Non-Resident carrying thru Mass for Hunting

[MarkC366]

OK I read the sticky on non-residents and it was extremely informative. I also read the "travel through Mass" from GOAL which states the following:

Chapter 140, Section 131G Carrying of Firearms by Non-Residents (this is the MA law that applies. bold with notes by GOAL)

"Hunting Exemption: In addition to a person having a license to carry firearms from another state, if they are coming in or through Massachusetts
with a firearm, for this exemption to apply, they must have a hunting license either here or in the state of their destination and it must be hunting season."



My question is this. I have a friend who is licensed in Conn and wants to carry thru Mass to hunt in Vermont. As a Conn resident he says he cannot get a
non-resident hunting license in Vermont until he arrives there. So does that mean he would violate this law? Also if he wants to attend opening day, can he drive
through the state the day before hunting season opens or is he in violation again?

Or is he best to ship from CT to VT as he has all the years before?

 

[Len-2A Training]

NO "carrying" in MA, but he can follow FOPA and as long as he follows it to the letter of the law he'll be fine. It supersedes the MGL cited above.

Do a reading of the stickies here and you should find it in detail, or worst case try a search here in the Law forum (not MA law).

 

[M1911]

Just have him follow FOPA to the letter. What's so hard about that?

 

[MarkC366]

Sorry, did not mean carry, just tranport, but he is hung up on the hunting license issue

 

[Mike_]

Sorry, did not mean carry, just tranport, but he is hung up on the hunting license issue

FOPA allows for travel through states if the starting and ending location allows you to have the firearm. Since he can legally have the gun in Vermont (no permit/license BS there) and that is his destination then he's all set along as he transports according to FOPA. The hunting requirement would come into play more if he was hunting in MA as a non-resident.

 

[appraiser]

Unloaded in a locked case in the trunk, and don't even think about stopping in MA, don't speed, use your turn signals, operate within marked lanes.....

 

[koydog]

as long as its in a locked case , and has a trigger lock it will be fine. you technically only need one or the other but i do both to be on the safe side. it would also help if you were to lock the gun in the trunk of a car as well as the formentioned .

 

[Len-2A Training]

koydog, sorry but you have it all wrong!