General Hunting Regulations

Accidents: All hunting-related injuries or deaths MUST be reported to state or local police and to the Environmental Police.

Archery: Poisoned arrows, or explosive tips, or bows drawn by mechanical means, except for crossbows as permitted, are prohibited. Mechanical releases are permitted. Arrows used on deer, bear or turkey must have well-sharpened steel broadhead blades not less than ⅞ inches in width. Expanding broadheads are legal for deer, bear, or turkey hunting. All bows, except permitted crossbows, used for hunting (recurve, long, and compound) must have at least 40 lbs. pull at 28 inches or peak draw weight. No arrows may be released within 150 feet of, or across, any state or hard-surfaced highway, and hunting is prohibited within 500 feet of any dwelling or building in use, unless authorized by the owner or occupant thereof.

A firearms license (FID or LTC card) is not required for bowhunting. Archers shall not possess firearms on their person or use dogs while hunting deer. (See deer regulations.) Archers may hunt with a bow and arrow during the shotgun and muzzleloader deer seasons, but must comply with all regulations of those seasons, including the hunter orange and Primitive Firearms Stamp requirements. Crossbows may be used by certain permanently disabled persons by permit only. For regulations and an application, visit www.mass.gov/masswildlife
or contact DFW at (508) 389-6300.

Hunter Orange: No person shall hunt during the pheasant or quail season on public shooting grounds or WMAs where pheasant or quail are stocked without wearing a “hunter orange” cap or hat except while night-hunting for raccoons or opossums, or while hunting waterfowl from a blind or boat. During the period when it is legal to hunt deer with a shotgun, all hunters, except waterfowl hunters hunting within a blind or from a boat, must wear, in a conspicuous manner on chest, back, and head, a minimum of 500 square inches of “hunter orange” clothing or material. During the muzzleloader season, all deer hunters must comply with the 500 sq. inch hunter orange requirement.

Hunting Dogs: May be trained at any time (except during the shotgun season on deer) provided that only pistols or revolvers and blank cartridges are used or possessed. No sporting or hunting license is necessary. During the shotgun deer season, dogs may be used for waterfowl hunting on coastal waters only. Hunting bear or bobcat with dogs, or training dogs on those species, is prohibited.

Tree stands: Must have written permission of the landowner (on either public or private lands) to construct or use any tree stand which is fastened to a tree by nails, bolts, wire, or other fasteners that intrude through the bark into the wood of the tree, or that is fastened or erected in any manner and is emplaced for a period exceeding 30 days. This includes lock-on tree stands.

Regulations in red are new this year.

Purple text indicates an important note.