State
CWD rules in Massachusetts
CWD zone status
Agency
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife)
Last verified
June 16, 2026
CWDCrossing provides informational summaries of state CWD carcass-transport regulations. Rules change annually pre-hunting-season; verify with both the origin and destination state wildlife agencies before transport. Failure to comply may result in citations. Not affiliated with the CWD Alliance, the National Deer Association, or any state agency.
Bringing a carcass into Massachusetts
Massachusetts is the regulating authority for what you can bring in. CWD has not been detected in Massachusetts (clean). New England states (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) are exempt from the import restriction. mass.gov pages are geo-blocked from this environment; rule text verified via search-surfaced MassWildlife content. Verify exact current wording on-page if precision is critical.
Allowed for import
- meat that has been cut and wrapped (commercially or privately)
- deboned meat
- hides with no head attached
- cleaned skull caps (no muscle or brain tissue) with attached antlers
- antlers with no muscle or brain tissue attached
- fixed/finished taxidermy mounts
- upper canine teeth
Restricted from import
- whole carcass of any Cervidae
- head
- brain
- spinal tissue
- bones
Handling + processing
Prohibition applies to cervids harvested in any state, Canadian province, or country OUTSIDE New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT). Skull caps must have no muscle/brain tissue attached. Separately, no live deer/cervids may be imported into Massachusetts for any purpose.
Taking a carcass out of Massachusetts
When you hunt in Massachusetts and bring the carcass to another state, that destination state sets the rule. Massachusetts is not currently listed as a CWD-affected state in our reading, but check the destination state's affected-state list, since designations change.
Massachusetts on the CWD map
- CWD confirmed in state
- Under heightened surveillance
- No known CWD detections
Zone status is informational, not a hazard rating. Detections expand over time — confirm current status with each state's wildlife agency.
CWDCrossing provides informational summaries of state CWD carcass-transport regulations. Rules change annually pre-hunting-season; verify with both the origin and destination state wildlife agencies before transport. Failure to comply may result in citations. Not affiliated with the CWD Alliance, the National Deer Association, or any state agency.