Lighted nocks Mass

BostonGator

NES Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2019
Messages
164
Likes
1,039
Location
North Reading
Feedback: 3 / 0 / 0
In my hunter’s safety course 3 years ago this was debated. The law as posted is vague. The instructor was adamant the use of a lighted nock in Massachusetts was illegal. My buddy was at Big Al’s recently and they told him it is legal to hunt with. I ran into a guy at my club yesterday who was using them at the range and stated the same. Does anyone know?

I plan on making a call to fish and game when they open this week.
 

Attachments

  • 0A0079F2-07AB-4FB1-9361-BB5A0FB81E19.jpeg
    0A0079F2-07AB-4FB1-9361-BB5A0FB81E19.jpeg
    137.9 KB · Views: 34
In my hunter’s safety course 3 years ago this was debated. The law as posted is vague. The instructor was adamant the use of a lighted nock in Massachusetts was illegal. My buddy was at Big Al’s recently and they told him it is legal to hunt with. I ran into a guy at my club yesterday who was using them at the range and stated the same. Does anyone know?

I plan on making a call to fish and game when they open this week.
Technically (to be pedantic) “artificial” lights would be lights that don’t work.

“Lights” would be lights powered by electricity.

Just sayin. I realize they’re probably not English majors over there.
 
This was the argument to the instructor. His response was if you get the wrong LEO on the wrong day it will cost you time and money.
Good for them. Until the spell out the words lighted nocks in the text of the law. I could care less. Any warden that doesnt think it’s important to use everything you can to help locate and find wounded game is a douchebag.
 
Vague Laws that leave it open to interpretation are hard to enforce in court.
 
I am not opening the law book, but I believe the law says Hunting by aids and means of Artificial Light, with the exception of hunting raccoon and opossum. so that means light to illuminate the animal.

Read; Mass. General Law Chapter 131 Section 68
 
Last edited:
Section 68. A person shall not hunt any bird or mammal except raccoon or opossum by the aid or use of any artificial light, or hunt any bird with a swivel or pivot gun. Any weapon or equipment used in such hunting by any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be confiscated and forfeited to the use of the commonwealth and disposed of by the director of law enforcement for the best interest of the commonwealth; and any motor vehicle, as defined in section one of chapter ninety, or other vehicle, boat or canoe so used may be seized and libeled in accordance with the provisions of chapter two hundred and fifty-seven.
 
My reading is that they're illegal.

"by the aid OR use of ANY artificial light"

As judges have said time and time again, there are no surplus of words in the law.... The words "OR" and "ANY" have meaning. As in "the use of ANY artificial light".. Lighted knocks are artificial light... So... That's my reading.

You do you, but I don't run them. I do use reflective wraps and neon-colored fletching which help a lot in finding the arrow. They also don't add weight to the back of the arrow (wrong side) which throws off your tune, messes with your spine, and reduces your FoC. Adopting them will change your point of impact and will have an effect on penetration. Probably not such a big deal to a guy with a 30" draw shooting 70#s. But to those in the 26" to 27" range shooting below 60#, this is kind of a big deal.
 
My reading is that they're illegal.

"by the aid OR use of ANY artificial light"

As judges have said time and time again, there are no surplus of words in the law.... The words "OR" and "ANY" have meaning. As in "the use of ANY artificial light".. Lighted knocks are artificial light... So... That's my reading.

You do you, but I don't run them. I do use reflective wraps and neon-colored fletching which help a lot in finding the arrow. They also don't add weight to the back of the arrow (wrong side) which throws off your tune, messes with your spine, and reduces your FoC. Adopting them will change your point of impact and will have an effect on penetration. Probably not such a big deal to a guy with a 30" draw shooting 70#s. But to those in the 26" to 27" range shooting below 60#, this is kind of a big deal.
Read the statute again!! That clearly is in regards to "ILLUMINATION" of the animal.
 
My reading is that they're illegal.

"by the aid OR use of ANY artificial light"

As judges have said time and time again, there are no surplus of words in the law.... The words "OR" and "ANY" have meaning. As in "the use of ANY artificial light".. Lighted knocks are artificial light... So... That's my reading.

You do you, but I don't run them. I do use reflective wraps and neon-colored fletching which help a lot in finding the arrow. They also don't add weight to the back of the arrow (wrong side) which throws off your tune, messes with your spine, and reduces your FoC. Adopting them will change your point of impact and will have an effect on penetration. Probably not such a big deal to a guy with a 30" draw shooting 70#s. But to those in the 26" to 27" range shooting below 60#, this is kind of a big deal.

Illuminated knocks to not "aid killing the deer" They aid you seeing where your shot hit and finding the arrow after the shot. By your interpretation using a flashlight to follow the bloodtrail would also be illegal.
 
Illuminated knocks to not "aid killing the deer" They aid you seeing where your shot hit and finding the arrow after the shot. By your interpretation using a flashlight to follow the bloodtrail would also be illegal.


Please cite, verbatim, where the law explicitly says "aiding in killing deer".... The light doesn't have to "aid" you. "aid OR USE"... The word OR in the law has meaning. As in being aided by OR just using a light... But you do you.
 
3.02(4): Hunting and Tagging of Deer

(f) A person shall not make, set, or use any bait, decoy, torchlight or spotlight, trap, or other like device for the purpose of attracting, ensnaring, taking, injuring, or killing a deer, nor hunt by baiting or within any baited area, nor hunt, drive, worry, or disturb any deer with or by the aid of any noise-making device, provided that nothing in 321 CMR 3.02(4)(f) shall be deemed to prohibit the use of scents or of deer antlers or replicas thereof or of grunt tubes as callers or attractants by persons otherwise lawfully hunting deer.
 
Not that I want to throw my hat in this retarded debate, but a little knock is not aiding your hunting, it's aiding your retrieval.

Having a lit knock does not help in any manner in the taking of a deer. It does however help with preventing injury, trackng, and assessing a shot after its bren taken. The knock offers no hunting advantage before the shot, unlike say, a laser pointer or night vision.

You are 100% wrong on this, but its clear you're not going to change your mind so we can probably just wrap this all up with a agree to disagree.
 
Section 68. A person shall not hunt any bird or mammal except raccoon or opossum by the aid or use of any artificial light, or hunt any bird with a swivel or pivot gun. Any weapon or equipment used in such hunting by any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be confiscated and forfeited to the use of the commonwealth and disposed of by the director of law enforcement for the best interest of the commonwealth; and any motor vehicle, as defined in section one of chapter ninety, or other vehicle, boat or canoe so used may be seized and libeled in accordance with the provisions of chapter two hundred and fifty-seven.
Before thermals how did you guys hunt Coyotes without a red spotlight?

Edit: Now that I think about it, if Coyote is always open and there isn’t a season I guess it wouldn’t be listed.
 
Before thermals how did you guys hunt Coyotes without a red spotlight?

Edit: Now that I think about it, if Coyote is always open and there isn’t a season I guess it wouldn’t be listed.
You Didn't!!! Also it is nice to see that someone here has more experience in the Fish and Wildlife laws of that shit hole than I do. (the second part is in reference to the posting 3 above yours )
 
Before thermals how did you guys hunt Coyotes without a red spotlight?

Edit: Now that I think about it, if Coyote is always open and there isn’t a season I guess it wouldn’t be listed.
Coyote isn't always open in MA. (I cannot comment on the past.)
2022 HUNTING
SEASON DATES
Jan. 1 – March 8, 2022
Oct. 15, 2022 – Mar. 8, 2023
 
Back
Top Bottom