, reduced habitat for birds and other wildlife, and the inability of forests to properly regenerate following disturbances.
Given the absence of natural predators, it is imperative to increase deer hunting to protect our forests and the birds and other wildlife that call them home.
Decades of scientific study in eastern forests demonstrate that high deer population density seriously degrades forest habitat and the ability of a forest to persist in the face of climate change, emerging diseases and pests, invasive plants, and other stressors.
Specific impacts of deer browsing include loss of native plant species, spread of invasive plants, reduced habitat for many birds and other wildlife, and an inability of the forest to regenerate following disturbance. We are observing these impacts on our sanctuaries.
Scientific studies indicate that forests can sustain fewer than 18 deer per square mile of habitat. Populations are approaching or exceeding 100 deer per square mile in and around some of Mass Audubon’s wildlife sanctuaries. Densities are highest in the eastern part of the state and the islands.
Reducing deer population sizes is imperative if Massachusetts is to have healthy native forests that are resilient in the face of climate change. In the absence of apex predators (wolves and mountain lions), the only viable option for reducing the deer population is hunting.
Since 2016, we have managed deer populations through a carefully organized and supervised bow-only hunting program at several sanctuaries, all of which have been damaged or are burdened by deer densities two to five times higher than recommended. Hunting is currently allowed on 12 of Mass Audubon’s 112 sanctuaries.
The primary goal of the hunting program is to reduce deer populations to maintain and restore healthy forests. Additional benefits include educating hunters about the impacts of deer on native habitats and providing hunters with opportunities to connect with Mass Audubon and its wildlife sanctuaries.
It’s important to note that even if Sunday hunting is allowed, it is up to each landowner to decide when hunting can take place on their own lands. We will continue to make decisions about locations, times, and other conditions for deer hunting on Mass Audubon sanctuaries, based on our mission, visitor access and safety, and other relevant considerations. If enacted, the proposed changes to hunting regulations will provide us with additional tools and flexibility to conserve nature on our sanctuaries.
Find more information on Mass Audubon’s management of deer on our sanctuaries
Mass Audubon previously opposed proposals to enable Sunday hunting in Massachusetts, citing a desire to maintain one day per week when people accessing lands otherwise open to hunting could do so with less concern about safety, noise, or other potential conflicts with hunting use. However, our position has evolved in recognition of the evidence of severe damage to forests from the overpopulation of deer in many parts of the state.
Mass Audubon’s position is based solely on management of white-tailed deer and should not be construed to apply more broadly to other species.
Given that they require less strength than do compound bows, permitting their use can enable smaller-bodied people, including youth, to hunt. Increasing and diversifying the population of hunters in the Commonwealth should further help reduce deer population densities and makes an important cultural practice in nature more equitable.
Mass Audubon supports reductions in the required setbacks from buildings and roads, provided safety is still provided for within regulations. By definition, reduced setbacks increase the acreage where hunting can occur. They also make smaller parcels available for hunting. Both effects increase the opportunity to reduce deer populations.
MassWildlife’s proposed changes are informal at this time. No changes will occur until they are formally proposed and subsequently enacted in state law.
Last updated 2/26/26