Wakeman Conservation Center
P.O. Box 1088, 57 David Ave, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568
Tel. 508-693-5207    info@sheriffsmeadow.org

Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation Hunting Policy

ADOPTED BY BOARD OF DIRECTORS: March 20^th, 2020

The mission of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation is to conserve the natural, beautiful, rural landscape and character of Martha’s Vineyard for present and future generations.

Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation believes that allowing hunting on certain of its lands, in a limited, managed manner, is a valuable conservation activity that is consistent with its mission.

This policy addresses the hunting of white-tailed deer.  Martha’s Vineyard is subject to an overpopulation of deer.  Deer play a role in the proliferation of deer ticks and the spread of and increase in Lyme disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and other tick-borne diseases.

Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation will change this policy from time to time to make improvements upon it, change regulations, add or remove species, reflect changes in property management plans and adjust to changing local, commonwealth and federal laws.

Regulations are contained herein.

Hunting shall only be permitted on designated properties, which Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation owns in fee simple ownership.  No hunting shall be permitted on Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation properties not cited herein or if that hunting would violate any regulation or law of the commonwealth or of the municipality in which the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation property is located.  Properties on which hunting shall be permitted are named in Appendix B.

All hunting regulations and laws of the commonwealth and of its municipalities shall be observed at all times by hunters using Sheriff’s Meadow properties.

Each hunter shall be required, as part of the application for a permit, to show evidence of successful completion of a hunter education course, unless such person has held a license to hunt before January 1st, 1997.

Dates of Hunting
Hunting shall only be permitted for deer during the annual commonwealth archery season. Hunting shall only take place during daylight hunting hours.  The archery season extends through the shotgun season and the primitive firearms season.

Species Which May Be Hunted
Deer may be hunted on selected properties.  No other species may be hunted.

Co-Existence of Hunters and Non-Hunters
Properties shall continue to be open to the public – if already open to the public – during the hunting season. The property management staff shall erect signs each year at each property that is hunted, reading “Hunting by Written Permission Only” and informing the public of the hunter/non-hunter co-existence policy.  These signs shall additionally list the dates of the archery season.

Hunting Permit
No one shall hunt on Sheriff’s Meadow properties without a hunting permit in possession issued by Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation.  There is no charge for this permit.  Any person holding a valid Massachusetts hunting license and FID card or license-to-carry-firearms is entitled to apply for a Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation hunting permit.

A Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation hunting permit shall specify a hunter’s name, property on which they have Permission to hunt, date(s) for which it is valid and vehicle license plate number of vehicle likely to be used during hunting.  Permit applications must be accompanied by a signed release.  A hunter who does not possess an FID card or does not wish to provide the number must indicate whether he has been convicted of a felony and, if so, must name the felony and describe the circumstances.

A limited number of permits will be issued for each property.  Permits will be issued on a limited basis, specific to each property on which hunting is allowed.  The issuance of a permit is based on a complete and valid permit application, references and recommendations.

A property map will be issued with each hunting permit. The hunting permit will warn hunters not to trespass on adjoining private property.

Game Limits
The prevailing federal and commonwealth limits on game are in effect.

Tools
Only those tools customarily associated with archery may be used on the properties during archery season. All tree stands and relating climbing pegs must be portable and designed to prevent damage to the tree (i.e. using straps or chains). No nails, bolts or screws may be used in securing the tree-stand or the climbing-stick to the tree. Each permit allows a certain number of tree stands to be erected on the corresponding property. All tree stands will be tagged with an individually numbered tag that will be issued to him and that the hunter is expected to either return with their hunting survey or to save and use in future hunting seasons (if permit is issued in future years).

Property Cleanliness
Hunters shall collect their litter prior to leaving Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation properties.

Enforcement of Hunting Regulations
No Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation hunting permit shall be issued without the recipient’s first having signed the release which appears as Appendix A to this policy.  This release certifies that the permit-holder has read, understood and agrees to abide by these regulations and, further, that the permit-holders will hold Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation harmless from any liability in the event of injury.

The Massachusetts environmental police will be provided with a list of all hunters who have been issued Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation hunting permits.  These and all other law-enforcement officers, including any special officers, whom Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation may hire, are hereby authorized to rescind any permit if they believe that its holder has violated any of these regulations or any regulation of the commonwealth or a municipality.

Penalty for Violation of Hunting Regulations
Any hunter who violates any provision of these regulations may permanently lose the privilege of hunting on Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation properties.

Conformance with Commonwealth and Municipal Laws
All hunting regulations and laws of the commonwealth and of its municipalities shall be observed at all times by hunters using Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation properties.

Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation hunting permits shall be in the possession of a hunter and presented to Massachusetts’s environmental police officers or other law enforcement officers or Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation staff upon request. A hunting permit allows its holder to hunt on the specified property during the dates covered by the permit. Permits are property and person specific.

Hunters shall place their “Vehicle Placard” in the upper right corner of their vehicle’s dashboard, for quick staff verification.

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Appendix A

Wakeman Conservation Center
PO Box 1088, 57 David Ave, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568
Tel. 508-693-5207    Fax. 508-693-0683  info@sheriffsmeadow.org

AGREEMENT and APPLICATION FORM (please do not fill in this version of application, it is just attached the Policy for reference)

I hereby certify that I have read, understood and agree to abide by the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation hunting policy and hunting rules, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged.

In consideration for permission to enter and use Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation property for the purpose of hunting, I hereby release Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation and any of its employees and agents from any liability for damage or injury to me or my property arising out of my use of such Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation property.

I further agree on behalf of myself, my heirs, successors and assigns to indemnify and otherwise hold harmless Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation and any of its directors, employees and agents from any loss, injury, damage, claim or expense arising out of my use of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation property, including reasonable legal expenses in connection therewith.

signed: ________________________________date: ______________________________

please print legibly

Property you are requesting permission to hunt on:______________________________________

name:   ____________________________________________________________________

address: ___________________________________________________________________

telephone:__________________________________________________________________

email address ______________________________________________________________

MA hunting license number*: ________________________________________________

FID card number*:(if no FID card, please complete questions on next page) :___________________________

Vehicle Make/Model and License Plate Number: ________________________________

Reference:(ie: character references such as fellow hunter, EPO or Game Warden, property owner where you have hunted in past, Dukes County residents, etc.)

___________________________________________________________________________

*Copy of hunting license and FID are required with Application.

Hunters who were issued a Sheriff’s Meadow permit the previous year must have returned the mandatory hunting survey for that year prior to receiving a new hunting permit.

Have you ever been convicted of a felony?

If yes, please state what the felony was and describe the circumstances.

 

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Appendix B

 

Hunting Properties

As of October 16, 2009, Oyster-Watcha Midlands Preserve and Quansoo Farm are open to bowhunting of deer.

As of September 17, 2010 Pocketapaces is open to bowhunting of deer.

As of October 15, 2010, the Reynolds property is open to bowhunting of deer.

As of October 17, 2011, Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary, Middle Road Sanctuary, the Phillips Preserve, Brookside Ridge Preserve, Priscilla Hancock Meadow, and Freeman Hancock Woodlot are open to bowhunting of deer.

As of October 19, 2012, the Goethals property in West Tisbury is open to bowhunting of deer.

As of October 5, 2018, the Leonard Property in Aquinnah is open to bowhunting of deer.