Quick hunting question:

[Broc]

there is a nice wooded are near my parents home where i want to go coyote hunting. the closes neighbor is pretty far away, more than 800'.

anyways, heres my question: the area doesnt seem like its owned by anyone, and i drove around for about 5 miles and there werent any signs saying: "no hunting", and its not a wildlife management area, so, could i still go in there and hunt, or should i get some kind of approval from someone?

 

[StevieP]

I'd check with your town. You can often get a listing of the town's public areas, including whether or not hunting is allowed on them. Check the town website, perhaps under the conservation commission info.

Definitely don't just go hunting, without finding out first...

 

[Kevin_NH]

What state is this in?

I don't see any location information, what state is this nice wooded area in?

In New Hampshire, the answer would be "Go for it". While it's always best to consult the landowner, NH has a presumption of access, for both private and state-owned land. And coyote is open season in NH...

 

[Broc]

I don't see any location information, what state is this nice wooded area in?

In New Hampshire, the answer would be "Go for it". While it's always best to consult the landowner, NH has a presumption of access, for both private and state-owned land.

And coyote is open season in NH. Only approval needed is the state hunting license (to hunt on land you do not own). There are some parts of the state where you can't use a rifle to hunt coyote, but that's about it for restrictions.

sorry, forgot to post the state. Im in Massachusetts, near Nashua N.H.

 

[arlow]

Better check the town clerk for bylaws pertaining to hunting, specifically discharge of firearms and permission requirements if any.

 

[Kevin_NH]

sorry, forgot to post the state. Im in Massachusetts, near Nashua N.H.

Okay, so you have a few days to work out the legalities before the season opens.

I'm near Nashua, but in NH, here's what I do up here to find the owner of a particular lot. First, find the "Tax Maps" the town, or if unincorporated, for the county. This will give a good idea what the lot number or parcel ID is for that piece of property, as well as it's boundaries. You can use the #/ID to look up the owner of record, for example, Vision Appraisal covers many parts of New England.

 

[Broc]

Okay, so you have a few days to work out the legalities before the season opens.

I'm near Nashua, but in NH, here's what I do up here to find the owner of a particular lot. First, find the "Tax Maps" the town, or if unincorporated, for the county. This will give a good idea what the lot number or parcel ID is for that piece of property, as well as it's boundaries. You can use the #/ID to look up the owner of record, for example, Vision Appraisal covers many parts of New England.

thanks.

 

[Titan]

I would check with the police to see if they have any contact info for an owner of the property.

 

[pupchow]

I would check with the police to see if they have any contact info for an owner of the property.

I wouldn't.

 

[pupchow]

there is a nice wooded are near my parents home where i want to go coyote hunting. the closes neighbor is pretty far away, more than 800'.

anyways, heres my question: the area doesnt seem like its owned by anyone, and i drove around for about 5 miles and there werent any signs saying: "no hunting", and its not a wildlife management area, so, could i still go in there and hunt, or should i get some kind of approval from someone?

Landowner permission is required to hunt on the land of another in the Commonwealth.

 

[Broc]

Landowner permission is required to hunt on the land of another in the Commonwealth.

if it had an owner, it would be easy. but i dont think it has one. I Emailed the conservation commission, see what they say.

 

[hunter46spring]

Landowner permission is required to hunt on the land of another in the Commonwealth.

This is not correct.

Many towns have passed a bylaw requiring landowner permission or a no discharge of firearmes in town limits bylaw. However, there is no state law requiring Landowner Permission. One of the great things about hunting many of the New England States, including Massachusetts, is the persumption of access to lands unless they are properly posted.

The OP woud be fine hunting in the piece he described unless its posted, there are byaws to the otherwise, or it is a refuge

All that be said a good sportsman will usually try to gain proper permission

 

[Catoperat]

This is not correct.

Many towns have passed a bylaw requiring landowner permission or a no discharge of firearms within town limits. However, there is no state law requiring landowner permission. One of the great things about hunting many of the New England States, including Massachusetts, is the presumption of openess to lands, unless they are properly posted.

All that being said, a good sportsman will usually try to gain proper permission

Exactly correct!

 

[Titan]

Landowner permission is required to hunt on the land of another in the Commonwealth.

If you thought that were correct, why WOULDN'T you check with police to try to determine the owner?

Are you 'on the lamb'?

 

[HorizontalHunter]

if it had an owner, it would be easy. but i dont think it has one. I Emailed the conservation commission, see what they say.

All land is owned by somebody. You can go to the County clerks office (usually in the town hall) and look it up in the plat book.
Bob

 

[pupchow]

This is not correct.

Many towns have passed a bylaw requiring landowner permission or a no discharge of firearmes in town limits bylaw. However, there is no state law requiring Landowner Permission. One of the great things about hunting many of the New England States, including Massachusetts, is the persumption of access to lands unless they are properly posted.

The OP woud be fine hunting in the piece he described unless its posted, there are byaws to the otherwise, or it is a refuge

All that be said a good sportsman will usually try to gain proper permission

Yep, I stand corrected! It's a local thing here. sorry for the misinfo

 

[arlow]

All land is owned by somebody. You can go to the County clerks office (usually in the town hall) and look it up in the plat book.
Bob

Actually it is the acessors office that will have the plat maps. Should still be in the town hall complex. Some towns have them online now too!

