A total of 292 deer were taken during the two weeks of shotgun season on the Vineyard, which ended on Saturday, Dec. 12. Hunters were successful and the numbers are close to what was expected, despite weather conditions that were less than ideal.
“The weather was not that great,” said John Scanlon, state wildlife biologist. Mr. Scanlon operated the deer check-in station at the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest during the first week of the hunting season. He checked in 137 deer.
Four days into the deer shotgun season and already 196 deer have been taken. The two-week hunting season began Monday morning with foul weather. John Scanlon, a state wildlife biologist assigned to the Vineyard this week, said that the hunters didn’t start bringing deer to the check-in station at the state forest until later in the afternoon.
By Wednesday afternoon the number was 79. By yesterday afternoon the number had grown to 95, even though Thursday morning was windy and stormy.
Deer hunting shotgun season ends tomorrow at a half-hour after sunset. The two-week season began strongly and then slowed down this past week with the onset of bitter cold followed by rainy, windy weather. The total count for the three Island check-in stations so far is 352 deer.
Check-in stations are at the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest headquarters, Wampanoag Tribe headquarters in Aquinnah and Larry’s Tackle Shop in Edgartown.
