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Massachusetts: Bills to Increase Hunting Opportunities to Be Heard in Committee |
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Next week, on Monday, September 18, the
Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee will meet to discuss
multiple bills to increase hunting opportunities in the Commonwealth.
Legislation of particular interest to hunters are as follows:
S. 445,
sponsored by state Senator Donald Humason (R- 2nd Hampden and
Hampshire), would legalize hunting on Sundays and H. 469,
sponsored by state Representatives William Straus (D-10th Bristol)
and Paul Frost (R-7th Worcester), would legalize bowhunting on
Sundays.
The prohibition on Sunday hunting is an old
blue law left on the books in just a handful of states. It denies
hunters access one day per week despite the fact that each year, hunters pump
millions of dollars into habitat restoration and conservation through
Pittman-Robertson funds.
Many hunters are prevented from introducing
their children or friends to hunting because they are competing against
organized sports and other activities on Saturday, which is currently their
only opportunity to hunt outside of the work or school week. Countless
hunters stop hunting because of the lack of opportunity, both in time and
accessible land. The addition of an extra day in the field, especially
on the weekend, increases the opportunity to enjoy our hunting heritage.
Allowing hunting on Sundays would invigorate essential hunter
recruitment and retention efforts.
S. 437,
the Outdoor Heritage Act, sponsored by state Senator Anne Gobi (D-Worcester,
Hampden, Hampshire, and Middlesex), is an omnibus bill addressing a number of
important issues including hunter harassment and firearm transportation on an
all-terrain vehicle (ATV), and others.
Currently hunter harassment violations only
address those who disrupt hunting by means of annoyance, but fails to address
property damage such as the sabotage of tree stands to endanger hunters.
In addition, the existing law regarding ATVs require firearms to be
unloaded and secured in a case, with no exemption for those individuals
licensed to carry firearms for self-defense. The enactment of S. 437
would correct both of the aforementioned issues to benefit hunters in the
field.
NRA
members and Massachusetts sportsmen are invited to attend the hearing and
voice their support on these bills. Additional information on the
hearing and how to testify can be found here.
Monday September 18, 2017 11:00AM-2:00PM Division of Fisheries and Wildlife 1 Rabbit Hill Rd. Westborough, MA 01481 |
It should be a requirement for anyone hunting to get permission from the owner. What gives the State the right to sell a permit to hunt on my land? I personally have kicked hunters off my posted land multiple times.
ReplyDeleteWhy is allowable for someone to walk on my posted or unposted land with a weapon for the purposes of killing wildlife? I've even had deer killed out of season with "hunter" only cutting off the antlers. A true jerk!
I agree Bob! A true jerk woould only do that. He wasn't a true hunter by any means.
ReplyDeleteMy Grandfather would have a big problem with that sort of violation. As a Game Warden in Maine he has told me many stories of his career around Moosehead lake region. He always took issue with the waste of wildlife like what you describe. As land owners we have a right to prohibit hunters we don't want there by posting land properly.
Check regulations and upkeep of signage and if your posted properly you should not have them hunting there. If not posted all the way around your land this could be a means for the non law abiding one to skirt the laws.
Without hunting and wildlife management there would be more problems then we know about.
Ask the people who manage the Quabin reservoir area if the no hunting has done harm to the vegetation there.
One bad hunter does not define all who follow the laws.
Open hunting for Sundays and keep the population of wildlife in check and healthy for the next generation of hunters.
If all Hunters said no to hunting and let wildlife grow to a unmanageable or deceased sport you may have to resort to killing them yourself. Just look at trapping Beaver have caused large amounts of money to be spent to try to control them. Instead of income its a cost to control them. Every opinion matter but the facts won't change on a sport that has been around forever.
Hunting isn't so much the issue. It's placing responsibility on landowners to do "extra" to keep people with guns off their property.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it my (landowners) responsibility to post no hunting on my private land. It should be on the person trying to enter the property. I've had guys walking up my driveway, using my trails, marking my trees. My neighbors have had people put up multiple tree stands on private land.
Why should I as a landowner be concerned to how I dress to walk my land? I went around my entire property placing no trespassing signs 2 yrs ago. Over 100 signs. Caught hunters who walked right by them. Had 3 jackasses get their truck stuck right under a no trespassing sign at the road going to push deer towards the airport, cops came, individuals told land was private again........whooppi!!! Thats the winter my sister walked up on a mutilated deer carcus with the antlers cut off. Balance of deer had been chewed on my coyotes we assume.
Landowners should not have to spend money to stop a State sponsored activity. I as a landowner see no benefit and only liability.
If someone walks into your backyard with a shotgun at dusk are you going to be pleased? In my neck of the woods we have enough trouble with people shooting on to little land, with to few braincells. I've got bullets in trees 75ft from my house. My neighbors kids shooting bullets 15 ft over my son and I heads. Scared the *^(^ out of us. The perp said, I yelled and nobody answered so I figured it was safe". They were shooting targets on the top of a knoll. My house was 500ft beyond that. The response " I didn't know bullets went that far........shooting a 9mm.
This is why I want all people with weapons off my property.
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ReplyDeletemikeSeptember 18, 2017 at 6:13 AM
ReplyDeleteBob I would bet the deer you found with the horns cut off were deer that died from starvation ??and someone going out looking for sheds cam across them .Was it that year we had tons of snow in February??
I hunt and I know all the guys that hunt in that area and not one of them would kill a deer and not take the meat !! But yes I do believe them guys would trespass since I own a house up the street one of them hunters shot and killed my dog while he was out shooting practice in his back yard !!
ReplyDelete
Mike, I dont think thats the case. It was found in January. Horns were sawn off.
ReplyDeleteThe trespassing it whats going to ruin it for hunters. I'm putting up cameras this year so I'll have video.
Sorry about your dog. It's not the first "missing" animal in the area.