Massachusetts Deer Hunting Season 2025, 2026
Recorded deer windows for Massachusetts, including history and unverified dates.
Recorded dates, not hunting permission
Status assessment: 2026-10-14 UTC (static build snapshot). Static activity badges and day counts use this build assessment, not a live check. Interactive finder results show their own UTC assessment day.
2 of 5 recorded windows have date-review evidence. Other rows remain unverified. Historical records are retained and are not a current-season promise.
Check your current agency regulations, GMU or zone, hunt code, license and access restrictions before hunting. An agency link or successful publication fetch does not verify a row. Reviewed base dates do not cover every license-specific exception.
Date evidence: Official date source. Review dates apply only to the stated row scope, not an entire state or current license eligibility.
Massachusetts Deer Season Calendar
Find all deer hunting season dates for Massachusetts including archery, rifle, muzzleloader, and shotgun seasons for 2025, 2026.
Deer Season Coming Soon
Seasons opening in the next 60 days
Nov 30 - Dec 5, 2026
Date window reviewed 2026-10-09; verify license-specific exceptions. Actual current agency deer regulations and2026 season summary agree on shotgun Nov30–Dec12 in zones1–14; only Zone10 private-land antlered white-tailed base dates are reviewed here. Sunday hunting is prohibited, so Dec6 is excluded and two Monday–Saturday windows are separate. Current chapter permits shotguns no larger than10 gauge and rifled barrel shotguns. Check current license/tags or exemptions, antlered eligibility/bag, ammunition, blaze-orange, hours, reporting, CWD, zone boundaries, permission/access and closures; not individual permission. Early/youth/paraplegic, archery, primitive,2027 winter, antlerless and public/controlled hunts are excluded. No printed-guide or license-year refresh is inferred.
Dec 7-12, 2026
Date window reviewed 2026-10-09; verify license-specific exceptions. Actual current agency deer regulations and2026 season summary agree on shotgun Nov30–Dec12 in zones1–14; only Zone10 private-land antlered white-tailed base dates are reviewed here. Sunday hunting is prohibited, so Dec6 is excluded and two Monday–Saturday windows are separate. Current chapter permits shotguns no larger than10 gauge and rifled barrel shotguns. Check current license/tags or exemptions, antlered eligibility/bag, ammunition, blaze-orange, hours, reporting, CWD, zone boundaries, permission/access and closures; not individual permission. Early/youth/paraplegic, archery, primitive,2027 winter, antlerless and public/controlled hunts are excluded. No printed-guide or license-year refresh is inferred.
All Deer Seasons
5 seasons for Massachusetts deer hunting
Oct 13 - Nov 29, 2025
Unverified date record; agency review required. Archery season
Nov 30 - Dec 5, 2026
Date window reviewed 2026-10-09; verify license-specific exceptions. Actual current agency deer regulations and2026 season summary agree on shotgun Nov30–Dec12 in zones1–14; only Zone10 private-land antlered white-tailed base dates are reviewed here. Sunday hunting is prohibited, so Dec6 is excluded and two Monday–Saturday windows are separate. Current chapter permits shotguns no larger than10 gauge and rifled barrel shotguns. Check current license/tags or exemptions, antlered eligibility/bag, ammunition, blaze-orange, hours, reporting, CWD, zone boundaries, permission/access and closures; not individual permission. Early/youth/paraplegic, archery, primitive,2027 winter, antlerless and public/controlled hunts are excluded. No printed-guide or license-year refresh is inferred.
Dec 7-12, 2026
Date window reviewed 2026-10-09; verify license-specific exceptions. Actual current agency deer regulations and2026 season summary agree on shotgun Nov30–Dec12 in zones1–14; only Zone10 private-land antlered white-tailed base dates are reviewed here. Sunday hunting is prohibited, so Dec6 is excluded and two Monday–Saturday windows are separate. Current chapter permits shotguns no larger than10 gauge and rifled barrel shotguns. Check current license/tags or exemptions, antlered eligibility/bag, ammunition, blaze-orange, hours, reporting, CWD, zone boundaries, permission/access and closures; not individual permission. Early/youth/paraplegic, archery, primitive,2027 winter, antlerless and public/controlled hunts are excluded. No printed-guide or license-year refresh is inferred.
Dec 1-13, 2025
Unverified date record; agency review required. Shotgun season
Dec 15-31, 2025
Unverified date record; agency review required. Primitive firearms
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Zone-Specific Information
Massachusetts has different deer hunting dates by zone. This page shows seasons for: Zone10 — private-land antlered white-tailed deer. Check the official state regulations for detailed zone maps and boundaries.
Important Note for Massachusetts
Only Zone10 private-land antlered white-tailed shotgun base dates from current agency2026 summary/deer chapter are reviewed: Nov30–Dec5 and Dec7–12, excluding Sunday Dec6. Other seasons, antlerless and public/controlled hunts remain unreviewed. Check current licenses/tags, eligibility/bag, shotgun/ammunition, blaze-orange/hours, reporting, CWD, zone boundaries, access/permission and closures. Five historical rows and2025 license-year metadata remain unverified.
Massachusetts Deer Hunting FAQ
Common questions about deer hunting in Massachusetts
When is deer season in Massachusetts?
Recorded windows, not one continuous season: 2025-10-13 to 2025-11-29; 2026-11-30 to 2026-12-05; 2026-12-07 to 2026-12-12; 2025-12-01 to 2025-12-13; 2025-12-15 to 2025-12-31. Historical and unverified records may be included. Check each row's evidence and your current GMU/hunt code and license before hunting.
When does archery deer season start in Massachusetts?
Recorded archery deer window: Oct 13, 2025 to Nov 29, 2025. Unverified date record; agency review required. Archery season
Does Massachusetts have a muzzleloader deer season?
Recorded muzzleloader deer window: Dec 15, 2025 to Dec 31, 2025. Unverified date record; agency review required. Primitive firearms
Are there different deer hunting zones in Massachusetts?
Yes, Massachusetts has zone-specific deer seasons. The zones include: Zone10 — private-land antlered white-tailed deer. Check the season calendar above for zone-specific dates.
Do I need a license to hunt deer in Massachusetts?
Yes, you need a valid Massachusetts hunting license and any required deer tags or permits. Check with the Massachusetts wildlife agency for current license requirements and fees.
Deer Hunting in Other States
Compare deer seasons across states
View All Massachusetts Hunting Seasons
See recorded windows and their review status for other species in Massachusetts.
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