Hunter harassment examples

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Has been on my mind, had some less specific examples lately and one that got my attention. I searched and really didn't find any talk on this.

Was deer hunting with a friend this weekend. He was with someone else earlier in the week in a town forest when people dog walking tried to tell him he couldn't hunt there. Lot of conversation took place but he didn't sway them.

Then I was with him Saturday and I bumped into different dog walkers. They said the same to me. Then a separate woman arrived and said the same to me, though it is legal hunting. She called the police, didn't stay for them to arrive, and walked her dog. My friend came out of the woods, he arrived at my truck as the police arrived, two cruisers, four officers. They were fine, we were right. But it got my goat. I told the lady that hunter harassment is illegal, she didn't think she was doing anything. I've already sent a letter to the selectmen to get understanding of the town forests publicized better.

So, anyone had lousy incidents?

Good part of day though, I had arrived because my friend called to help him take away a doe he had shot earlier!

Dana
 
I have never had incidents like that, but I hunt on private land. My land abuts the AT, and prior to sighting in my rifle one year I heard a bunch of people on the AT screaming and yelling. Once I started sighting in the high-powered rifle, I never heard them again.

Down here, the conservation officers give people a harder time than other citizens. Most citizens just want someone to kill the damn deer so they stop running out in front of their cars.
 
I had some tree hugger feeding the ducks at 5am in the dark on opening day. Once she does that you can't hunt there. We went to the other side of the pond.
 
Baystatesuks, thanks, agreed that people want hunting, just a matter of how many and where they are.

Heard from someone today when I was talking about this. Two examples given of guys on their own property having people come up to them and tell them you can't hunt there because it is private. The nosy people were telling the land owners!

Dana
 
Baystatesuks, thanks, agreed that people want hunting, just a matter of how many and where they are.

Heard from someone today when I was talking about this. Two examples given of guys on their own property having people come up to them and tell them you can't hunt there because it is private. The nosy people were telling the land owners!

Dana

I had that happen when the adjacent property changed hands. Guy told me I didn't have permission to hunt on my land. I told him I owned it. He said, well that's different then.[laugh]
 
Report all violations to Mass Environmental Police 24 hrs a day x 7 days a week

toll free 800 632 8075



CHAPTER 131. INLAND FISHERIES AND GAME AND OTHER NATURAL RESOURCES

Chapter 131: Section 5C. Obstruction or interference with lawful taking of fish or wildlife; remedies

Section 5C. No person shall obstruct, interfere with or otherwise prevent the lawful taking of fish or wildlife by another at the locale where such activity is taking place. It shall be a violation of this section for a person to intentionally (1) drive or disturb wildlife or fish for the purpose of interrupting a lawful taking; (2) block, follow, impede or otherwise harass another who is engaged in the lawful taking of fish or wildlife; (3) use natural or artificial visual, aural, olfactory or physical stimulus to effect wildlife in order to hinder or prevent such taking; (4) erect barriers with the intent to deny ingress or egress to areas where the lawful taking of wildlife may occur; (5) interject himself into the line of fire; (6) effect the condition or placement of personal or public property intended for use in the taking of wildlife; or (7) enter or remain upon public lands, or upon private lands without the permission of the owner or his agent, with intent to violate this section. The superior court shall have jurisdiction to issue an injunction to enjoin any such conduct or conspiracy in violation of the provisions of this section. A person who sustains damage as a result of any act which is in violation of this section may bring a civil action for punitive damages. Environmental protection officers and other law enforcement officers with arrest powers shall be authorized to enforce the provisions of this section.

This section shall not apply to the owners of the lands or waters or tenants or other persons acting under the authority of such owners of the lands or waters.
 
I had some tree hugger feeding the ducks at 5am in the dark on opening day. Once she does that you can't hunt there. We went to the other side of the pond.

