Brian Holt Hawthorne, habitat biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, checks in a 111-pound deer in Huntington on the first day of shotgun season. John McDonald, rear, assisted with the check-ins. (Photo by Amy Porter)
HUNTINGTON – Brian Holt Hawthorne, a habitat biologist for the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) was checking in the 16th deer of the day at B&D’s Check-in Station at 4 p.m. yesterday the first day of shotgun season. The buck weighed in at 111 pounds.
John McDonald, assistant professor of environmental science at Westfield State University, who assisted with the check-in, said the biggest deer of the day was the first one, which weighed 190 lbs. and was shot in Russell. McDonald and Hawthorne said they expected more check-ins yesterday as the hunters came out of the woods.
All of the deer captured on Monday were bucks except for one doe. A special doe permit is needed to shoot does or antlerless deer. One of the bucks had lost its antlers, but the hunter had a doe permit.
Shotgun season runs from Monday, November 30 to Saturday, December 12, with no Sunday hunting. This year is the first year that hunters can also shoot a bear during the deer season. Normally, there are two separate three-week seasons in September and November for bear, but this was just added, McDonald said.
“There are sufficient bears to justify a third season without harming the population,” Hawthorne said.
As of Monday afternoon, no bears had been checked in.
Meanwhile, more than 80 hunters have begun the first of four state-approved days of deer hunting at Blue Hills State Reservation in Milton.
The Boston Globe reports 89 hunters have completed the necessary safety course to obtain a hunting permit. Department of Conservation and Recreation officials say 84 arrived at the 7,000-acre reservation at the start of the day yesterday.
Officials had proposed four days of hunting as a way to curb the deer population. Officials said the deer population has exploded and is threatening the long-term health of the forest.
The hunt resumes today, followed by two more day on Dec. 7 and Dec. 8 during the state’s normal shotgun season. Hunting will be allowed on 3,000 acres of the reservation from 5 a.m. until 4 p.m.
