This morning, Southborough Open Land Foundation sent me an announcement to share with readers. As they do every year, SOLF gave permission to two bow hunters for permitted hunting on two of their properties. The news reminded me that it’s also good time to share information on the the hunting season’s impact beyond SOLF’s properties. That includes advice from the state that those enjoying outdoor spaces should wear “Blaze Orange” for extra safety.
The warning also applies to pets.
In Massachusetts, hunters with bow hunting permits are allowed to hunt (on properties covered by their permit) now through December 31st, except on Sundays. (The hours are 30 minutes before sunrise and must end 30 minutes after sunset.)
Hunting isn’t allowed on open spaces and trails owned by the Town of Southborough. But it is allowed on some state owned and private properties, with the owners’ permission.
For SOLF, that permission was granted only to two “very experienced hunters”. They are limited to Beals Preserve and Lynbrook hollow, and not allowed to hunt near trails. (See their property map right.) Anyone with questions can email SOLF at info@solf.org.
(Worth noting, their upcoming Mushroom talk on October 19th is on a Sunday, so that program won’t be impacted.)
As they have in the past, Mass DCR has also allowed permitted hunting on their property surrounding the Sudbury Reservoir in Southborough.
I checked and that is true again this year. (See the map right and click here for an interactive map if you want more detail.)
For anyone questioning the reasons behind allowing deer hunting, the Sudbury Valley Trustees previously posted:
Wildlife habitat in SVT’s service area is threatened by growing deer populations. SVT has identified deer management as a high-priority issue because of the high deer density in our region and the negative impact deer are having on our forests.
You can read more about why they support managing the deer population here.
