MOUNTAIN BIKERS, BEWARE
Autumn means hunting season, and the presence of hunters in the woods means hikers and mountain bikers need to use extra caution. Most hunting seasons in Massachusetts run between mid-October and mid-December. While hunting accidents are rare (statistics show that hunting is safer than many sports, including cycling), cyclists can enhance their safety by wearing a hunter's orange vest. These are available in the sporting goods departments of most department stores. Avoid white or brown clothing (you don't want to look like a deer). Hunting is not allowed on Sundays in Massachusetts.
More information: http://www.state.ma.us/dfwele/dfw
2009 DEER HUNTING SEASON dates in Massachusetts:
Archery: Oct. 12-Nov. 21
Shotgun: Nov. 30-Dec. 12 (ends Dec. 5 on Cape Cod)
Primitive firearms (muzzleloader): Dec. 14-31
Dates for other animals:
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/regulations/abstracts/hunting_dates.pdf
Most of Central Massachusetts lies in Zones 5-9. Here's a map of all the wildlife zones:
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/hunting/pdf/wmz_map.pdf
