Archery season for deer has wrapped up its third week on the Island, and in a mild autumn with leaves only just beginning to turn, hunters are calling it a good season so far.

Brian Athearn, founder of the Martha’s Vineyard Hunt Club, said his group has taken 30 deer. The Agricultural Society’s deer locker has gotten 15, five of which were donated to the Island Grown Initiative venison program.

Brian Athearn, founder of Martha’s Vineyard Hunt Club.

Ray Ewing

Brian Athearn, founder of Martha’s Vineyard Hunt Club.

Ray Ewing

In zone 13 which includes Martha’s Vineyard and the Elizabeth islands, 337 deer were harvested during the 2023 archery season according to data collected by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife.

Mr. Athearn said more and more sportsmen and women are turning to bow hunting these days. He said part of the reason is that with so much development on the Island, many deer now congregate on private property. And some homeowners are more inclined to allow bow hunters onto their land as opposed to shotgun hunters.

“If I go to ask someone for permission to hunt on their property and I say, oh I’m bow and arrow hunting, versus I’m going to jump out of a truck with 10 guys and shotguns, you can guess where that’s going to go,” Mr. Athearn said.

Bow hunters use two methods during archery season: the traditional compound bow, where the string is drawn back manually, and the crossbow, which employs a hand-cranked lever. Crossbows require a special permit from the state along with documented proof of a permanent disability, and remain popular on the Island, accounting for between a quarter and third of the archery harvest every year.

Mr. Athearn uses both bows to hunt. He’s eligible for a crossbow permit because he severed his wrist on a mason jar many years ago and lost all feeling in his right hand.

“With a crossbow, you know your finger’s in the basket and you know exactly where you’re going.”

Ray Ewing

“With a crossbow, you know your finger’s in the basket and you know exactly where you’re going.”

Ray Ewing

“A regular [compound] bow is difficult to feel the release, but with a crossbow, you know your finger’s in the basket and you know exactly where you’re going,” Mr. Athearn explained. He said crossbows are easier to operate than a compound bow, are lighter to carry and especially good in tree stands. They also help make archery season more accessible to older hunters who may lack the strength needed for a traditional compound bow.

Nelson Sigelman, an Island hunter, fisherman and writer, bought an Excalibur RevX crossbow after recovering from cancer earlier this year.

“My ‘you-survived-chemo’ present to myself was [this crossbow] and I’m pretty excited about it,” Mr. Sigelman said.

Phoenix Russell, who makes jewelry on the Island and has been hunting for over a decade, is ineligible for a crossbow but prefers to hunt with a compound bow anyway.

“I think people that can’t pull back a bow should be able to still hunt during archery,” Ms. Russell said. “But a crossbow nowadays in my mind, is a gun. It has a scope on it, you just pull a trigger . . . it’s so different from a compound bow.”

While not an advocate for crossbows, Ms. Russell said loosening the rules for crossbow hunting could help make archery season more accessible for women. She said she knows women who can’t use compound bows because they lack the strength. Add to that the fact that many women who are interested in archery don’t know anyone who can teach them.

Archery season for deer hunting runs through Nov. 30.

Ray Ewing

Archery season for deer hunting runs through Nov. 30.

Ray Ewing

“I think it’s really hard to get into bow hunting as a woman unless you have someone in your life who is bow hunting,” Ms. Russell said. “. . . All these women want to learn how to shoot bows, but it’s like, how do I get enough bows at low enough pounds?”

Ms. Russell describes archery season as a special time on the Island.

“Bow hunters take great care of the woods,” she said. “ . . . I feel like gun hunters just come blasting through the woods . . . a lot of them are smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee. You know, it’s not like bow hunting, where there is a stillness and a quietness in the woods when you’re there.”

Lisa Scanell, who started hunting eight years ago, cherishes bow hunting season. In her opinion, hunting is not about the kill but rather about connecting with nature and feeding her family and friends.

“There’s no distraction, there’s no phone,” she said. “In the mornings you’re watching the forest wake up, and in the evenings, you’re watching it go to bed . . .  It’s the only thing that I do where I can completely shut off the outside world.”

Archery season for deer hunting runs through Nov. 30.

Shotgun season runs from Dec. 2 through Dec. 14. Primitive firearms season runs from Dec. 16 through Dec. 31.

Woodland walkers are reminded to wear bright colors while out in the state forest and on land bank properties.