Massachusetts
Historic Bay State hunting, thriving spring wild turkey flocks, and coastal sea duck gunning.
Native Species in Massachusetts
Official Regulatory Authority
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife)
White-Tailed Deer
Abundant across the state, with highest densities in eastern suburban-rural interfaces and large wilderness tracts in the Berkshires. Mature bucks develop heavy bodies feeding on acorns and agricultural crops.
American Black Bear
Massachusetts supports a robust, growing population of over 4,500 black bears, primarily centered west of the Connecticut River in the rugged Berkshire Hills, with boars frequently exceeding 400 lbs.
Eastern Wild Turkey
Reintroduced in the 1970s, wild turkeys are now established in every mainland county and Cape Cod, providing rewarding spring gobbler seasons across rural pastures and hardwood ridges.
Ruffed Grouse
Classic game bird of young regenerating northern hardwood forests, apple orchards, and hemlock hollows throughout central and western Massachusetts.
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Ubiquitous in oak, beech, and hickory timber across the Commonwealth, caching mast in forest soils.
Eastern & New England Cottontail
Eastern cottontails are common in open fields, while rare native New England cottontails receive active young-forest habitat restoration.
Eastern Coyote
Widespread across all habitats from rural Berkshire timber to Cape Cod dunes, preying on small mammals and scavenging.
Bobcat
Plentiful in the rocky outcrops, hemlock ravines, and extensive state forests of central and western Massachusetts.