Why It Matters: On February 3rd, Massachusetts will conclude a listening tour that consisted of three in-person and two virtual meetings to discuss eliminating the ban on Sunday hunting, allowing all hunters to use crossbows during archery seasons, and reducing archery hunting discharge distances to align more with neighboring states. These three provisions would have an immense impact on both hunting access and opportunities and will help with the state’s recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) efforts.
Highlights:
- Maine and Massachusetts are now the only states in the nation with a complete ban on Sunday hunting.
- The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced this listening tour, marking potential support from the executive branch.
- 50 percent of crossbows are currently estimated to be used for hunting, part of a nearly $700 million market, according to Global Growth Insights’ 2024 figures.
2025 was a significant year for progress for hunters in the northeast, both in gaining access to Sundays for hunting (Connecticut and Pennsylvania) and normalizing the use of crossbows for use during archery seasons (New York). Capitalizing on the momentum of these significant victories, it is now time for the Bay State to follow suit following this listening tour.
With comparable numbers of statewide hunters as Massachusetts, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) collected and shared weekend data with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), which shows that 34 percent of their deer harvest during archery season on weekends takes place on a Sunday. As total harvest numbers are noticeably down from only ten years ago in New Jersey, this shows the importance of providing extra time for young professionals and families who may have limited Saturdays or weekday opportunities due to their professional or scholastic activities and responsibilities.
Another key policy improvement being considered is to help provide access to huntable areas, Massachusetts is interested in discussing decreasing the current hunting setback, or discharge distance, during archery hunting from 500 feet from dwellings and buildings to 150 feet. In 2014, the neighboring state of New York made a similar change from 500 feet to 250 feet for crossbows and 150 feet for bows. Connecticut’s archery regulations’ setback distance is 40 yards or 120 feet. “Safe zones” extending 500 feet from a dwelling will encompass 18.02 acres of land. However, a circle with a 150-foot radius only closes access to 1.62 acres of land, opening up to 16.4 acres per dwelling (which represents over a 1000 percent increase)
An additional tool change which will likely improve access is allowing all hunters the use of crossbows. Currently, Massachusetts only allows crossbow use for hunting due to permanent disability. Crossbows are a proven method of take for recruiting and retaining new and existing hunters. For this reason, the New York State Legislature normalized the use of crossbows during archery season with nearly unanimous bipartisan support last year.
Ultimately, these changes will have to be made in the legislature, but by gaining the full support of the Healey-Driscoll Administration along with MassWildlife, Massachusetts sportsmen and women could have more time, space, and opportunity in the near future.
Supporting evidence of changing sentiments in Boston, on November 13, 2025, S. 577, legislation to permit crossbow use for all hunters sponsored by Massachusetts Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair Senator Durant was reported “favorably” by the Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
CSF will continue to work with legislators to take hold of this positive momentum and help bring much-needed improvements in both access and opportunities for hunters in Massachusetts. Public comments can be submitted to MassWildlife up to 5 p.m. Eastern Time on February 6th.
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