Sometimes a policy lingers after its rationale has disappeared. That’s the case with most of Massachusetts’ blue laws, which were initially intended to preserve Sunday as a day of rest for Puritan churchgoers. The state has phased out prohibitions on Sunday haircuts, selling alcoholic beverages on Sundays, and most recently, requiring premium pay on Sundays for retail workers.
Now, Governor Maura Healey is supporting eliminating one lingering blue law — the prohibition on Sunday hunting.
While the timing of Healey’s support may smack of election year politicking, the recommendations made by her Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) suggest the environmental benefits of allowing Sunday hunting now outweigh its costs.
Hunting is the main tool available to control the populations of deer, turkeys, and bears. MassWildlife, in its report, says there is an overabundance of deer, particularly in Eastern Massachusetts and the islands, which can contribute to “increased human-wildlife conflict, vehicle collisions, the spread of tick-borne disease, degradation of forests, and crop damage at local farms.”
Mass Audubon, the land conservation and wildlife organization, actually dropped its prior opposition to Sunday hunting because of a growing need to control the deer population.
In testimony submitted to the state, Mass Audubon chief conservation officer Jocelyn Forbush wrote that due to the impact of deer browsing on forest plants, many forests are losing the ability to regenerate and are at risk of becoming dominated by invasive plants. “If we are to have sustainable diverse forests, we must reduce deer populations by several fold, particularly in the eastern half of the Commonwealth,” Forbush wrote.
Deer also host disease-spreading ticks. Massachusetts has seen an explosion of the tick-borne Alpha-gal syndrome, and Healey recently announced the Department of Public Health will begin tracking cases this year. Alpha-gal can cause a meat allergy that in at least one case has been fatal.
Hunting also has an economic impact. In 2025, Massachusetts sold more than 62,000 hunting licenses and hunters in 2022 spent an estimated $272 million on hunting equipment, licenses, and trips in Massachusetts, according to MassWildlife.
The Sunday ban doesn’t mean residents aren’t hunting on Sundays; it only means they might be hunting in other states where it is legal on Sundays. MassWildlife found that Massachusetts’ neighbors report disproportionately large deer harvests on Sundays compared to the national average, presumably because hunters are crossing the border. Massachusetts and Maine remain the only two states that forbid any Sunday hunting.
The most compelling argument for restricting hunting is that hikers, walkers, and bikers want one day a week where they don’t have to worry about remaining safe from hunters. (While not frequent, there have been cases of people, including non-hunters, being shot accidentally.)
This editorial board found that reasoning convincing a decade ago. But we now believe that with proper safety precautions, ending the ban can be an effective way to counter deer overpopulation.
Any expansion of hunting must be paired with signage and publicity to ensure people know when and where hunters are operating. But, as MassWildlife notes, accidents are rare, and there are many locations open to outdoor recreation where hunting is forbidden, even during hunting season.
Separately, MassWildlife is also suggesting the state allow crossbow hunting and reduce setbacks — the distance hunters must maintain from a dwelling — for archery and falconry. Both of these changes make sense.
It’s physically easier to use a crossbow than a vertical bow, because crossbows don’t require the strength needed to draw back a bow string. Today, Massachusetts only allows crossbow hunting for someone with a permanent disability — excluding hunters who are young, aging, have an injury, or simply find its use easier. Anyone can use a traditional bow. While there is debate in the hunting industry over the pros and cons of each weapon, there’s mixed evidence on whether vertical bows or crossbows are safer and more humane, providing no compelling reason for government to favor one over the other.
Having smaller setbacks for archery and falconry than firearms reflects each method’s risks. Falconry involves hunting with a trained bird, so there is no public risk from projectiles. Bows are shot at a shorter distance than firearms, and the proposed 250-foot setback for archery (down from 500 feet now) is still well above the typical bowhunter’s shooting distance.
Massachusetts’ hunting restrictions in each of these areas are stricter than in most other northeast states, and residents appear ready for change. MassWildlife’s proposal drew more than 11,000 comments, with at least two-thirds supporting each proposed reform. The Legislature should heed Healey’s call and update state hunting laws.
Correction: An earlier version of this editorial misstated the amount hunters spent in 2022 on hunting equipment, licenses, and trips in Massachusetts. It was $272 million, according to MassWildlife.
Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us @GlobeOpinion.