Image: mass_sunday_hunting

Some lawmakers and members of the Massachusetts public are pushing for a reversal on the ban on Sunday hunting. (Photo by Den Bouton)

There is growing public interest in Massachusetts for reconsidering the state’s long-standing ban on Sunday hunting, which has been in place for more than two centuries. Fish and Game Commissioner Tom O’Shea told lawmakers the Healey administration has heard strong feedback from the public on the issue, even though legislation aimed at lifting the ban has already stalled in a legislative committee this session.

According to wwlp.com, the state’s Sunday hunting ban dates back more than 200 years and is rooted in the Puritan-era blue laws that once governed Massachusetts. Today, only Massachusetts and Maine still maintain outright bans on Sunday hunting, and for at least 35 years, efforts to repeal the restriction have been debated without success.

O’Shea said the state’s Division of Fisheries & Wildlife recently sought public feedback on several hunting-related policies due in part to concerns about an overabundance of deer, particularly in southeastern Massachusetts and on the islands. Officials say high deer populations can lead to public health and safety issues, prompting the agency to host listening sessions and open a public comment period this winter.

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“We heard really overwhelmingly from over 10,000 people and organizations that they were really interested and happy that we were bringing these questions up about hunting and access. In particular, Sunday hunting, we heard support and majority support for considering, the Legislature considering opening Sundays to hunting,” O’Shea told the Joint Ways and Means Committee at its budget hearing in Amherst. He added, “For our agency, over 10,000 public comments is really quite an enthusiastic interest.”

Several bills filed this session seek to lift the ban, including proposals from Sen. Peter Durant and Reps. Paul Frost, Marc Lombardo and Kelly Pease. Most of those measures were sent to study by the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, effectively halting their progress. Two additional bills, sponsored by Reps. Alyson Sullivan-Almeida and David Vieira, have not yet been formally reported out of committee.

Gov. Maura Healey has voiced general support for expanding hunting opportunities, though she has not endorsed a specific proposal.

“Hunting has always been woven into Massachusetts’ history – supporting families, boosting local economies, and helping keep our deer populations healthy,” Healey said. “Expanding opportunities for hunters will carry that tradition forward while protecting public health and ensuring we’re maintaining balance in our wildlife populations.”

Some animal rights groups have voiced opposition to lifting the restriction. The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has urged lawmakers to keep the ban in place.

In addition, the administration is also considering other possible changes to hunting regulations, including expanding crossbow use and adjusting the buffer distances between roads and buildings and hunting zones, both of which would require legislative action.