• If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership  The benefits pay for the membership many times over.

Claiming a road kill fox pelt in Mass?

Another_David

Another_David

Joined
Jul 13, 2005
Messages
7,858
Likes
1,152
Location
Eastern Mass.
Feedback: 27 / 0 / 0
Walking the dog today I saw a dead fox that had been hit by a car. It was still relatively intact. It probably got hit but ran off and keeled over. So I was wondering, what are the procedures for claiming a road kill fox for its pelt in Mass?

I know with deer the local PDs sometimes have a list of volunteers willing to take animals for food--I know some people that are on their town lists. I wasn't sure if you still need a permit or what not. Sadly in my city I envisioned this turning into a legal shat storm so I just kept walking.

FWIW, I don't have a hunter or trapper permit but have long been meaning to start hunting and I thought that skinning a fox for its pelt might be as good as any place to start.
 
321 CMR 2.04 Salvage, Disposition, and Possession of Deer Killed by Means other than Sport Hunting

I couldn't find anything for fox specifically. Furbearer regulations are more strict than deer.
 
If you intend to keep the pelt and not sell it "sealing" may not be much of an issue. You did the town a favor by disposing of nuisance road kill.

Wear gloves and carefully clean all tools treating the animal as if it does carry disease, i.e. rabies or distemper, especially, it there is no obvious trauma as to COD.


Looks line the fox trapping season closed at the end for November.
http://www.eregulations.com/massachusetts/huntingandfishing/trapping/

Fox hunting season runs through the end of February.
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/df...ang-sum/hunting-of-fox-coyote-and-bobcat.html

If you want to be totally legal you can check with the DFW for details.
 
Last edited:
51141a4e-f91c-4b67-8772-5d2646204482.jpg
 
Salvage of road killed animals is legal in Massachusetts if the season is open for the particular animal and you have the correct license to possess it as well. In the case of a fox, coyote, raccoon, skunk, bobcat, weasel or opossum you would need a hunting or trapping license to possess them. To possess a beaver, otter, fisher, mink or muskrat you would need a trapping license to possess them, because there is no hunting of them allowed. The season for whichever animal you find must be open as well, so you would not be able to legally salvage a fisher, mink or otter now because the season is closed. Also, if all you have is a trapping license than you could not legally salvage a fox or other furbearer that the season is closed on now, however the hunting season is open so if you have a hunting license you're good to go.


Salvage of road killed animals is looked at as a means of reducing to possession, just as if you caught it in a trap or shot it. That is why you need to have the correct license and open season.
 
Last edited:
I would take a photo of it dead on the ground then bring it home and bury the carcass.
My son used to collect tails of different roadkill. The couple times cops asked what we were doing they just laughed and asked us to throw the carcass in the woods after.
 
Winchester73 said:
Salvage of road killed animals is legal in Massachusetts if the season is open for the particular animal and you have the correct license to possess it as well. In the case of a fox, coyote, raccoon, skunk, bobcat, weasel or opossum you would need a hunting or trapping license to possess them. To possess a beaver, otter, fisher, mink or muskrat you would need a trapping license to possess them, because there is no hunting of them allowed. The season for whichever animal you find must be open as well, so you would not be able to legally salvage a fisher, mink or otter now because the season is closed. Also, if all you have is a trapping license than you could not legally salvage a fox or other furbearer that the season is closed on now, however the hunting season is open so if you have a hunting license you're good to go.


Salvage of road killed animals is looked at as a means of reducing to possession, just as if you caught it in a trap or shot it. That is why you need to have the correct license and open season.
Click to expand...

Disgusting. I hate this state. Just fvcking hate it.....
 
Winchester73 said:
Salvage of road killed animals is looked at as a means of reducing to possession, just as if you caught it in a trap or shot it. That is why you need to have the correct license and open season.
Click to expand...

Sounds a lot like Connecticut DEEP's "no firearms in state parks/forests" regulation: unless you're a licensed hunter actively engaged in hunting during the season and carrying only the appropriate firearm, the possession of any firearm (whether or not licensed to carry) is used as prima facie evidence you're engaged in poaching.
 
okay, thanks all.

for the record, I wasn't planning on EATING the fox! Just skinning and keeping the pelt--for what I have no idea. But making flies sounds like fun. It was a small, skinny fox, probably just a year old, so I doubt it had much value.

