Shooting in the woods

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I live in the Berkshires and want to know if I can target practice in the woods legally or have to go to an expensive range. Some guys I know do and others say no ...thanx for info
 
From Mass Fish and Wildlife, Hunting Prohibitions:

Target shooting on Sunday except on one’s own property or on a recognized shooting range.
 
Technically, if not posted you're good to go.

But you'll probably find it posted soon if you don't ask. Give the owner your name and address and he probably won't think you're gonna leave trash and set up a meth cooker.
 
So, is this for hunting only, or target?




(I know the answer, I think.)
Here are two links. The second might imply that ccw is illegal if you see a bird or chipmunk [shocked] :
"or carry
on that day on his person a rifle, shotgun or bow and arrow or, unless otherwise permitted by law, a pistol or revolver, in any place where birds or mammals might be found."
Just posting what is written,,, make what you will of it.

http://www.eregulations.com/massachusetts/huntingandfishing/hunting-prohibitions/
Target shooting on Sunday except on one’s own property or on a recognized shooting range.
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIX/Chapter131/Section57
Section 57. Every Sunday shall be a closed season. Except as otherwise provided in sections four, thirty-one and thirty-seven, a person, on Sunday, shall not hunt any bird or mammal or carry on that day on his person a rifle, shotgun or bow and arrow or, unless otherwise permitted by law, a pistol or revolver, in any place where birds or mammals might be found. This section shall not render unlawful the possession or carrying of a rifle, shotgun, pistol, revolver or bow and arrow, for the purpose of using the same on a skeet, trap or target range, nor for the purpose of using the same for sport target shooting at artificial targets by an owner or lessee, or his guest, upon his own or leased property, or by members or guests of clubs or associations on supervised firing ranges, nor shall it prohibit the taking of mammals by means of traps, nor the training of falcons or protected species, nor the exercising of such falcons as regulated by the director.




 
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150 feet from a road, 500 feet from a house (unless you have permission). Fire away
 
When I was out there for school, my buddy and I used to shoot his .22 in the woods near school

MANY years ago :)
 
150 feet from a road, 500 feet from a house (unless you have permission). Fire away

That is state law yes. Some towns have an ordnance against target shooting on public land.

Years back I was shooting .22's in a sand pit in a Cape Cod town with a buddy and the PD showed up with AR's at the low ready. They yelled at us to drop the guns. We did, showed them our LTC's and asked what's the problem. They said "It's against the law to shoot here." We asked what law was that and they got very pissed that we would dare question their authority. LOL. So we left, and we still go back from time to time and shoot .22 quiet rounds. Last time I was there I found at least 100 9mm casings, so someone is still shooting there and not giving a F. Good for them.
 
You do need to be careful of the hunting laws. Just being in the woods with a a gun that is commonly used for hunting in this state can get you pinched for "hunting without a license" This is especially true if one is walking through the forest Stump Shooting or something similar. Do not get caught with a shotgun with slugs in the woods outside of deer season either.

If they found you set up with targets and an appropriate backstop I would think it would be hard to be ticketed. Do not use your vehicle as a rest or allow a loaded gun lean up or lay on any part of your vehicle in any circumstances.
 
150 feet from a road, 500 feet from a house (unless you have permission). Fire away

Unless it's WMA land where target shooting is prohibited.

Had a few guys light off during hunting season a few years back, just walked off the road a few hundred feet and started shooting into the open woods. I yelled to them and they replied, "we're target shooting." Idiots, I should have called Epo's on them.

"No person shall engage in target practice without written permission from the Director or his designee."
 