Call the environmental police. It is illegal to feed wildlife. Several years ago I was duck hunting on the north shore. We were chatting with the local environmental LEO. We would see him often. Well all of a sudden there were some folks on the other side of the river yelling at us to stop hunting because they fed the ducks and geese all the time. He smiled at us and said I have to go have a chat with those folks. They're breaking the law.
 
Call the environmental police. It is illegal to feed wildlife. Several years ago I was duck hunting on the north shore. We were chatting with the local environmental LEO. We would see him often. Well all of a sudden there were some folks on the other side of the river yelling at us to stop hunting because they fed the ducks and geese all the time. He smiled at us and said I have to go have a chat with those folks. They're breaking the law.

Bo Ya! [laugh]
 
I have found over the years that the EPO's love to enforce the hunter harrassment laws. I know sometimes it seems otherwise when they are checking your licence but they are on the "side" of the hunters and dont want them harrassed
 
Forgive my ignorance of hunting in general, but my first thought if you're running into dog walkers where you're hunting is perhaps you shouldn't be discharging firearms there. I'm assuming you're using trees and distance instead of a berm as backstop. Am I wrong?
 
When I worked as a dispatcher for a town that had a state WMA dog walkers use to call all the time that people were hunting while they were walking their dogs. They were not too happy when they were told that the property was specifically for hunting and that maybe they should find another place to walk precious during the hunting seasons
 
When I worked as a dispatcher for a town that had a state WMA dog walkers use to call all the time that people were hunting while they were walking their dogs. They were not too happy when they were told that the property was specifically for hunting and that maybe they should find another place to walk precious during the hunting seasons

Apparently sundays isn't enough for them. [rolleyes]
 
Call the environmental police. It is illegal to feed wildlife. Several years ago I was duck hunting on the north shore. We were chatting with the local environmental LEO. We would see him often. Well all of a sudden there were some folks on the other side of the river yelling at us to stop hunting because they fed the ducks and geese all the time. He smiled at us and said I have to go have a chat with those folks. They're breaking the law.

Almost. It is not illegal to feed wildlife per se, but it is illegal to place feed (bait) where someone may be hunting. In both cases in this thread, feeding (baiting) is illegal. Having wild bird feeders out, or a feeder during the off-season, until 2 weeks prior to opening day of archery season (for deer) is legal. Just because you only hunt shotgun, you still cannot feed past the 2 week date prior to archery, hunter or not. (Unless you can prove that no hunter could hunt in that area)

So feeding corn to ducks during deer season is, in fact, illegal if a hunter may hunt that area.
 
Forgive my ignorance of hunting in general, but my first thought if you're running into dog walkers where you're hunting is perhaps you shouldn't be discharging firearms there. I'm assuming you're using trees and distance instead of a berm as backstop. Am I wrong?

If walkers/hikers have no more right to be there than I, why not? Know your target and what's behind it. The same goes for ANY shooting environment.

It's funny to me how there seems to be a "fear" of hunters amongst some shooters. The same thing that exists between shooters and some non-shooters. Hunting is serious business, and it's the odd man out that doesn't take it as such. I've seen many more bozos at the range than I have afield.

And in keeping with the thread, I've yet to encounter harassment while hunting. I'm also not of the ilk that'll go explaining their actions to others -- I'm done with that. Life's too short to be bothered by narrow minds.
 
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Thanks, all good info.

This town already has the town forests with hunting. There is one mention for one of them on the website that says being ready for hunters. It isn't visible enough, I believe. There is an illegal sign saying otherwise at the one I was at that the dog walkers keep pointing to, and I asked the town to take it down!

Hunters know how to situate themselves so they aren't shooting across paths. Hunters have to use the same paths going in and out. Joggers, dog walkers, bike riders, four-wheelers, etc are using the same paths.

I'm going to print the harrassment law and keep copies in my truck from now on.

Dana
 
Thanks, all good info.

This town already has the town forests with hunting. There is one mention for one of them on the website that says being ready for hunters. It isn't visible enough, I believe. There is an illegal sign saying otherwise at the one I was at that the dog walkers keep pointing to, and I asked the town to take it down!