Rabies was a concern so gloves would be a must and I was going to skin it in my backyard so I didn't want to just take it and hope my neighbors wouldn't rat me out because they probably would.

I guess the coyotes probably got it last night.
 
Last edited:
Another_David said:
Rabies was a concern so gloves would be a must and I was going to skin it in my backyard so I didn't want to just take it and hope my neighbors wouldn't rat me out because they probably would. Also, I didn't think the local PD knew the law and would just him and haw and maybe call fish and wildlife and f that.
Click to expand...

I guess one thing I have to be thankful for - even here in Connecticut - is we don't have shitty neighbors.
 
Winchester73 said:
Salvage of road killed animals is legal in Massachusetts if the season is open for the particular animal and you have the correct license to possess it as well. In the case of a fox, coyote, raccoon, skunk, bobcat, weasel or opossum you would need a hunting or trapping license to possess them. To possess a beaver, otter, fisher, mink or muskrat you would need a trapping license to possess them, because there is no hunting of them allowed. The season for whichever animal you find must be open as well, so you would not be able to legally salvage a fisher, mink or otter now because the season is closed. Also, if all you have is a trapping license than you could not legally salvage a fox or other furbearer that the season is closed on now, however the hunting season is open so if you have a hunting license you're good to go.


Salvage of road killed animals is looked at as a means of reducing to possession, just as if you caught it in a trap or shot it. That is why you need to have the correct license and open season.
Click to expand...


jfc.
 
SpaceCritter said:
I guess one thing I have to be thankful for - even here in Connecticut - is we don't have shitty neighbors.
Click to expand...

sounds nice. If one of my neighbors saw me gutting this in the yard I can only imagine what they would say when they call the cops, maybe "my neighbor killed a fox! he has it in the yard now!" or worse "he shot a fox"

either way the cops would be dispatched to a "known gun owner"
probably confiscate everything: fox and guns
hire lawyer
plea to poaching--loose all guns maybe?

not worth a little pelt

When I first moved in I was using a chainsaw to cut overgrown bushes and a neighbor came over to passively complain, "oh I was wondering what landscapers work on Sundays! Hmmm, I can give you the name of my landscaper because they do a great job and they come during the week. It's usually so quiet around here on the weekends." Nice chatting, [starts chainsaw] watch your eyes! [start cutting]

Then another actually told me I should cut dow all the trees in my backyard because "they're weed maples--no one planted them they just grew there" and he didn't like the leaves falling on his grass. Yeah, they're f'ing "wild" trees and not purchased at a store--get used to them cause they've been there for 30 years and aren't leaving anytime soon!

when I finally get off my ass and go hunting I'm going to gut that sucker in the yard and hang in on the porch for all to see. maybe put a red light on its nose like Rudolf.
 
Last edited:
Is there an exception if you actually hit the animal with your car? I ask as deer are often killed (or mortally wounded) by cars in front of my house, and the cops ask the driver if they want it and don't ask anything about licenses or season or such. As an aside, most of the gunshots I hear at my home are the police "taking care of" injured deer (such as the night before last - took two shots so probably would have been better to have taken out the rifle).
 
mx250man said:
Is there an exception if you actually hit the animal with your car? I ask as deer are often killed (or mortally wounded) by cars in front of my house, and the cops ask the driver if they want it and don't ask anything about licenses or season or such. As an aside, most of the gunshots I hear at my home are the police "taking care of" injured deer (such as the night before last - took two shots so probably would have been better to have taken out the rifle).
Click to expand...

The way the law is written, apparently not, at least for fur bearers. Deer, yes, and turkeys (I almost hit one, and checked with the EPOs [laugh])
 

Similar threads

Maine: Only One Vote Needed to Kill Waiting Periods
Replies
2
Views
238
dfritz
D
NY cops kill man firing at mugger
2
Replies
56
Views
1K
jkelly1229
J
  • Locked
Ammo Shipping to Mass
Replies
25
Views
680
drgrant
drgrant
FFL dimension requirements for office space in Mass
Replies
6
Views
343
rudiewhitebwoy
rudiewhitebwoy
Memphis Officer Joseph McKinney was killed this morning in a shootout with a man who had been released without bail ... after being caught with a MG
Replies
19
Views
473
MaverickNH
MaverickNH
Back
Top Bottom