Hunter Seriously Injured By Own Crossbow In Upton

Yes. If have a round in the chamber or magazine , an arrow on the string, a bolt on the string, or a cap or primer on the (Or priming in the pan )muzzleloader before or after legal hunting time, it is considered hunting.

You can sit in the dark with and unloaded weapon as long as you want. For the most part...

Some states and game wardens will give you grief if you are walking out 3 hours late or going in 3 hours early.

In some hunts, you cant enter the woods until 1 hour before legal hunting time. Like the Wachusett watershed hunt last year.

FIFY
 
Having the crossbow loaded.

You can’t walk in with a bolt in your crossbow, or your shotgun loaded. If you are hunting with a muzzleloader, you can have your powder and ball in the barrel, but you must not have a primer cap on the nipple.

At least until you're more than150 feet from the road. Once you're that far in, you can cap, load and nock to your heart's content.
 
At least until you're more than150 feet from the road. Once you're that far in, you can cap, load and nock to your heart's content.
My post was in response to Admin’s question about walking in to your tree stand before legal hunting hours.

1) You can’t hunt close to the road.
2) You can’t hunt outside of the legal hunting hours.

If you walk into the woods prior to hunting hours (as most hunters do), you still can’t load until you are 150’ from the road AND it is within legal hunting hours.
 
At least until you're more than150 feet from the road. Once you're that far in, you can cap, load and nock to your heart's content.

Thats what I have always done.

Having hunted with a crossbow for a few years I can say that it is pretty hard to shoot your self in the leg.

Last year somebody shot another hunter that they were hunting with in the leg with a crossbow. That I can see easily happening.

Bob
 
Pretty sure you can be on the road or near with loaded implement; you just can't shoot from, across or within 150'....

The implement matters.
  • Discharge of any firearm or release of any arrow upon or across any state or hard-surfaced highway, or within 150 feet of any such highway, or possession of a loaded firearm, discharge of a firearm, or hunting on the land of another within 500 feet of any dwelling or building in use, except as authorized by the owner or occupant thereof. See Wildlife Management Zones (PDF) for additional firearms regulations.
Hunting Prohibitions | eRegulations
 
The regulation (Section 58) is an example of poor sentence structure?
I can be on the road or within 150' of the road with loaded gun or bow - I just cant shoot.
The rest of it - Pertains to being on the land of another or within 500' of a dwelling...
 
I don't doubt that but:
Carrying rifles and shotguns on public ways while hunting
You can carry a loaded or unloaded rifle or shotgun upon or across a public way if you are engaged in hunting and hold a valid hunting license. You do not need a trigger lock on the rifle or shotgun provided you are engaged in hunting and have a valid hunting license.
NOTE: You shall not possess or discharge a loaded rifle or shotgun within 500 feet of a building or dwelling in use without the owner or occupant’s permission. Also, you shall not discharge a rifle or shotgun upon or across any state or hard surfaced highway or within 150 feet of a highway.
 
I don't doubt that but:
Carrying rifles and shotguns on public ways while hunting
You can carry a loaded or unloaded rifle or shotgun upon or across a public way if you are engaged in hunting and hold a valid hunting license. You do not need a trigger lock on the rifle or shotgun provided you are engaged in hunting and have a valid hunting license.
NOTE: You shall not possess or discharge a loaded rifle or shotgun within 500 feet of a building or dwelling in use without the owner or occupant’s permission. Also, you shall not discharge a rifle or shotgun upon or across any state or hard surfaced highway or within 150 feet of a highway.
The problem with that link and all other .gov links is they always default to M.G.L which as M1911 stated contains “loaded” as a preclusion to being within 150ft of a paved roadway. Hence the disclaimer. Pretty sure the public way would mean walking path or dirt road. Again, it’s really poor wording in these laws.
 
My post was in response to Admin’s question about walking in to your tree stand before legal hunting hours.

1) You can’t hunt close to the road.
2) You can’t hunt outside of the legal hunting hours.