Hunters know how to situate themselves so they aren't shooting across paths. Hunters have to use the same paths going in and out. Joggers, dog walkers, bike riders, four-wheelers, etc are using the same paths.

I'm going to print the harrassment law and keep copies in my truck from now on.

Dana

You must live in a more suburban part of the state than I. Every one I see (even walking their dogs down the street) wears some blaze after thanksgiving. They know that hunting is legally taking place and plan for their safety. I see this as a good idea overall.
 
HTRN, yes, was in Mansfield. Our batch of people walking dogs believe there is no hunting. I've never seen anyone of other users wear blaze orange. But I also never see them luckily go off the trails and dirt paths.

Dana
 
You must live in a more suburban part of the state than I. Every one I see (even walking their dogs down the street) wears some blaze after thanksgiving. They know that hunting is legally taking place and plan for their safety. I see this as a good idea overall.

Funny you mention that, when I was hunting in the Berkshires a few weeks ago I noticed EVERYONE was wearing orange. It didnt matter if they were walking down a major paved road or a old dirt road. In the Metro West you never see walkers wearing orange
 
Funny you mention that, when I was hunting in the Berkshires a few weeks ago I noticed EVERYONE was wearing orange. It didnt matter if they were walking down a major paved road or a old dirt road. In the Metro West you never see walkers wearing orange

All kids should wear a blaze orange hat on the way to the school bus, just in case. You probably will never have a problem otherwise , but it improves visibility overall and drivers will also see them from a farther distance.

Blaze orange, it not just for hunting anymore.
 
Frustrating

This is very frustrating, and more of a problem with State forests than WMAs I think.

I've seen deer in Upton state forest before, but the amount of hikers and dog walkers is a problem. There I am in full camo head to do and a bunch of people come barreling in. They have a right to be there, but the dirty looks I get really bother me. I've paid my dues, got my license, follow every reg, why should I have to get crap from those people? I hunt as it relaxes me and I clear my mind, love being in the woods and the pursuit. I hate when some moron ruins it.
 
Has been on my mind, had some less specific examples lately and one that got my attention. I searched and really didn't find any talk on this.

Was deer hunting with a friend this weekend. He was with someone else earlier in the week in a town forest when people dog walking tried to tell him he couldn't hunt there. Lot of conversation took place but he didn't sway them.

Then I was with him Saturday and I bumped into different dog walkers. They said the same to me. Then a separate woman arrived and said the same to me, though it is legal hunting. She called the police, didn't stay for them to arrive, and walked her dog. My friend came out of the woods, he arrived at my truck as the police arrived, two cruisers, four officers. They were fine, we were right. But it got my goat. I told the lady that hunter harassment is illegal, she didn't think she was doing anything. I've already sent a letter to the selectmen to get understanding of the town forests publicized better.

So, anyone had lousy incidents?

Good part of day though, I had arrived because my friend called to help him take away a doe he had shot earlier!

Dana
I had one incident two years ago. I was hunting with a co-worker during the second week of MA shotgun deer season. We were in Middleton, on public property, when a female hiker told us that we were't supposed to be hunting or carrying firearms there, because it was a wildlife refuge (actually, the refuge was on the other side of the road; we were legal to hunt). My co-worker, all 6'5" and 280 lbs. of him, got right in her face and set her straight. She looked at me and all I did was smile and shrug my shoulders. Hey, she started it. My co-worker finished it. We enjoyed a good day of hunting.[grin]
 
Report all violations to Mass Environmental Police 24 hrs a day x 7 days a week

toll free 800 632 8075



CHAPTER 131. INLAND FISHERIES AND GAME AND OTHER NATURAL RESOURCES

Chapter 131: Section 5C. Obstruction or interference with lawful taking of fish or wildlife; remedies//(5) interject himself into the line of fire; //
Seems to me that problem sort of solves itself.....[rofl]
 
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