September was my mother-in-law’s (Pearl Churchill) favorite month. She used to tell me that the September foliage had the softest tint to it than any other time before the colors of October began to appear. “The air, she would say, carried a pleasant seasonal aroma to it,” and as the days stretched ahead, the month filled her with a joy that was clearly immeasurable in so many ways. Now, all that said, it might have also been that September was her birthday month, though she would just smile when I asked her this, never really answering the question. But in so many respects, she was right! September has a feeling all its own with hints of summer still lingering, but the quiet whisper of the coming autumn about to be experienced again. Needless to say, I loved my mother-in-law. And I loved hearing her speak of this every year when September rolled around. But for others, September has its own special reasons as a month to enjoy and celebrate.
For example, people celebrate and enjoy September because it usually signals in the best quarter of the year with extremely comfortable weather. September ushers in the start of another harvest season for many, with autumn scents drifting back into the atmosphere. And for many of us, though we’ve been out of school for an exceptionally long time, those back-to-school vibes still creep into our thoughts as yellow buses start appearing again, and kids walking to morning classes begin to catch our attention. And for those of us who hunt, it means the kindling spark of another fall hunting season! And with so much happening this month, I thought this would be an exciting time to go over exactly what hunting seasons are now in effect, as September heralds in another, “Hunting Season in Massachusetts!”
Black bear hunting season began on Sept. 7 and continues right through Dec. 12, 2026. Now, that’s a long season for anything, but with high black bear populations, the hope is that this will give hunters more opportunities to bring the numbers down a bit, while helping farmers, who sustain serious “bear” crop damage on a yearly basis, some relief. Hunting hours for black bear go from ½ hour before sunrise until ½ hour after sunset. As with everything else in the Bay State, there is no Sunday hunting allowed for black bears. You must also have the appropriate license and permits to legally pursue them. Remember, 500 inches of orange blaze is required when bear hunting in this state. Also, MassWildlife encourages successful bear hunters to submit the small tooth, behind the bear’s canine, for study and aging purposes. You’ll receive a letter with the age of your bear, and a “2026 MA Bear Hunter” sticker for participating. Instructions on how to remove this tooth can be found on the MassWildlife website.
The 2026 gray squirrel season starts on September 8, 2026, running all the way into the end of February 2027. Like black bear season, legal hunting hours for gray Squirrel begin ½ hour before sunrise and ends ½ hour after sunset. To hunt squirrels in Massachusetts, you must have the appropriate hunting licenses, which you can purchase through the MassFishHunt website. And check the Mass. Hunting Abstracts for legal firearms, blaze orange requirements, and other pertinent regulations if you decide to chase gray squirrels this year. And remember, you cannot hunt gray squirrels, or most any other species in Massachusetts during the shotgun season for deer, with the exception of the following species; bear, coyote and waterfowl, but check the abstracts for legal waterfowl zones if your planning to get wet chasing migratory birds during shotgun season for deer, just to be certain!
Right behind these two popular hunting seasons comes the Oct. 5 opener for white-tailed deer (archery only) and fall turkeys (zones 1-13 for turkeys)! But we’ll leave October for another day! For now, lets end things up by reading about a few upcoming “Learn to Hunt” events that may be of interest to you, especially if you’re just getting into the sport!
Throughout the year, MassWildlife offers free, in-person and online, hunting classes that teach both safety and skills to beginning, intermediate, and even experienced hunters if they choose to attend. Here are a few of them that I’d like to share with you in hopes you, or someone you’re introducing to hunting, might attend.
Sept. 13: Deer Scouting in Westborough Field Headquarters — Join this free event with staff and deer hunters. This class will be held at Field Headquarters in Westborough. Here, you will learn what to look for when scouting deer in the field, deer biology, tips, regulations, and more. This class will be taught in person, indoors. Class hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Go to the MassWildlife website for registration, and more details about these highly informative classes.
Sept. 23: Deer Scouting, Virtual: MassWildlife staff will share tips for finding hunting spots, how to use online maps to identify deer habitat, and discuss deer sign and scouting. This class will be taught through Zoom and run from 6 to 8 p.m. Check their website to register.
Oct. 1: Fall Turkey Hunting, Virtual: Join NWTF members and staff for a Zoom session and panel discussion on “Fall Turkey Hunting.” Topics will include scouting, tactics, strategies, and fall turkey calling. The Zoom class is from 6 to 7 p.m. Register at the MassWildlife website.
Joe Judd is a lifelong hunter and sportsman. He is an outdoor writer, seminar speaker, member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, and a 2019 inductee into the New England Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. Joe is also a member of the Quaker Boy Game Calls and Bass Pro/Cabela’s Pro Staff.