If you walk into the woods prior to hunting hours (as most hunters do), you still can’t load until you are 150’ from the road AND it is within legal hunting hours.

Gotcha.
 
The problem with that link and all other .gov links is they always default to M.G.L which as M1911 stated contains “loaded” as a preclusion to being within 150ft of a paved roadway. Hence the disclaimer. Pretty sure the public way would mean walking path or dirt road. Again, it’s really poor wording in these laws.

This is a question that's posed to the EPOs at almost every HE course. The definition that the EPO gave for the "public way" is: A hard-surfaced road. Student then asked what the definition of a hard surfaced road was. EPO responded, "Will your head hurt, when I throw you down on it?"

So, yes, a dirt road would likely be considered a public way, unless it's completely on private land. A walking trail, not.

IANAL IANAEPO
 
This is a question that's posed to the EPOs at almost every HE course. The definition that the EPO gave for the "public way" is: A hard-surfaced road. Student then asked what the definition of a hard surfaced road was. EPO responded, "Will your head hurt, when I throw you down on it?"
That EPO is a Richard. That is a perfectly reasonable question and the EPO had to respond by proving he’s a tough guy.
 
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That EPO is a Richard.

Yeah. Of the several EPOs that have come through the Club on HE duties, some have been further than others from Officer Friendly on the huggability spectrum.

But, out in the woods, the EPOs are like Judge Dredd (They are the law), and you might run into the Richards. This is why it's important to do the stuff that can get you jammed up, correctly.
 
But, out in the woods, the EPOs are like Judge Dredd (They are the law), and you might run into the Richards. This is why it's important to do the stuff that can get you jammed up, correctly.
I got checked by EPOs a couple times back when I hunted in Pantry Brook. I never had a problem with them, but I was doing everything right — before I got back to my car, my shotgun was unloaded, I had my LTC and hunting license with me, etc.

One time when I got back to my car, the EPO was talking to another hunter who didn’t have his hunting license, didn’t have his FID, etc.
 
I got checked by EPOs a couple times back when I hunted in Pantry Brook. I never had a problem with them, but I was doing everything right — before I got back to my car, my shotgun was unloaded, I had my LTC and hunting license with me, etc.

One time when I got back to my car, the EPO was talking to another hunter who didn’t have his hunting license, didn’t have his FID, etc.

I was hunting Barre Falls the other day. Had my wifesSUV cause my truck was being worked on.My lisc was in truck.

Warden stopped and asked for my lisc. I didnt have it. Asked him to look it up. ( no cell service)

He didnt site me but mentioned if I take multiple vehicles I should take a pic on my phone as that is good for any hunting that doesnt have a tag.
Like Pheasant hunting which I was doing at the time

I asked if I should just make multiple copies and he stated if I was deer hunting and had multiple copies on me that could be an infraction as im only supposed to have two deer tags in possession while hunting (without doe permit).

Didnt realize that. He said he gave one guy a warning last year making 4 copies of his lisc and having 8 deer tags in his possession while hunting deer. That does make sense to me, especially with the print your own tags thing.

Anyway I have a pic of my lisc on the phone now.
 
That EPO is a Richard. That is a perfectly reasonable question and the EPO had to respond by proving he’s a tough guy.
This is unneeded and why they dont get respect. Right away he’s escalating a simple question to physical violence. Maybe he should find a different line of work.

I had one warden in my area when I taught some of the HE courses. If he was the only one that could come to the class I recommended that he not even come. He would talk about night rifle bans, hated conceal carry, etc.... did students a disservice just listening to him
 
This is a question that's posed to the EPOs at almost every HE course. The definition that the EPO gave for the "public way" is: A hard-surfaced road. Student then asked what the definition of a hard surfaced road was. EPO responded, "Will your head hurt, when I throw you down on it?"

So, yes, a dirt road would likely be considered a public way, unless it's completely on private land. A walking trail, not.

