Booms echoed through the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest, bleary-eyed Islanders hauled stands into thickets and state biologists geared up to record weights and measure antlers.
It must be deer season.
The annual shotgun season opened Monday, Nov. 30 and continues to Dec. 12. As usual, it was greeted with enthusiasm by Island hunters. About 175 deer have been taken so far.
Brian Welch of Oak Bluffs sparked some lively conversation around the Island on a rainy Tuesday after he weighed in a 12-point buck taken in West Tisbury.
“It was over 220 pounds,” said Massachusetts Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) biologist Caren Caljouw. “The scale only goes up to that.”
Through Thursday morning, the state forest deer check-in station had recorded 112 deer taken, about average according to Ms. Caljouw.
She and other state biologists examine the deer reported at the state forest to gather information on the deer population. They weigh the deer, determine its age and sex, and the town where it was taken. They measure the antlers, which offer signs of the animals’ health.
“Every animal I’ve seen has been healthy, that’s a good thing,” Ms. Caljouw said. “We’ve seen lots of big bucks come in.”
The biological data helps DFW officials assess the health of the deer, and regulate the ecological balance of the herd. Too many deer can decimate the habitat they depend on for food, which can cause an abnormal level of starvation.
On Martha’s Vineyard, regulating the deer herd is a difficult proposition.
“The herd averages 50 to 60 deer per square mile here on the Island,” Ms. Caljouw said. “That’s high.”
DFW tries to regulate the harvest by controlling the number of antlerless hunting permits issued.
“The female segment of the deer population is used for population management since with each female deer harvested, not only is the individual removed from the population but so too is that deer’s future reproductive potential,” according to DFW officials. “In regions of the state where there are high numbers of deer per square mile, a large number of antlerless deer permits are made available. Conversely, in regions where there are relatively fewer deer (sometimes resulting from poor habitat quality), fewer antlerless deer permits are allocated for hunters.”
State regulators make 1,700 antlerless deer permits available for hunters in Dukes County. While that number is by far the most allowed for any wildlife region, there have never been that many issued. Unlike other regions of the state, where a lottery determines who gets a permit, any hunter who qualifies can get a permit for hunting on the Island, because the limit is never reached.
At Larry’s Tackle Shop in Edgartown, about 30 deer were checked in by Thursday morning. At the Wampanoag tribal administration building check in station in Aquinnah, natural resources direct Bret Stearns estimated 30 to 35 deer checked in.
“We’ve certainly had years when we’ve had far more animals by now,” Mr. Stearns said. “But you don’t know how many until it’s over. It’s maybe a speck on the quiet side.”
Mr. Stearns uses an automated online system to record statistics for deer checked at the Wampanoag check-in station.
“The process is much simpler than it used to be,” Mr. Stearns said. “We need to see the animal, we weigh it, we check it in through a secure online system. That information goes directly to the state.”
The online system gives state biologists an up-to-the-minute statistical picture of the deer harvest. They do not release that information until after the deer season is over.
Last year hunters took 112 adult male deer during the shotgun season, along with 173 female deer, and 52 male deer with antlers less than three inches. A total of 594 deer were taken over all, including those taken during special seasons for archers and primitive firearms (black powder).
State regulations allow hunting a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset Monday through Saturday. No hunting is allowed on Sunday.
Police caution walkers to stick to marked paths and wear hunter orange clothing for safety.
Comments
Comment policy »