Hunting Allowed on Town Property

Chorney Property

The Chorney Property (Ellis Road) is open to the public for permitted uses including hunting, subject to restrictions, below.  Please exercise caution when using this property during Hunting season. It is recommended that non-hunters wear “Blaze Orange” during hunting season when using this property.

Please refer to Mass Fish & Wildlife Guide to Fishing and Hunting for hunting season dates and regulations.

DEER

Hunting hours begin ½ hour before sunrise and close ½ hour after sunset except as noted in WMA Reg. #10 in the General Hunting Regulations.

Antlered deer: Any deer with at least 1 antler 3 inches long measured on a straight line from the center of the anterior (front) base of the antler burr to the tip.

Antlerless deer: A permit is required to harvest antlerless deer during any season in all zones (see General Hunting Regulations). Only one application per person. Application must be made online through any license vendor or personal computer. The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) will announce a sales period following that date when applicants must go online again to enter a random, instant award process that will immediately determine if the applicant has drawn a permit for the zone applied for. If the applicant is successful, the zone-specific permit and tag can be purchased and printed immediately. Additional permits may be available for certain zones. Permits are valid in any deer season, and must be in the hunter’s possession while hunting.

Note: Each antlerless deer permit is valid for one antlerless deer, increasing the seasonal bag limit for anyone possessing an antlerless deer permit. If you hunt during the archery, shotgun, or muzzleloader seasons, you must have a permit to take an antlerless deer. The number of deer a hunter may harvest statewide depends on the number of antlerless deer permits purchased. A hunter may possess antlerless deer permits for more than one zone. For example, if a hunter applies for a permit for Zone 5 and receives a permit, he/she may purchase additional permits for a zone that has permits available (e.g. Zone 14). Permit availability depends on permit allocation and the number of applicants. Permits for undersubscribed zones will go on sale on a first-come-first-served basis.

Tagging and checking requirements: Immediately upon killing a deer and prior to moving it (during any deer season), the tag portion must be separated from the license or antlerless deer permit, filled out, and attached to the deer in a conspicuous manner. Deer must be checked within 48 hours. Deer must not be possessed, transported, or under a person’s control unless the deer, or a part of the deer, is open to view. However, after the deer has been checked/reported, the deer may be concealed. Deer may be checked/reported online except during the shotgun season, when they must be reported at an official check station.

During shotgun deer season hunters may use shotguns not larger than 10 gauge, bows and arrows, or muzzleloaders not smaller than .44 caliber, or larger than .775 caliber. This includes modern muzzleloaders, hinge action muzzleloaders and muzzleloaders with telescopic sights, and permits the use of sabot rounds. Rifled barrel shotguns are legal during shotgun deer season.

All hunters, including bowhunters, must wear a minimum of 500 square inches of “hunter orange” on their head, chest, and back during shotgun and muzzleloader seasons. Cap and vest will suffice.

The possession of rifles, handguns, or dogs in any woodland or field, or use of same on any game, is prohibited during the shotgun deer season except that the use of dogs is lawful for hunting waterfowl on coastal waters.

Daily bag: The daily bag limit is determined by the number of valid tags a hunter possesses. However a hunter possessing 1 unchecked deer may take only 1 additional deer before checking/reporting the first deer. No hunter may have more than 2 unsealed deer in possession at any time. All deer must be checked/reported within 48 hours of being killed.

Season Limit: Two antlered deer, and as many antlerless deer as the hunter has valid permits for, provided that:

Hunters may purchase additional antlerless deer permits for available zones.

Hunters may take a maximum of 2 deer in the Quabbin Reservation, both of which may be antlerless, provided the hunter obtains a second antlerless deer permit after checking the first antlerless deer at a Quabbin check station. Antlerless deer taken in the Quabbin are not considered part of the statewide bag limit and antlered deer taken in the Quabbin are considered part of the statewide bag limit.

During muzzleloader deer season hunters may use only shoulder-fired muzzleloaders .44 caliber to .775 caliber; barrel length 18 inches or more with only one barrel operational. Inline ignition systems are permitted providing rifle loads from the muzzle. Single projectile only (no buckshot). Sabot rounds, 209 primers, break/hinge-action muzzleloaders, and scopes are legal. Powder limited to black powder, pyrodex or other approved substitutes. Firearm is considered unloaded when cap or pan powder is removed. Primitive Firearms Stamp required. Archers may hunt during the muzzleloader firearms season but must purchase a Primitive Firearms Stamp and wear at least 500 square inches of hunter orange on head, back, and chest.

Driving deer while hunting is lawful.

Importation of deer parts from states or provinces where Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been detected is illegal. It is legal to import meat that is de-boned, cleaned skull caps, hides without the head, or a fixed taxidermy mount. No live deer, of any species, may be brought into Massachusetts for any purpose.

Paraplegic Sportsmen’s Hunt: There is a special deer hunt for paraplegic sportsmen. Contact DFW Field Headquarters (508) 389-6300 or visit the DFW website  for more information.

WILD TURKEY

Permit required. Official safety sticker must be adhered to firearm in such a manner as to be visible when hunter is sighting down the barrel. If new or replacement sticker is needed, send self-addressed stamped envelope to DFW’s Field Headquarters office. Spring hunting hours: ½ hour before sunrise to 12:00 noon. Fall hunting hours: ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset except as noted in WMA Reg. #10 in the General Hunting Regulations.

Bag limit: (a) 2 bearded birds in spring season (1 per day) with NO fall bird allowed, OR (b) 1 bearded bird in spring season, and 1 bird of either sex in fall season. No hunter may take 2 birds in the fall season. Hunting only with shotguns no larger than 10 gauge (.775 caliber for smoothbore muzzleloaders) and restricted to shot sizes #4–#6, or with bows 40 lbs. pull or greater. Electronic calls, dogs, bait, driving prohibited. Successful hunters must tag bird immediately and check/report the bird within 48 hours.

Differentiating hens (females) from Toms (males) during the spring hunting season: Up to 8% of female turkeys may have a beard and may be legally harvested. However, their loss reduces the reproductive potential of the turkey population. To avoid misidentification, use the following features to positively identify a gobbler from a hen.

COYOTE ONLY

Hunting hours begin ½ hour before sunrise and end at midnight, except 1) on WMAs stocked with pheasant or quail during the pheasant and quail season when hunting hours begin at sunrise and end at sunset and 2) when hunting coyote during the shotgun deer season (see below). Coyote and fox may be hunted with shotguns, muzzleloaders and archery, as well as rifles and handguns with special nighttime restrictions (see Hunting Prohibitions). Coyotes may be hunted with shotguns using numbered or lettered birdshot (≤ 0.230 inch pellet diameter), except during the shotgun deer season (see below). Fox may be hunted with numbered birdshot only (≤ 0.160 inch pellet diameter). It is legal to hunt coyote and fox using bait, decoys, electronic or manual calls and dogs. Artificial lights are prohibited. Coyote and fox pelts must be checked/reported within 4 working days of the end of the season (see Trapping). It is legal to hunt coyotes, but not fox, during the shotgun deer season; however the following additional regulations apply:

Hunting hours begin ½ hour before sunrise and end ½ hour after sunset.

Use of manual or electronic calls and dogs are prohibited.

Rifles and handguns are prohibited.

Shotguns and muzzleloaders loaded with slugs, single balls or buckshot may also be used.

Hunters must wear a minimum of 500 square inches of hunter orange on their head, chest and back.