Acton adding bowhunting to its quiver for culling Barrett’s Mill deer
Experts agree there are too many deer in Acton. Farmers say the problem is getting worse.
In lieu of deploying mountain lions, officials hope bowhunters will help manage deer at Barrett’s Mill Farm.
The Natural Resources Commission unanimously approved a pilot program for the town-owned property last month.
As similar hunts proceed elsewhere, experts agree there are still too many deer in Acton. Farmers say the problem is getting worse.
Natural Resources Director Delia Kaye said hunting is a “tool in the toolbox” to manage the strain.
“We are way, way, way over what we should be sustainably seeing,” she said during a recent meeting of conservation-minded Concordians.
Deer largely lost their natural predators as humans pushed mountain lions and wolves out of New England. Their numbers have spiked, and at farms, hungry deer find ample food.
Kaye said three people have approval to hunt, with restrictions, in wooded areas around Barrett’s Mill until December 31.
Hunters may only shoot at female deer. Kaye said this focuses the effort on doe that might bear more fawns. The rule also seeks to discourage trophy seekers.
Kaye told The Acton Bridge that hunting won’t have a major long-term effect on the deer population, and it’s meant to address issues specifically at Barrett’s Mill Farm.
She said officials will reevaluate options next year, and the NRC might consider opening more land to hunters.
‘A Lorax story’
The Annursnac Hill neighborhood has its own hunting program. Resident Janet Rothrock said she was against hunting when she moved to the area, but has since had a change of heart.
“I look at it as sort of a Lorax story,” she said, referencing the Dr. Seuss tale and the forest plants that deer often eat. Rothrock said “nobody speaks” for the wildflowers and other species ravaged by deer.
Kaye said a state biologist estimated Acton has 75-100 deer per square mile. The expert said deer start hurting forest health when there are more than 15-18 per square mile.
At Barrett’s Mill, Lise Holdorf said electric fencing mostly kept deer at bay, but in 2023, more started getting through. Over the past year, deer started jumping additional fencing and ripping through row covers meant to shield plants.
Liza Bemis of Hutchins Farm said that “electric fencing can only do so much.” The farm has its own bowhunters.
Agriculture Committee co-Chair Brian Cramer said most area farms have “serious and increasing” deer problems. Some install permanent wire fencing, but that’s expensive, and Cramer said deer can clear even an 8-foot hurdle.
Hutchins, like Barrett’s Mill, has temporary electrified fencing. Cramer said this is an “absolute necessity if we expect to keep deer from ruining tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of produce.”
Although the Barrett’s Mill bowhunt is in progress, it started late in the season, and Holdorf said one hunter told her he’s not sure they’ll get any deer. Hunting could still scare deer away from the area.
Kaye, in an email, said hunters must remove any deer they kill from the property and notify the town within 24 hours.
Safety concerns
At NRC, Holdorf faced questions about why her farm doesn’t seek grants for fencing tall enough to block deer. As one reason for caution, she recalled how some farmers were stuck on the hook for pricey projects when President Donald Trump’s administration clawed back federal grants.
Acton resident Lynda Olsen raised concerns. She said she previously lived near a parcel with bowhunting and “was always afraid” they would shoot toward her house.
During the separate conservation confab, former Mass Audubon staffer Jeff Collins called bowhunting “overwhelmingly safe,” as hunters shoot over short distances and aim down at deer from their position in tree stands.
This, Collins said, isn’t a “shoot from the hip” situation.
While some might object on moral grounds, Rothrock maintains her support.
“All the people who have those heartfelt feelings for the Bambis should understand that it doesn’t do them any favors,” she said. “They evolved in a situation of intense predation, and the population is way out of control right now.”
Holdorf said bowhunting should remain part of a larger deer management strategy.
Acton naturalist Peter Alden has more humorous ideas to cull the herd.
“The other thing we could do is bring in Siberian tigers,” he joked to The Bridge.
Barrett’s Mill Farm bowhunting rules
Hunters may hunt only in designated wooded areas.
Each hunter must have valid hunting and driver’s licenses and get a town-issued conservation land use permit.
Hunting is allowed Monday through Friday, half an hour before sunrise to 10 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to half an hour after sunset.
Hunters may hunt only doe (female deer).
Hunters must stay 100 feet from trails, 150 feet from roads, and 500 feet from homes.
