Massachusetts Deer Season 2026-27
Archery Deer Season: October 5, 2026 to November 28, 2026. Shotgun Deer Season: November 30, 2026 to December 12, 2026. Every date below was read from Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife)’s own published page, linked beside it, on September 2, 2026.
Massachusetts deer seasons, 2026-27
“When does deer season open” is four questions wearing one coat. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) dates white-tailed deer seasons separately by weapon, so each one is below under the agency’s own name for it, with the zone rows exactly as the agency lists them.
Archery Deer Season
publishedArchery Deer Season is OPEN now in the Statewide (all WMZs), through November 28, 2026.
| Zone | Opens | Closes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide (all WMZs) | October 5, 2026 | November 28, 2026 |
Dates read from Deer hunting regulations, Mass.gov (MassWildlife), accessed 2026-09-02.
One statewide archery window in the agency's 2026 season list.
Shotgun Deer Season
publishedShotgun Deer Season opens in 42 days, on November 30, 2026 (Statewide (all WMZs)).
| Zone | Opens | Closes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide (all WMZs) | November 30, 2026 | December 12, 2026 |
Dates read from Deer hunting regulations, Mass.gov (MassWildlife), accessed 2026-09-02.
Massachusetts's general firearms deer season is the Shotgun Deer Season.
Primitive Firearms Deer Season
publishedPrimitive Firearms Deer Season opens in 56 days, on December 14, 2026 (Statewide (all WMZs)).
| Zone | Opens | Closes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide (all WMZs) | December 14, 2026 | December 31, 2026 |
Dates read from Deer hunting regulations, Mass.gov (MassWildlife), accessed 2026-09-02.
Runs from the third Monday after Thanksgiving through Dec 31 under the agency's season framework.
Youth Deer Hunt
publishedYouth Deer Hunt has closed for the season year; the last segment ended October 3, 2026.
| Zone | Opens | Closes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide | October 2, 2026 | October 3, 2026 |
Dates read from Deer hunting regulations, Mass.gov (MassWildlife), accessed 2026-09-02.
Two day statewide youth deer hunt listed in the agency's 2026 season dates.
For which days to sit, the Massachusetts deer movement forecast rates the next 7 days Slow to Prime from the weather and first light.
Archery Deer Season: Oct. 5 – Nov. 28, 2026Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), read September 2, 2026. Read it at the source
Other Massachusetts deer seasons the agency names
Beyond the four main windows, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) dates 2 further seasons for deer. They are reproduced here under the agency’s own names, because a hunter reading a calendar needs to know which window a tag actually covers.
Early Deer Season (WMZs 13 and 14 only)
publishedEarly Deer Season (WMZs 13 and 14 only) has closed for the season year; the last segment ended October 1, 2026.
| Zone | Opens | Closes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| WMZs 13 and 14 | September 21, 2026 | October 1, 2026 | Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket zones |
Dates read from Deer hunting regulations, Mass.gov (MassWildlife), accessed 2026-09-02.
Island only early season the agency lists ahead of the Youth Deer Hunt.
Winter Deer Season (WMZs 13 and 14 only)
not yet publishedMassachusetts winter deer season (wmzs 13 and 14 only): not yet published as of September 2, 2026
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) had not posted these dates when this page was last checked. The agency's 2026 list shows Jan 1 to Feb 14, 2026, which fell in the prior season year. The framework sets Jan 1 through Feb 14 in WMZs 13 and 14 annually, but the 2027 occurrence is not yet explicitly dated on the page as of Sep 2, 2026. They will appear first on the agency page linked below.
Watch for them at Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife)One calendar, one state
Massachusetts is one of the states that keeps it simple: Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) publishes these windows as listed above rather than splitting the state into zones with different openers. That makes the calendar easy and the sourcing no less important, because the dates still change every year.
Which unit or county you hunt can still change what you may take, even where it does not change when the season runs. That is the agency’s to tell you, and its regulations page is linked below.
Massachusetts deer hunting regulations
Season windows are carried here with their source and read date attached. Everything else a hunter is bound by is set by Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), and its regulations page is linked below.
Current Massachusetts regulations
Harvest limits, antler restrictions, permitted arms, shooting hours, tagging and reporting, and license and permit requirements for Massachusetts are set by Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), are legally binding and change annually. Its current regulations page is linked here.
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife): current regulations
Deer season dates in other states
Massachusetts deer season questions
This page covers the 2026-27 season year with data as of September 2, 2026. Every season window is republished from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) page linked beside it, read on September 2, 2026; windows the agency had not yet published are labelled not yet published. Harvest limits, antler restrictions, permitted arms, shooting hours and license rules are set by Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), whose page is the final word on the day you hunt. See also the national deer season guide and the Massachusetts rut timing page.