IANAL IANAEPO

In central MA there are a many areas like Barre Falls and Birch Hill where there are dirt roads that are public ways that people shoot off of and well within 150 feet of all day long all season long. Ive never heard of anyone getting jammed up for it. They stock pheasants right off of them usually right off of the road.
The dirt road is assumed part of the hunt area, as birds freely fly and walk across it.

Paved asphalt or Macadam road has always been and met the 150 foot defination in my area of Cental MA. NEVER a dirt road, especially in a WMA.

A dirt TOWN road outside of a WMA maybe, if you are near a house or something.
 
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Didnt realize that. He said he gave one guy a warning last year making 4 copies of his lisc and having 8 deer tags in his possession while hunting deer. That does make sense to me, especially with the print your own tags thing.

Anyway I have a pic of my lisc on the phone now.

The other thing that gets people in trouble is removing the tag from the license or permit before shooting the animal. If you look at the license it still says void if removed or detached. it is still selectively enforced.

This is unneeded and why they dont get respect. Right away he’s escalating a simple question to physical violence. Maybe he should find a different line of work.

I had one warden in my area when I taught some of the HE courses. If he was the only one that could come to the class I recommended that he not even come. He would talk about night rifle bans, hated conceal carry, etc.... did students a disservice just listening to him

When interacting with law enforcement it is the luck of the draw. It is the LEO version Russian roulette. Just like any profession, there are a lot of good ones out there but there are also some Richard Cranium’s out there as well.

Bob
 
I always kept my hunting license in my hunting backpack, so it was always with me.
I dont carry a hunting backpack while hunting birds. Even if I did I would use two different packs as I would not want to take the same pack to the deer woods with dog/gun oil/dead bird scent all over it.

I have one copy of my lisc in my deer hunting backpack always.
I
 
I dont carry a hunting backpack while hunting birds. Even if I did I would use two different packs as I would not want to take the same pack to the deer woods with dog/gun oil/dead bird scent all over it.

I have one copy of my lisc in my deer hunting backpack always.
I

I do the same.
Licenses, tags, and permission slips in envelopes in my ruck. One envelope for each state and any separate hunts like Centennial and a copy of my license in my wallet for birds and fishing.

The envelopes go into a gallon ziplock along with a few wire ties and sandwich bags for attaching the tag to the leg of the kill.

Bob
 
This is a question that's posed to the EPOs at almost every HE course. The definition that the EPO gave for the "public way" is: A hard-surfaced road. Student then asked what the definition of a hard surfaced road was. EPO responded, "Will your head hurt, when I throw you down on it?" So, yes, a dirt road would likely be considered a public way, unless it's completely on private land. ...

In central MA there are a many areas like Barre Falls and Birch Hill where there are dirt roads that are public ways that people shoot off of and well within 150 feet of all day long all season long. Ive never heard of anyone getting jammed up for it. They stock pheasants right off of them usually right off of the road. The dirt road is assumed part of the hunt area, as birds freely fly and walk across it.

Paved asphalt or Macadam road has always been and met the 150 foot definition in my area of Central MA. NEVER a dirt road, especially in a WMA.

A dirt TOWN road outside of a WMA maybe, if you are near a house or something.

I would think if it is a dirt road, that is NOT "hard surfaced", with macadam/asphalt/concrete being the definition of "hard surfaced". I would think if it is unnamed, and dirt, it should be OK. If it were a named road, and gets plowed in the winter, and has houses on it, it would be questionable; but I don't know of any off the top of my head like that. I'm sure there are some, with more as you go West of Route 31, and then more West of the Quabbin.


Then there is this:
... several EPOs that have come through the Club on HE duties, some have been further than others from Officer Friendly on the huggability spectrum. But, out in the woods, the EPOs are like Judge Dredd (They are the law), and you might run into the Richards. This is why it's important to do the stuff that can get you jammed up, correctly.

Which is why the laws should be more clear.
 
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