 

[arlow]

Google maps will show many state forest, conservation properties and sometimes private propertly lines if you zoom to the proper level.


many towns also have the plat maps online for example.....

Tyngsboro http://141.149.191.65/Tyng/

Dracut http://www.dracut-ma.us/departments.aspx

Pepperel http://www.town.pepperell.ma.us/assessors/maps/tm2010-20.pdf

 

[vtrj]

Of coarse it's owned by someone but if they don't have sign's up they don't mind you being there.

 

[Broc]

i found out who the owner is. The town of westford has a program on their website that shows all the parcel numbers and who own each parcel.

turns out that the MIT owns it. The MIT owns land near by, because they have an observatory in Westford, and that land is posted "no hunting", but the place i was looking at didnt have any signs, and is mostly wetland. oh well. I already found another place.

 

[M1911]

If you thought that were correct, why WOULDN'T you check with police to try to determine the owner?

Because they probably won't know. I'd go to the assessor's office instead.

turns out that the MIT owns it. The MIT owns land near by, because they have an observatory in Westford, and that land is posted "no hunting", but the place i was looking at didnt have any signs, and is mostly wetland. oh well. I already found another place.

Well, you could call up MIT and ask for permission, but I'm pretty sure I know what their answer will be.

 

[Broc]

If you thought that were correct, why WOULDN'T you check with police to try to determine the owner?

there are a lot off things that cops dont know. Like they dont know how many or what kind of guns you have at home. Thats why they tell you to keep track of their serial numbers in case they get stolen, so you dont have to start filling out paperwork to find the serial numbers.

Well, you could call up MIT and ask for permission, but I'm pretty sure I know what their answer will be.

exactly, which is why i wont even bother.

 

[Jose]

One of the great things about hunting many of the New England States, including Massachusetts, is the persumption of access to lands unless they are properly posted.

That's so incredibly f-ed up I don't know where to begin.

 

[Kevin_NH]

Operation Land Share & Access Management Assistance

the persumption of access to lands unless they are properly posted.

Actually, at least in NH, even half-assed posting is sufficient, doesn't have to be 'proper' posting to prosecute for trespassing.

That's so incredibly f-ed up I don't know where to begin.

I don't understand this statement. Are you saying this claim is inaccurate? Or that you don't like that laws of MA and NH?
If you don't like presumption of access, don't buy land in a state with that policy, or if you do, spend a little time and effort to post your land. The NH department of Fish & Game will even give you free signs, so all it costs you is one first class stamp, and a few aluminum nails.

I sent my letter of to "Operation Land Share" about a week ago, and in today's mail I got a packet of about two dozen waterproof signs, tomorrow I'm going to post the green ones down where the turkeys hang out.

 

[Jose]

Or that you don't like that laws of MA and NH?

That. Why in the hell should it be incumbent on the landowner to tell everyone to stay out?

Do you have to have no trespassing signs on your residential property too?

 

[Jose]

On one hand, the landowner can make decisions about his or her land. On the other hand, the public should have limited rights to use and enjoy that land.

F that.

Thank God that nonsense stayed up there. Over here you have the unlimited right to go straight to jail, signs or no signs.

 

[hunter46spring]

F that.

Thank God that nonsense stayed up there. Over here you have the unlimited right to go straight to jail, signs or no signs.

I respectfully disagree. There is a huge difference to the geographic makeup of Ohio and Massachusetts. Here there is signifigantly less large areas of land to hunt. The tradition of public acess is benificial to sportsmen. There are signifigant laws in place to insure safe hunting distances. But the best part is the system helps to keep people involved in hunting and as a result of that in firearms in general. The states where people cant get hunting access dont really foster a feel of wanting to keep people involved in the the outdoors, rather it generates a "who you know" or "how much will you pay to be here" attiude

 

[arlow]

That. Why in the hell should it be incumbent on the landowner to tell everyone to stay out?

Do you have to have no trespassing signs on your residential property too?

What the F do you care. You dont live here, so it does not effect you. Because it is different it is wrong? This is the way it has always been and I believe Mass was incorporated as a state long before all the horse and buggy driving freaks in Ohio...

 

[hunter46spring]

F that.

Thank God that nonsense stayed up there. Over here you have the unlimited right to go straight to jail, signs or no signs.

One more brief point. I think the logic behind it is that the fish and widlife belong to all the people in the Commonwealth (because we can't train the deer to stay on the state owned land where there is public access) presumptive permission is a great system.....Maybe in other parts of the country the land owner "owns" the wildlife on their property, I think our system is better

 

[Jose]

One more brief point. I think the logic behind it is that the fish and widlife belong to all the people in the Commonwealth (because we can't train the deer to stay on the state owned land where there is public access) presumptive permission is a great system.....Maybe in other parts of the country the land owner "owns" the wildlife on their property, I think our system is better

The game belongs to the state in every state of the union.

The idea that it is OK to trespass on someone's land without asking is just too f-ed up for words.

I guess socialism is uncool until it benefits you.