Gray Squirrel Rules

[Mach]

On the Cape ( zones 10-12) says no taking of squirrel with rifle or handgun. I guess that leaves shotgun. Is an air pellet rifle considered prohibited also or is that not considered a rifle. Anybody know?

 

[derrick_lui]

I think Air Rifle is in the grey area.
I used to hunt with my Logun S-16 .22 Air Rifle and bagged a couple of squirrel.

There is no law explicitly prohibiting air rifle that I know of for hunting small game in MA. Also an air rifle is not considered a firearm.

 

[95blklsc]

Are there any laws against squirrel shooting anywhere else in MA? It also leads me to the question is it legal to trap squirrels (not a live trap)? I have so many squirrels in my yard it is insane, they are chewing everything including the eves in the garage and getting into there. Been thinking about thinning out the population but not sure about the legalities of it.

 

[Baldkat82]

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfw_pac.htm

Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 131, Section 37, gives property owners the right to use lawful means to destroy wildlife in the act of causing damage or threatening personal safety. The public may only address wildlife actually causing damage or posing immediate threats and may not randomly destroy wildlife as a preventive measure. It is illegal for a property owner to live-trap a problem animal and move it for release to public or private property.

 

[95blklsc]

Thank you!

 

[95blklsc]

Well I've taken out at least 12 of the suckers getting into and living the the garage. They make such a damn mess in there it was about time I get rid of them.

 

[Migmojo]

Well I've taken out at least 12 of the suckers getting into and living the the garage. They make such a damn mess in there it was about time I get rid of them.

I hope they were eaten.

 

[95blklsc]

No, they were disposed of. You are welcome to come and get the fresh ones as they are taken out....

 

[pj150]

I dunno about you but squirrels have this weird smell to them that sickens me. I tried it a few times and I can't bring myself to eat them anymore.

 

[yanici]

On the Cape ( zones 10-12) says no taking of squirrel with rifle or handgun. I guess that leaves shotgun. Is an air pellet rifle considered prohibited also or is that not considered a rifle. Anybody know?

*********************************************************

I sent an e-mail to Mass. Wildlife asking about hunting small game, and specifically squirrel, with an air rifle, since shotgun was the only listed permissable method. They replied that airgun IS ALLOWED in zones 10-12 to hunt small game. Good news because I've got a couple of super air rifles.

 

[Palladin]

http://www.backwoodsbound.com/zsquir.html?NF=1


A buddy used to shoot them out his dining room window in Belmont, where his yard backs up to the RR bed!
his favorite was Squirrel Cacciatore

 

[LoginName]

http://www.backwoodsbound.com/zsquir.html?NF=1


A buddy used to shoot them out his dining room window in Belmont, where his yard backs up to the RR bed!
his favorite was Squirrel Cacciatore

Is this your buddies place?...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBb7KReY6Eg

Another one...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4820248374801314269

 

[meth0d]

I thought that we were limited to shotguns on wild life management areas only?

 

[yanici]

I thought that we were limited to shotguns on wild life management areas only?

*******************************************************

Nope!! Small game with airgun is ok. So, rabbit, woodchuck, etc. are ok too.

Here's a nice woodchuck I got with my Theoben Evolution .177 that shoots at 827 FPS.

 

[Migmojo]

Nice looking gun, nice dead woodchuck!

 

[95blklsc]

*********************************************************

I sent an e-mail to Mass. Wildlife asking about hunting small game, and specifically squirrel, with an air rifle, since shotgun was the only listed permissable method. They replied that airgun IS ALLOWED in zones 10-12 to hunt small game. Good news because I've got a couple of super air rifles.

What are zones 10-12?

 

[x-frog-22]

Yanici; very nice rifle. Did the rifle , stock, scope come as a package or did yuo assemble?

 

[yanici]

What are zones 10-12?

*********************************************************

Here's a web page you can go to to find a lot of answers to hunting questions. On page 13 of the Hunting Abstracts Laws you'll see the hunting zones in question. Anyone that hunts should familiarize themselves with these laws.

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/regulations/abstracts/hunt_fish_abstracts.pdf

 

[yanici]

Yanici; very nice rifle. Did the rifle , stock, scope come as a package or did yuo assemble?

*****************************************************
Thanks. I love that air rifle. The rifle, scope mount, and scope were purchased seperately, albeit from the same vendor. That's a Theoben Evolution .177 cal. rifle that is made in Great Britian. The scope is a Bushnell Elite 3200, 4-12X40 with adjustable objective lens. The scope mount is a Beeman 5040 one piece mount.

John

 

[clinotus]

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfw_pac.htm

Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 131, Section 37, gives property owners the right to use lawful means to destroy wildlife in the act of causing damage or threatening personal safety. The public may only address wildlife actually causing damage or posing immediate threats and may not randomly destroy wildlife as a preventive measure. It is illegal for a property owner to live-trap a problem animal and move it for release to public or private property.

So can I plink the squirrels on my bird feeder?

 

[biff44]

"It is illegal for a property owner to live-trap a problem animal and move it for release to public or private property",

Yep, you can not transport live animals. however, traping nuisance squirells could be a problem if you unfortunately end up killing the neighbor's cat in a trap. So one option is to live trap the squirel, and then dispatch it afterward.

 

[Reptile]

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfw_pac.htm

This confuses me...

So does this mean you can use a rifle (like a 22) to kill the squirrels?

My friend told me that his neighbor killed about 20 squirrels last week with a rifle.

Other houses were within 1000 feet.

I applaud his efforts as the squirrels were destroying his house.

I want to know, as far as Mass law, if that was legal.

I am NOT a RAT (pun intended) - but I worry that if more of my associates take the lives of squirrels in their own hands - they might lose their LTC.

 

[whacko]

This confuses me...

So does this mean you can use a rifle (like a 22) to kill the squirrels?

My friend told me that his neighbor killed about 20 squirrels last week with a rifle.

Other houses were within 1000 feet.

I applaud his efforts as the squirrels were destroying his house.

I want to know, as far as Mass law, if that was legal.

I am NOT a RAT (pun intended) - but I worry that if more of my associates take the lives of squirrels in their own hands - they might lose their LTC.

1. Grey squirrel is a game animal MA the season is closed now.
2. Can only use a rifle (or shotgun or bow) in zones 1-9. 10-14 zones are shotgun or bow only.
3. How close was he to other houses? It's actually 500 foot limit not 1000 as you state so he may be ok on that .
4. Daily bag limit is 5........

If f and g has a hair across their ass I can count quite a few violations here. No license, rifle on squirrel(if he's in zones 10-14), out of season, over the bag limit, too close to an occupied dwelling.


As far as I know he can use cage traps and drown them legally. He cannot relocate them elsewhere.....they need to be released alive on the same property or killed......no relocation is allowed.

But......shooting them with a 22 is hunting as it is a game animal. He better watch out for the boys in green on that......if neighbors call he could get f***ed. And for the eminent response that the home owner can shoot, hunt, kill animals If they are damaging property.......there are laws that support it......but calling the f and w first is your best bet.

 

[whacko]

I thought that we were limited to shotguns on wild life management areas only?

on WMA stocked with pheasant during the pheasant season you can use only a shotgun even in zones 1-9. Zones 10-14 are shotgun only on squirrels no matter where your hunting them.

 

[45collector]

Just spray paint those little bastards red after killing them. Red squirrel is open season, all zones, and no restrictions on type of firearm used. Hahaha.

"Officer look at this huge red squirrel I shot!! Woohoo!"