The following information is from the Department of Conservation and Recreation regarding the 2022 Deer Management Plan in the Blue Hills.
For more information about the Blue Hills Deer Management Program visit: www.mass.gov/guides/blue-hills-deer-management-program.
Summary:
The 2022 permitted archery deer hunt will take place over the course of 11 days from November 7 through November 23, 2022 on Mondays through Thursdays only. No hunting will be allowed on Thanksgiving Day (November 24, 2022).
See map above for areas where hunting will take place. No hunting is permitted in the white areas of the park.
General public access for recreation will not be restricted in those areas where hunting is taking place. Park visitors are encouraged to wear either a blaze orange hat, vest, or brightly-colored clothing to increase their visibility while walking the trails.
Deer Management to Improve Forest Health in the Blue Hills Reservation
From the canopy to the understory, healthy forests are made up of trees and plants of multiple age classes and a diversity of vegetation. This forest system also provides habitat for a rich and varied wildlife population. Forests with high deer densities prevent forest regeneration as deer over-browse on the forest’s vegetation. Extremely high deer densities also contribute to the growth of invasive species and reduce biodiversity.
The Blue Hills Deer Management Program is part of DCR’s long-term effort to manage high deer densities within the Blue Hills Reservation. The primary objective is to maintain an ecologically sustainable deer density that allows for the continuous growth and development of forest regeneration. The DCR wishes to reduce the negative impacts that high deer densities have on the regenerating forest to ensure a healthy forest composed of adequate diversity of species and age classes.
To initiate deer management within the Blue Hills Reservation, DCR and MassWildlife successfully implemented the first-ever controlled deer hunt in the Reservation during the 2015 hunting season. Now in its seventh year, the program will feature a permitted archery hunt in designated areas of the Reservation.
2022 Permitted Archery Hunt
The 2022 permitted archery deer hunt will take place over the course of 11 days from November 7 through November 23, 2022 on Mondays through Thursdays only. No hunting will be allowed on Thanksgiving Day (November 24, 2022).
In accordance with state laws and regulations, archery hunting will be permitted from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. The permitted archery hunt will only take place in designated areas of Blue Hills, as shown on the Blue Hills Archery Hunt map, above.
Be Safe, Be Seen!
General public access for recreation will not be restricted in those areas where hunting is taking place. Park visitors are encouraged to wear either a blaze orange hat, vest, or brightly-colored clothing to increase their visibility while walking the trails.
