New to hunting

[mordeeb]

I have a gun but i don't have any hunting license or equipment. I want to hunt a deer or bigger in MA what do i have to do?

 

[atmay]

First thing you need is a hunting license. To get that, you need to take a hunter safety course. Courses are free, and a list of them is available on the Mass Wildlife website. Also available on the MW website is a copy of the hunting abstracts, which have all the various regulations and seasons.

 

[mordeeb]

do you have to take a course for VT?

 

[atmay]

do you have to take a course for VT?

I'm reasonably certain every state requires the course to get the license. Good news on this end is that VT will accept your MA course certificate/license as proof of having met that requirement.

 

[mordeeb]

on a side note i have a bunch of raccoons in my front yard can i just shoot them?

 

[Twigg]

on a side note i have a bunch of raccoons in my front yard can i just shoot them?

Unless it racoon season and you are lawfully hunting you'll have to trap them and kill them nicely.

 

[atmay]

on a side note i have a bunch of raccoons in my front yard can i just shoot them?

Generally, you're not allowed to shoot animals without a hunting/sporting or animal control license. If anyone sees you, you'd probably be in some deep doodoo.

Exception being if you live on a working farm, and they're eating your crops.

 

[Twigg]

So plant some corn.

 

[mordeeb]

I have a tomato plant they might eat that good enough reason?

 

[atmay]

So plant some corn.

I have a tomato plant they might eat that good enough reason?

While I'm not intimately familiar with the law, nor do I have it on hand to look at, I'm pretty gosh dang sure it's for actual working farms in agricultural zones, and that's it.

However, I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. I'd look it up and be 100% sure before taking a shot.

Also, don't forget that you aren't allowed to shoot within 500ft of an occupied dwelling without owner/designee's permission, or within 150 feet of a paved road.

 

[Brian5582]

I called mass wildlife about shooting animals destroying crops/ livestock and they told me what I could and could not do. They actually sent me a copy of the exact law so I knew what I could and couldn't do. I did it more because of coyotes going after my chickens and pigs when they are still young. Note though I do live on a small farm so I could prove I had a reason. It pertained to crops as well. I will try to find it.