Hi there,
Need some help before oct15 arrive. Can I use .22lr pistol to hunt small game like rabbit in zone 10 or 9 during daytime? I cannot find any where talking about it. I found it is ok during night hunting hour for raccoon and opossum.
Thanks
Depends on what you consider "small game" as rabbits and squirrels have seperate rules on what you cAn use. Read the abstract for each seperate species as the impliments rules are different but basically:
rifle and pistol or shotgun on squirrels is zone 1-9 unless you are on a wma land stocked with pheasant during pheasant season the u need a shotgun only. Squirrel is Shotgun and bow only in 10-14 cannot use rifle or handgun on squirrel in 10-14.
Rabbit you can use a rifle or handgun in all zones......unless on a wma stocked with pheasant during the pheasant season then its shotgun only or bow.
So....if you are in zone 10 with 22 handgun you can only shoot rabbits that are NOT on wma sticked with pheasant....cant take a squirrel cuz zone 10 is shotgun only for squirrel. So.....bring a shotgun on opening day and you can take squirrels rabbits or pheasant. Thats what shotguns Are for
Btw.....in zone 9 u could have been hunting squirrels since sep 12 it opens earlier than zones 10-14. Zone 9 is pretty much everything west of 495 and route 3. Check the maps.
you should go online and download the abstract for mass. It is actually quite clear on what you can use for each species and where.
one more question....why the 22 handgun? Are you a new hunter? Thats great if you are but you are limiting yourself without having a shotgun.....as can be displayed above as you are pretty much only going to be able to take rabbits and only if not on wma during pheasant season (which starts 15 oct as well). If you have a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun you can take 3 species legally on wma land. Itll just increase your chances of successful outings.