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Here are two links. The second might imply that ccw is illegal if you see a bird or chipmunk [shocked] :
"or carry
on that day on his person a rifle, shotgun or bow and arrow or, unless otherwise permitted by law, a pistol or revolver, in any place where birds or mammals might be found."
Just posting what is written,,, make what you will of it.

http://www.eregulations.com/massachusetts/huntingandfishing/hunting-prohibitions/
Target shooting on Sunday except on one’s own property or on a recognized shooting range.
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIX/Chapter131/Section57
Section 57. Every Sunday shall be a closed season. Except as otherwise provided in sections four, thirty-one and thirty-seven, a person, on Sunday, shall not hunt any bird or mammal or carry on that day on his person a rifle, shotgun or bow and arrow or, unless otherwise permitted by law, a pistol or revolver, in any place where birds or mammals might be found. This section shall not render unlawful the possession or carrying of a rifle, shotgun, pistol, revolver or bow and arrow, for the purpose of using the same on a skeet, trap or target range, nor for the purpose of using the same for sport target shooting at artificial targets by an owner or lessee, or his guest, upon his own or leased property, or by members or guests of clubs or associations on supervised firing ranges, nor shall it prohibit the taking of mammals by means of traps, nor the training of falcons or protected species, nor the exercising of such falcons as regulated by the director.





A strict reading of the bold part means (most) gun clubs are illegally allowing people to shoot since they don't have ROs "supervising" their firing ranges! [thinking]
 
From Mass Fish and Wildlife, Hunting Prohibitions:

Target shooting on Sunday except on one’s own property or on a recognized shooting range.

150 feet from a road, 500 feet from a house (unless you have permission). Fire away

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter269/Section12E
Actual_Cite_From_the_Laws said:
Section 12E. Whoever discharges a firearm as defined in section one hundred and twenty-one of chapter one hundred and forty, a rifle or shotgun within five hundred feet of a dwelling or other building in use, except with the consent of the owner or legal occupant thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than fifty nor more than one hundred dollars or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than three months, or both. The provisions of this section shall not apply to (a) the lawful defense of life and property; (b) any law enforcement officer acting in the discharge of his duties; (c) persons using underground or indoor target or test ranges with the consent of the owner or legal occupant thereof; (d) persons using outdoor skeet, trap, target or test ranges with the consent of the owner or legal occupant of the land on which the range is established; (e) persons using shooting galleries, licensed and defined under the provisions of section fifty-six A of chapter one hundred and forty; and (f) the discharge of blank cartridges for theatrical, athletic, ceremonial, firing squad, or other purposes in accordance with section thirty-nine of chapter one hundred and forty-eight.

If you have an "established" range then you are fine with state law (some local ordinances prohibit any discharge) - Then the question is what is an established range but if you have an area that you have obviously improved with safe backstop and a well groomed shooting lane then that should be good.

If the land isn't yours and you don't have written permission to be there I wouldn't risk shooting especially if there isn't a clearly safe backstop.
 
150 feet from a road, 500 feet from a house (unless you have permission). Fire away

Really? There is an open area in the woods behind me 800-1000 feet away from any structure or road with 12-15 feet steep inclines that would be well suitable as a back drop. This area is beyond my property line but is part of a roughly 1.5 square mile forest. If I obey hunting laws and don't shoot on Sunday is this a suitable location? Should I notify the PD every time?
 
I live in the Berkshires and want to know if I can target practice in the woods legally or have to go to an expensive range. Some guys I know do and others say no ...thanx for info

"Expensive range???" - If you can afford ammo and a gun, you can probably afford to join a club. Many clubs are less than 50 dollars a year.

Otherwise, I would ask permission rather than go blasting on someone's property, where I don't know who is walking around. Technically it's legal not to, if the land is not posted, it's not Sunday, and as long as your distance is adhered to, but really?...if I owned the land I'd rather people ask first. It's just common courtesy to me.

Out your way, you likely could find some landowners that would allow it, but I'm sure they would appreciate being asked first. In Central/Eastern MA, just join a club, the gas you'd waste asking permission you could just put the money for yearly membership.

The other thing about a club is, I'm 99.9% sure no one is going to call the cops on me, and mess with my shooting session, and I can shoot on Sunday, that alone is worth the price of admission for me.
 
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Really? There is an open area in the woods behind me 800-1000 feet away from any structure or road with 12-15 feet steep inclines that would be well suitable as a back drop. This area is beyond my property line but is part of a roughly 1.5 square mile forest. If I obey hunting laws and don't shoot on Sunday is this a suitable location? Should I notify the PD every time?
If it's not your land, you need permission

Build a backstop on your land or join a range

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