Hunter orange is showing up around the Island Monday as the two-week shotgun hunting season gets underway. The season runs through Dec. 12; hunting hours begin half an hour before sunrise and end half an hour after sunset.
Shotgun hunting season opened last week, and runs through Dec. 13. In addition to putting food on the table, the season is essential for gathering the data used to manage the deer population.
Shotgun hunting season runs from Dec. 1 through Dec. 13. Hunting hours begin a half hour before sunrise and close a half hour after sunset. Hunting is prohibited on Sundays.
West Tisbury resident Richard Huffam grabbed two hooves in one hand, two hooves in the other hand and his friend held the antlers. Together the two men heaved the deer from the pickup truck onto the scale, similar to one you’d see at the doctor’s office.
For the second year in a row, Richard Carlson of Oak Bluffs has been named Top Gun at the Rod and Gun Club’s annual Fall Shoot, held Sunday, Nov. 25. Past winner Cooper Gilkes III earned second place; Michael Ferry captured third. Participants were ranked based on their participation in three categories of competition.
Prizes were also awarded to the following people for their individual performances: Mike Ferry for the Bulls Eye competition; Dick Carlson for the Over the Shoulder competition, and Matt Gamache for the Standing Deer competition.
A total of 173 deer had been taken yesterday in the first week of shotgun season. The three primary deer check-in stations on the Island reported Thursday that the number of deer taken so far is about the same as in recent years. The two-week shotgun season for deer ends on Saturday, Dec. 8.
State wildlife forester Brian Hawthorne has been counting the deer checked in at the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest. Mr. Hawthorne said, based on what he has seen so far, the deer population is healthy and well-fed.
