Nantucket Locals Are Dealing With a New Off-Season Reality and It’s a Booming Population

Nantucket, MA, locals are slowly getting back to normal as Labor Day marked the unofficial end to summer, but as they said goodbye to the influx of visitors, they're still dealing with a growing population of a different kind—deer.

Wildlife officials estimate there are about 10,000 deer on the island—10 times the healthy level—and warn that number could swell to 15,000 in just a few years if nothing changes.

That imbalance spurred Nantucket resident Mike Leavitt to launch the ACK Deer Management Project, a community-driven effort that hopes to use venison to ease food insecurity. Roughly 1 in 5 Nantucket residents struggle to afford groceries, and with the local food pantry facing a looming relocation, the need is urgent, according to the Nantucket Current.

“The perfect match is venison,” Leavitt said. He estimates that if hunters harvested 2,000 deer—a lofty goal compared with the current record of 879—the meat could provide 75,000 meals, enough to feed every food-insecure resident for more than three weeks.

The oversized herd is straining ecosystems, spreading tick-borne diseases, and causing frequent collisions on island roads. Even with expanded hunting seasons and unlimited permits, hunters took just 863 deer last year, barely making a dent, according to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife.

State officials acknowledge the ecological stakes but also see the practical benefits of expanding the harvest. “They are a great resource, they’re able to feed people, and right now the density they’re in is having an immense amount of impact on ecosystems,” Martin Feehan, a wildlife health specialist with the division, told the Nantucket Current.

The project is now focused on building infrastructure to make large-scale venison donation possible. Nantucket currently lacks a facility with the kitchen and freezer capacity to process hundreds of deer carcasses. Leavitt says the group’s top priority is establishing such a site, which could be built more quickly and cheaply than many assume.

Responsible hunting is proposed as a big breakthrough

The Nantucket Land Bank is also considering applying for deer damage permits, which would allow controlled removals outside hunting season in areas where deer cause severe ecological harm. Some commissioners are cautious about disrupting the traditional hunting community, but if approved, the venison would go directly to the state’s salvage program to feed families in need.

Meanwhile, the ACK Deer Management Project is pursuing partnerships with local nonprofits and rolling out programs to encourage both on-island and visiting hunters. Plans include offering disposal bags for deer remains, easing tensions over waste, and letting hunters keep choice cuts while donating the rest.

For now, wildlife officials stress that success depends on landowners opening their properties to hunters.

“For landowners, it is really, really important that they allow hunters onto their property. For Nantucket, the long-term conservation of the ecosystems on the island necessitates [population control],” Feehan said.

“Just be welcoming to hunters. Ultimately, those hunters are effectively paying to do the deer management for the island, something that can be incredibly expensive if you have to have professional outlets do it,” he added.

If the effort gains traction, Nantucket could see healthier forests, safer roads—and thousands of free meals for neighbors in need.

Hunting rules

Hunting in Massachusetts is not year-round. White-tailed deer hunting season runs October through January, with specific dates. A license and primitive firearms stamp are among the requirements.

Most land bank properties are open to hunting but there are exceptions. So, it's best to consult the state land bank map. On Nantucket, no hunting is allowed on Sundays or within 500 feet of a dwelling that's in use, and hunters must wear blaze orange during required times and remove all remains.